SNL UK mocks Ed Sheeran’s neutrality — Rolling Stone
In the United Kingdom, the satirical show Saturday Night Live UK mocked Ed Sheeran over his stance amid the controversy surrounding the Loop tour. In the premiere episode of the program’s second season, comedians portrayed the singer as someone who does not want to take anyone’s side, Rolling Stone reports.
A sketch about neutrality
The sketch begins at Buckingham Palace, where King Charles, played by Larry Dean, receives a new AI bot from two tech billionaires. The android is named DIANA, short for Deeply Intelligent, Autonomous, Neurokinetic Android. After the bot gets out of control and shoots the billionaires, a Sheeran character played by Annabel Marlow appears.
The sketch’s protagonist explains that he does not want to alienate either people or robots, and also says that sometimes the bravest thing in a conflict is to say nothing. The character then performs a song about how both sides can be right.
The topic returned in the Weekend Update segment hosted by Ania Magliano and Paddy Young. Magliano joked that the crisis was the worst thing to happen to Sheeran fans since a head injury. Young added that the singer had always been a fervent supporter of causes that are allowed.
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Controversy surrounding the tour
Last week, Macklemore stopped being part of Sheeran’s Loop tour after several concert venues told Sheeran they would not allow the performances to take place if the rapper remained on the lineup. Pro-Israel groups criticized Macklemore over his actions during two concerts at MetLife Stadium.
According to Rolling Stone, at those performances the rapper expressed solidarity with people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, shouted “Free Palestine,” displayed images of destruction caused by Israel’s war in Gaza, and performed the song Hind’s Hall about pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University. Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Row later also withdrew from the tour.
On Saturday night, Sheeran continued the tour with a concert in Philadelphia. From the stage, he said that he did not want to be a musician-activist, but had found himself at the center of an important and emotional discussion about freedom of speech and a complex political issue. The singer added that his concerts should remain a safe space for everyone.
