During Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update segment, a peculiar moment unfolded that highlighted a strange cultural phenomenon.
Host Colin Jost began reporting on Luigi Mangioni, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and his recent decision to drop his extradition fight from Pennsylvania to face charges in New York.
However, as soon as Jost mentioned Mangioni’s name, the audience erupted in cheers and applause.
“Yeah… woo,” Jost responded, clearly caught off guard. “You’re wooing for justice, right?” He then added a quip: “In related news, Bumble exploded.”
The audience’s reaction underscores a growing sentiment among some Americans, particularly in the wake of ongoing frustrations with the healthcare industry.
Mangioni’s actions have sparked a divisive debate, with a significant portion of the public appearing to sympathize with his violent act against Thompson.
Reports from The New York Post reveal that Mangioni has received hundreds of letters from admirers, along with monetary contributions for his prison commissary account.
Many of his supporters see his crime as a form of retribution against the perceived greed and systemic issues in the healthcare industry.
Adding to the complexity, Mangioni’s unusually handsome appearance has led some to romanticize him. Last week, comedian Jimmy Kimmel addressed this phenomenon in a segment on his show, admitting that his staff was caught up in what he jokingly called a “huge wave of horny” over Mangioni.
“Many women and men are going nuts over how good-looking this killer is,” Kimmel said. “It’s like when one of the guys you work with says, ‘I had a dream about you last night.’”
This bizarre public reaction is not limited to entertainment circles. A recent poll conducted by Emerson College revealed a startling generational divide in opinions about Mangioni’s crime.
While 68 percent of Americans overall condemned the killing, that number dropped significantly among younger respondents, with only 41 percent of young people calling the act unacceptable. Many in this demographic reportedly view Mangioni’s actions as a justified response to systemic inequities in the healthcare system.
The public’s mixed reactions to Mangioni’s crime reflect deeper frustrations with corporate greed and the perceived failures of the healthcare system. For some, Mangioni has become a symbol of rebellion, albeit through deeply troubling means.
The applause during SNL, while shocking, underscores a cultural moment where frustrations with societal inequities can blur the moral lines for a segment of the population. Whether this reaction is a fleeting oddity or indicative of a deeper shift in public sentiment remains to be seen.
As for Mangioni, he remains in custody, awaiting trial for a crime that continues to spark heated debate across the nation.