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Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Saturday Night Live': Jokes about Morgan Wallen's walk-off, and more best moments from Jack Black's latest hosting gig
It's been 20 years since the last time Jack Black hosted , and what better excuse to drop by than to promote the recently released . It was the fourth time the comedic leading man had headlined the long-running sketch series, and his sixth appearance overall, since he's also performed as the musical guest as part of the rock duo Tenacious D. Here are the best moments from Black's most recent hosting gig, from the opening monologue to the best sketches. COLD OPEN More from GoldDerby Is 'SNL' new tonight? Host, musical guest details 'Tron: Ares' trailer: Jared Leto hits the Grid with new original music from Nine Inch Nails Jon Hamm forgot his 2015 Emmy nomination for 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt': 'Right on! Oh, I didn't know that - that's cool.' You just knew Saturday Night Live would open this week by riffing on Donald Trump's recently announced tariffs, with the President (James Austin Johnson) addressing the nation from the Rose Garden. "My favorite word: tariff," he said, "which is of course short for terrific idea." Trump outlined his plan Make American Wealthy Again (MAWA), but first they needed to Make America Great Depression Again (MAGDA). "This depression will be so great, we'll be the ones eating the cats and the dogs." Elon Musk (Mike Meyers) also dropped by to talk about his failed attempts to buy a Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, which he acknowledged was a bad idea. "I should've just bought the state," he said. He also introduced a new line of self-vandalizing Teslas, to better prevent people from doing it themselves. OPENING MONOLOGUE As soon as Black walked onstage at Studio 8H for the first time in 20 years, he tried to get out of the hosting gig. Sure, it's highly unorthodox for a host to quit, but Black didn't feel he could go through with it. That was before someone handed him a mic and the band started playing, and before you knew it, Black was performing "I'm Back," an original song about his long-awaited return to SNL. FLAMIN' HOT PREPARATION H COMMERCIAL Among the best pre-taped SNL sketches are the commercial spoofs, and this week's was spicy, to say the least. When Chester Stuart (Black) and the Cheetos Cheetah crash a dull house party, they bring some extra hot snacks that cause some digestion problems. Although the Cheetah has come prepared with Preparation H, Chester thinks you need to fight fire with fire, and has therefore brought the new Flamin' Hot Preparation H. The rest is -- shall we say -- not suitable for work. GREEK THEATER SKETCH One can only imagine what the Greeks thought the first time they saw a staged play unfold in front of them. Such was the subject of one of tonight's Saturday Night Live sketches, in which a group of ancient Greeks gathered at the coliseum to watch the very first play. Only problem is, the audience isn't familiar with the concept of theater -- let alone acting, storytelling, stagecraft, and make-believe. So many of the spectators (including Black, Mikey Day, and Chloe Fineman) are perplexed to see their friends and neighbors pretending to be other people, and are absolutely horrified when the "King" (Johnson) stabs a "soldier" (Bowen Yang). They're so incensed to find out that it's all fake that they almost leave, until they're assured that the next play has nudity in it. WEEKEND UPDATE This week's Weekend Update started with the news of Donald Trump's tariffs, which has caused the stock market to drop to the lowest it's been since the summer of 2020. As anchor Colin Jost pointed out, "Money is leaving the stock market faster than Morgan Wallen at goodnight," a jab at the country music star's abrupt exit from Studio 8H last week. They also addressed the recent news that the White House Correspondents Dinner wouldn't be featuring a comedian host, so Ego Nwodim decided to audition for the role be premiering her stand-up alter-ego, "Ego." Nwodim did a little crowd work, opining on how tired she was of dating lousy men. "These men ain't what?," she asked the audience, and they gave a response that might run afoul of FCC guidelines. TOO MUCH BASS SKETCH Throughout the evening, Black showed off his talents for blending comedy and music (musical comedy, you might say?), never more hilariously than in a sketch where he's leading a jam band performance of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" at a lakeside cookout. He invites attendees to join him onstage with their own instruments, but everyone just wants to play bass, leading to a lack of musical harmony. It seems that everyone at the picnic plays bass, including the dog, who's -- you guessed it -- a Basset Hound. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Morgan Wallen's abrupt 'SNL' exit: Get the latest details, including how the show made fun of him the following week Is 'SNL' new tonight? Host, musical guest details All 'The White Lotus' behind-the-scenes drama: The war over the score, 'Lord of the Flies' on the set, and friendships lost Click here to read the full article.
