Michael Che, who co-anchors the Weekend Update desk on Saturday Night Live, received backlash after weighing in on the viral New York city catcalling video.

Michael Che On Catcalling

Che was among the many who watched Shoshana B. Roberts' 10 Hours Of Walking In NYC As A Woman viral video. His reaction was one shared by many men – and some women – who had watched it: What's wrong with saying hi? On Facebook, Che wrote:

"i wanna apologize to all the women that ive harrassed with statements like “hi” or “have a nice day” or “youre beautifuli cant imagine what that must feel like. the closest thing I’ve experienced is maybe when a girl recognizes me from tv and they say things like “AHHHH!! OH MY GOD!! SNL SNL SNL!! TAKE A PICTURE!! TAKE A PICTURE!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! WHATS YOUR NAME AGAIN?! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! WAIT SAY SOMETHING FUNNY!!” but even that is nothing like the harrassment of having a complete stranger tell me to “smile.”

It wasn't long before Che started receiving backlash from his followers, who found his comparison to being recognized for appearing on SNL tone deaf. The comedian gave a tongue-in-cheek apology in which he blamed his newfound fame for the newfound attention, and therefore the newfound scrutiny on his social media posts. This "apology," like the first, was met with backlash and was eventually deleted from his account.

“I wanna apologize for my last apology. sometimes i forget that i belong to all of you now, and that any though ti have should be filtered throughout, and receive ur approval. its tough, because im used to taking risks and finding humor in places of discomfort. But that’s all over, cause I have a job on tv. And if i say the wrong thing youll see to it that its taken away. so the next time i have a silly thought, ill giggle to myself, keep my mouth shut & post a picture with my arm around a more famous person i met somewhere."

Since deleting the posts from all of his social media platforms, Che has been trying to make light of stirring up his fans and the media at large with his remarks. "… and f— cats," he tweeted Thursday afternoon.

Prior to joining Weekend Update, Che worked as a writer on Saturday Night Live's 39th season. Over the summer, Che signed a contract as a correspondent on John Stewart's The Daily Show. He was let out of his Daily Show contract early to join Jost on SNL's faux news program.