SNL’s Michael Che criticized for “transphobic” joke about Kanye West and Caitlyn Jenner

Michael Che, co-host of Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update," is facing backlash for a joke about Caitlyn Jenner on last weekend's show that many viewers have said is transphobic.

The segment began with Che mentioning Kanye West, who is married to Jenner's stepdaughter Kim Kardashian, and the release of West's latest album Jesus Is King. “It’s also being reported that Kanye will be altering his old hits with more G-rated lyrics,” Che said before mentioning how West was beginning to resemble "an old white lady... It’s like, how long before this guy changes his name to Cathy?"

Che continued: "Now, you might think that I’m crazy, but about five years ago, there was a fella named Bruce Jenner, and he moved to Calabasas…” The joke didn't attract much of a response from the audience, and co-host Colin Jost quickly took over.

Not long after, Twitter users accused Che of "deadnaming" Jenner with "transphobic" material. "[Y]ou could hear someone in the audience say 'Noooooo'" wrote Bonnie Stiernberg on Twitter. "Michael Che, I’m disappointed in your comparison of Kanye West, a cis man, to Caitlyn Jenner, a trans woman," wrote another user. "Your comparison implies that trans women are just men who change their names. More reactions can be found below:

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