Forbes
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Jack Black Delivers A High Energy Performance On ‘SNL' After 20 Years
Jack Black returned to host Saturday Night Live with musical guests Elton John and Brandi Carlile. The School of Rock star had previously hosted thrice between 2002 and 2005. In 2006, he also appeared once as a musical guest as part of Tenacious D. Elton John returned as a musical guest: the 'Rocket Man' singer first appeared on the show in 1982 as a musical guest for an episode famously hosted by Johnny Cash and acted as a host and musical guest in 2011. It has been 20 years since Black hosted; however, he brought an infectious energy to the show, which may lead some to ask, "Why such a big gap?' It is good that James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump impression is so good because the show tends to lean on it for its Cold Opens. In this iteration, Trump gives a speech about tariffs. He is joined by Andrew Dismukes as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Mike Myers as Elon Musk. Johnson also slips in a jab at last week's musical guest, Morgan Wallen, by saying, 'Get me to God's country,' a phrase the country star posted on Instagram after walking out of 'goodnights' on his episode. Black delivers a singing monologue about being back that is just too much fun. This isn't the first time that he has sung in an SNL monologue, but it feels right for his brand of comedy and his return to the show to bring it back. He enters the crowd and brings on cast members, including Kenan Thompson. Notably, Black's second time hosting in 2003 was also Thompson's first episode on the cast. This is what a monologue during the 50th season should look like. Sometimes, the game show premise can get a little stale on SNL because it is done so often. However, this one is surprisingly fresh. In it, a blind dating show gets interrupted by one bachelor's outfit choice. It's cute and punchy and knows exactly how to end. Dismukes also really shines as the irked host. Black just can't get enough Flamin' Hot Cheetos, even on a product that shouldn't be synonymous with spice. Having a CGI Chester Cheetah is fun, and the commercial parody almost always works on SNL. There is nothing wrong with this sketch, but on a night of really inventive and fun sketches, it feels a little one-note. When a group of college friends gets together for the first time in years, their old habit of trying to one-up each other reemerges. This sketch makes excellent use of sound effects, which really heightens the simple premise. Using random hawk sound effects feels a little more Adult Swim than SNL, but it's funny, and the performers' reactions are great. While the final beat doesn't really work, this sketch feels inventive and amusing. In Athens, around 500 BC, theater is invented. However, the audience at the first play doesn't understand the new art medium. Black turns in a good performance and the sketch has a silly charm to it, but it relies a little too heavily on one joke. Reggae singers, played by Ego Nwodim and Thompson, sing about a goth teen (played by Michael Longfellow) on a family vacation to Jamaica. They are joined by Black as Gerard Way. It's a very funny song that features a characteristically excellent performance from Longfellow. Warning: it's very catchy. The duo performed two songs: 'Little Richard's Bible" and 'Who Believes in Angels?' The first, 'Little Richard's Bible,' is an especially fun performance. It is high energy, and seeing John still able to rock out at the piano at 78 is terrific. Weekend Update was good overall, with jokes about the stock market and Wallen, as well as returning characters Grant and Alyssa (the couple you can't believe are still together). However, if you are going to watch one segment, make it Nwodin's pitch to be the White House Correspondents Dinner comedian. She previews her set, roasting the dinner as Ms. Eggy, the baddest chick on the block. It's such a realized yet ridiculous character. Her commitment to the bit is hilarious, and her crowd interactions with the crowd (and subsequent improv) are infectious. Honestly, this is the hardest this writer has laughed this season. Black and Sarah Sherman are about to make love, and of course, they need to sing a song about it in their silk pajamas. Bowen Yang and Carlile join in the action. This sketch is silly fun. A jam session with Big Ricky and the Minnows gets dangerous when too many bass players join in on the action. This sketch really plays to Black's strengths while still casting him against type as the straight man. The use of Tom Petty's Free Falling and the location of a Southern lakeside bar also work very well in this sketch. It's Times Square. WWII is over. Heidi Gardner plays a nurse who is kissed by a sailor. However, her boyfriend (played by Black) is upset. While this sketch could have been simple, there are a lot of zany jokes that build on the premise, including Black being a racist cartoonist and holding too many hotdogs. This sketch also has a great ending. While this animated short was cut for time, it is a fun little sketch. Two kings hope to take each other on in an epic battle if only they could find each other. These animated shorts are a great addition to the season, and while this isn't the best one, it is still worth a watch. SNL returns April 12 with host Jon Hamm and Lizzo.
