This past weekend, SNL aired a sketch about Tiger Woods’ family issues, the entire “hilarious” premise of which was that Tiger Woods’ wife Elin beats him with a golf club. The Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Rita Smith, noted that the sketch “made such a mockery of abuse” and said: “There’s nothing funny about this story, particularly if violence was part of the events that took place. … I hope that SNL refrains from using this kind of skit in the future as it diminishes people’s support for victims of domestic violence.”

The NCADV’s complaint is being widely discussed, typically dismissed as an overreaction and under headlines like “SNL battered over spoof of Tiger Woods spat” and “NBC beat up over SNL spoof.” (Actual headlines, to which I’m not linking.)

Something I’ve not seen mentioned in the discussions I’ve read, however, is that Rihanna was the musical guest on the show. SNL not only decided it was appropriate to air a “comedy sketch” about domestic violence, but wrote it, rehearsed it, and performed it in front of a survivor of domestic violence who was another guest on the show.

Like most people of my generation, I was a big fan of SNL in the days of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, and for better or for worse, SNL of the 70s has shaped my sense of humor (I still think Gilda Radner was brilliant). But Saturday Night Live hasn’t been funny in years. That show hasn’t been “must see TV” since they fired Charles Rocket.