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Did the Dakota Johnson SNL ISIS sketch go too far?

The NBC comedy show is known for pushing the envelope, but this time it might have gone too far
"SNL" ISIS spoof ignites social media outrage 01:26

Britain is currently desperately trying to track down three London schoolgirls who appear to have secreted away to Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. They are one of an estimated 60 or so women from the U.K. alone believed to have joined the extremists.

In Colorado last year, officials believe three suburban Denver teen girls tried to flee to Syria to join ISIS.

For many, the horror of those headlines means that the TV show "Saturday Night Live" took things too far when they poked fun at the subject on the Saturday evening telecast in a fake car ad.

In the sketch starring "Fifty Shades of Grey" actress and that show's host Dakota Johnson, a dad-daughter duo are first seen exchanging teary goodbyes in a car.

Just as the dad (played by Taran Killam) goes to say a final farewell to Johnson's daughter character, a pickup truck with the famous black flag of ISIS and actors dressed up like Islamic extremists stops nearby.

"You be careful, ok?" the dad says.

The daughter replies: "Dad, it's just ISIS."

The dad, teary eyed, looks at a militant and says "Take care of her."

The militant replies in a whisper: "Death to America."

At the close, a joking slogan appears on screen saying "ISIS, we'll take it from here, Dad."

Watch the full sketch below.


The sketch made many on social media angry, believing it to be a subject beyond approach for now.

Some stars and comedians, however, defended the piece. Killam himself took to social media defending his right to make fun of whomever he wants.

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