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Photos, Videos: Octavia Spencer Doesn't Have To Play A Nurse On SNL
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 5, 2017
Modified Mar 5, 2017
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 5, 2017
Modified Mar 5, 2017
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Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer hosted Saturday Night Live, offering up silliness as well as her trademark no-BS attitude in a series of sketches and digital shorts. She also reflected on the dearth of decent roles for black women during her monologue, "I played a nurse 16 times. I did it so many times that when I played a maid, they gave me an Oscar."
The best of the night were, as has been the case more and more lately, the digital shorts. There was "Youngblood," a twist on the old guy (Kenan Thompson) playing chess in the park against a brash loudmouth youth (Pete Davidson), and "Girl at a Bar," featuring Cecily Strong as a woman navigating the meat market, with nice guys trying to show off their feminist cred: "I worked for Hillary." And there was also a fake trailer for a movie about a brave Republican who can stand up to President Trump.
The cold open touched on Trump via Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and then Weekend Update had Michael Che and Colin Jost discussing the President's tweets. There was also an appearance from the older Trump sons:
If anyone was hoping for some of Kate McKinnon's Kellyanne Conway, there were no specific Kellyanne sketches, but McKinnon did strike a "Conway on the Oval Office couch" pose on various sets during the show, popping up like an Easter egg.
Other sketches included how a pharmaceutical seems to name all of its products after an employee's family and friends; a TV cartoon knock-off of Zootopia had cast members showing off their celebrity impressions (Spencer did Oprah and Viola Davis; Melissa Villasenor had a pretty good J.Lo and Kathy Griffin; Mikey Day was a decent Hugh Grant); working at a sticky bun shop; the return of a fired employee; and what to do with Spencer's Gifts.
Next week, Scarlett Johansson will host, with musical guest Lorde. Let's hope they talk about whitewashing.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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