Terry Sweeney, the first openly gay cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” has spoken out about his longstanding feud with Chevy Chase. The conflict stems from an incident during the 1985-86 season when Chase proposed a sketch mocking the AIDS epidemic, a suggestion that deeply offended Sweeney.
The controversy is highlighted in “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not,” a documentary directed by Marina Zenovich, premiering in January. Zenovich confronts Chase with the offensive joke that targeted Sweeney, suggesting, “Oh, you’re the gay guy. Why don’t we ask if you have AIDS. And every week, we weigh you.” This brought renewed scrutiny to Chase’s behavior during that era.
Lorne Michaels, SNL’s creator, defended Chase by saying, “Chevy was just being Chevy. He would say things that were funny, and he would assume you were comedy people.” Michaels explained that crude humor was part of the show’s environment, but this did not lessen the impact on Sweeney as the only openly gay cast member on network TV at the time.
In response to the documentary, Chase made a dismissive remark about Sweeney, stating, “Terry Sweeney, he was very funny, this guy. I don’t think he’s alive anymore.” Sweeney, still very much alive, retorted on social media, “Don’t you think he is saying this and making himself look more like the ass he is!!!”
The film has also drawn criticism from Yvette Nicole Brown, who worked with Chase on “Community.” She distanced herself from the documentary and rejected efforts to reevaluate the reasons for Chase’s firing after allegations of racial epithets surfaced.
In an attempt to remind Chase of the incident, Zenovich cited excerpts from the book “Live From New York,” where Sweeney describes how Chase apologized for the AIDS joke but was reportedly angry about doing so. Chase categorically denied this account, saying, “My memory is that he is lying. That isn’t me. That’s not who I am.”
Sweeney called Chase’s denial “horrible” and expressed frustration with the comedian’s attitude. Regarding the documentary’s portrayal of Chase’s troubled childhood as a potential cause for his problematic behavior, Sweeney dismissed it sarcastically, saying, “Boohoo … poor screwed up kid … so THAT’s why he’s so rotten!!!!!!!”
This exchange sheds light on the persistent tensions between Sweeney and Chase and exposes underlying issues related to sensitivity, accountability, and the culture of comedy at “Saturday Night Live” during the 1980s. The documentary aims to provide a deeper understanding of Chase’s complex legacy in entertainment while reopening difficult conversations about past misconduct.
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