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Comedian Jeff Ross has spoken out in defense of Michael Che following backlash he received for a joke on "Saturday Night Live" that many critics called anti-Semitic.
"Uh, it was hilarious," Ross recently said to TMZ on camera while walking through Los Angeles. "I wrote him and told him. As his Jewish buddy I thought he was hilarious. People need to have a thick skin. This is a tough world out there."
Ross, 55, told the outlet he didn't feel the need to warn Che about his upcoming jokes for this weekend's show because "there's nobody funnier." He also balked at the idea that Che, 37, should be more careful in the future.
"He's just got to be a comedian. Listen, we've been in lockdown for a year. Comedy at this point is an essential business. If we don't laugh or cry, everybody's depressed right now --suicide, divorce, it's all the way up -- comedy is medicine. You don't want your medicine watered down, do ya? You want our medicine potent. You known what I'm saying?"
Michael Che faced backlash this week for making a joke on 'SNL' that critics called 'antisemitic.' (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
In his remarks, Ross appears to slam cancel culture, which has become a hot topic of debate in recent years especially in the comedy industry as several comedians have lost gigs over dug up social media posts and past jokes.
"Israel is reporting that they’ve vaccinated half of their population. I’m going to guess it’s the Jewish half," Che said on the long-running NBC show.
"Oh it was just a joke," Ross continued in support of Che. "Are we not supposed to make jokes about Israel? We should be able to make jokes about everything."
The ADL told Fox News in a statement Monday evening that while the segment is "known for sharp criticism and public takedowns," the joke Che made "not only missed the mark, but crossed the line -- basing the premise of the joke on factual inaccuracies and playing into an antisemitic trope in the process."
NBC UNDER FIRE FOR 'ANTI-SEMITIC' SCENE IN 'NURSES' ON HEELS OF WIDELY CONDEMNED 'SNL' JOKE
The group went even further to say they have been monitoring "Weekend Update" this season and said the segment has "inappropriately use[d] Jews as the punchline" multiple times.
NBC MUST APOLOGIZE FOR ‘BIGOTED STATEMENTS’ ABOUT ISRAEL ON ‘SNL,’ MSNBC, MEDIA WATCHDOG GROUP SAYS
The statement drew attention on social media causing an uproar with viewers and sparked a petition from the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for NBC "to retract its outrageous claim and apologize immediately."
Jeff Ross claimed comedy shouldn't be watered down. The comedian argued jokes are needed especially during this time due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Comedy Central)
The organization called the joke "categorically false" and a "dangerous, modern twist on a classic antisemitic trope that has inspired the mass murder of countless Jews throughout the centuries."
The petition continued: "Words have consequences, and Jews are at risk when a major American TV company joins with those who claim Israel is favoring only a portion of its citizens in its admirable efforts, praised by Dr. Anthony Fauci and others, to vaccinate all of its residents."
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NBC told Fox News on Monday they have "no comment at this time." A rep for Che did not return Fox News' requests for comment.
Ross this week also touched on the viral news that Hasbro has decided to rebrand the Mr. Potato Head toy line as gender neutral.
"I think it's wonderful," Ross weighed in. "Why should it be a Mr. Potato Head or Mrs. Potato Head. It should just be Potato Head. It doesn't make it any different to me."
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The comedian then cracked: "Yeah but this way any kid no matter what their gender of choice can grow up and say, 'Hey, one day I can grow up and be a potato.'"
He added that he thinks the sale will be "huge because nobody's thought of a Potato Head for a long f--king time."
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