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Videos: J.J. Watt Definitely Hosted The Latest Episode Of 'Saturday Night Live'
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 3, 2020
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 3, 2020
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We got a couple very good episodes of Saturday Night Live recently with hosts Adam Driver and Eddie Murphy, so there was bound to be a down episode at some point. And with a couple exceptions (Charles Barkley, Peyton Manning's United Way sketch, Eli Manning's Little Brothers sketch), sports star hosts generally don't make for great comedy. So we ended up with this weekend's episode, hosted by J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans. It definitely wasn't the worst episode of SNL, and there actually were no really terrible sketches, but it was 100% one of the least memorable episodes of SNL in recent years.
I recommend that if you watch any SNL content this week, watch the compilation of every wonderful Totino's Super Bowl Sketch below; let us never forget how important it is to feed your hungry guys.
So yeah...J.J. Watt...definitely was the host...and I definitely remember some sketches...there was football stuff...yeah, this one was about Watt recording his lines for Madden 21 and realizing somebody at EA really hates him, feeding him lines like: "Go ahead and boo me, at least I'm not in a wheelchair like that little boy there."
Moving along...Watt relied on his cue cards quite a bit in The Sex Talk, but Aidy Bryant added some great life to this sketch about a typical, if graphic, birds and the bees talk.
I know we're in the middle of this Watt episode, but have you watched the United Way sketch anytime recently? Because Peyton Manning teaching the kids how to steal cars really holds up.
Okay, back to Watt...what would really happen if, stay with me here, a pizza delivery man kept having sex with customers? Kenan Thompson was hilarious in Pizza Place, and he had the funniest line in the entire thing: “I just wanted you to shoot my father in law for me!”
Almost every time there is a marginally hunky male host, the show breaks out their Bachelor parody, this time entitled Pilot Hunk. It's always a great showcase for the ladies of SNL—Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, Melissa Villaseñor, Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman—all of whom get to do some funny stuff. Extra points here to Fineman and her horrifying back twin.
You know what is very funny? The "Embrace Me" musical sketch that kicks off the below compilation of SNL Super Bowl Sketches.
You may have heard about the Impeachment Fantasy Cold Open, which had the usual political cold open problems, but at least had three things going for it: Beck Bennett's great Mitch McConnell impression; Cecily Strong as John Bolton; and Pete Davidson, making his only appearance of the night, as Hunter Biden on a hoverboard.
Check out the rest of the sketches from this weekend's episode below. That includes the Monologue (Watt was pretty confident and charming, although there was one really weird, possibly homophobic kicker); Men's Product ad (which...wasn't really a joke?); the pre-taped Rudy parody Robbie; a somewhat random Frozen 2 sketch (that revolved around Elsa being gay); a Food Dudes ad (for realistic mannequins who sit with you to make you feel less bad when you order an obscene amount of food); and Society Debut (Bigfoot + poop humor).
There were two guests on Weekend Update: Bowen Yang's Chen Biao made his third Update appearance this season, this time to talk about the cornoavirus; and Ego Nwodim played Dr. Angie Hynes, who talked about Black History Month and all her enemies.
Musical guest Luke Combs broke out the country cliches for "Lovin' On You" and "Beer Never Broke My Heart."
Anyway, this episode was a big nothingburger, but hopefully things will get better next week with host RuPaul and musical guest Justin Bieber.
Tagged
comedy
saturday night live
snl
television
tv
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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