Saturday Night Live
Jack Harlow
October 29, 2022
Even though I am An Old, I am vaguely aware of who Jack Harlow is thanks to my love for Lil’ Nas X, and Jack Harlow’s collaboration with him on “Industry Baby.” And because of that collaboration, I know Harlow is a rapper who has a decent sense of humor and enough security in himself and his masculinity that he can appear in a music video filled with a bunch of naked men twerking in a shower without worrying — or caring — that he might be presumed to be gay by association. And that’s not nothing, especially in the world of Hip Hop. What Harlow demonstrated by collaborating on that song and participating in that video and in live performances is that he has a healthy self-image, the ability to laugh at himself, and a willingness to take risks — all of which are excellent qualities for a successful Saturday Night Live host.
So I was not disappointed when Harlow helped deliver the best episode of the season so far — though he had a big assist from Tom Hanks and the loveable Bobby Moynihan. Because the truth of the matter is, no matter who was hosting, people were going to love this episode thanks to the return of one David S. Pumpkins. In fact, it was almost a disservice to Harlow as host, because the return of David S. Pumpkins is going to be the only thing people remember from this episode, even though Harlow himself was funny, goofy, and game. Any questions?
Our cold open focuses on three of the kookiest Republican midterm candidates — Herschel Walker, Dr. Oz, and Kerri Lake — who are, for reasons completely baffling to your trusty blogger, gaining on their Democratic counterparts. We are living in terrifying times, folks. Get out there and vote as if your bodily autonomy means something.
Grade: B
Jack Harlow’s monologue is a little shaky at first — he comes off as stiff and nervous, and honestly, who can blame him? But soon, he’s roasting himself, and cracking jokes about his night with Lil Nas X, and you can see the nerves melting off of him. The monologue takes a weird, unnecessary, and probably unscripted turn when he goes into the audience and chats with some random woman, but otherwise, it’s a not bad turn for a non-actor/comedian.
Grade: B+
In the first sketch of the night, Harlow is a Kentucky groom whose bride has second thoughts about getting married because his best man has shown up in a Joker costume. After saying the word “Joker” in a heavy Southern accent about 30 times, the family in attendance takes a vote on whether or not the best man can remain dressed as Joker, and then Jeff Probst comes out for some reason.
Not to overthink a dumb sketch, but I think a few things are going on here: Harlow is from Kentucky, and I bet he told the writers he could do a Kentucky accent, and Dismukes, our resident redneck expert on the show (and who played our Joker) came up with this Halloween-appropriate bit. What I don’t understand is how this obviously late-in-the-episode sketch managed to be the first of the night.
Grade: B-
Our ad spoof of the night is a message from Sketchers who pats themselves on the back for turning Kanye West away after his antisemitic rants but also can not BELIEVE West chose them of all brands to try to partner with. Does this make them cool now? (No. Absolutely not.)
Grade: A-
Staking out some New York City bars at 3 a.m. on Halloween, a pair of fashion reporters cover the costume choices of drunk patrons attempting to stumble home. Some of the costumes include: “Frat Guy Dressed as a Tampon,” “Guy in a Group Costume Who Has Lost His Friends,” “Wasted White Girl Who Can’t Find her Uber,” “Guy Who Really Wants You to Ask Him About His Costume,” and “Drunk Dora.” It’s a fun showcase that uses most of the cast, including the newbies, and despite being over five minutes long, moves quite swiftly.
Grade: A
An AA meeting devolves when one of the attendees begins describing his idea for a Pixar movie, with the other addicts helping him flesh out his story. And then Tom Hanks shows up. (More on that in a minute.) The sketch itself is just OK, but the Pixar story idea? It’s actually pretty good!
Grade: B-
It’s a horror movie trailer for the 2024 election starring the Democrats’ choices for nominees. TOO SOON, GUYS. NOT OK. I NEED TO GET THROUGH THE NEXT 10 DAYS WITHOUT HAVING A PANIC ATTACK, THANKS.
Grade: B+
Bowen Yang and Jack Harlow play a pair of bartenders who mix drinks right at the table, except their cocktail skills boil down to announcing they are making some sexually-aggressive named drink before throwing booze and bottles all over the damn place.
Again, I am probably overthinking this, but I suspect this was heavily influenced by TikTok: the song they are using, “Body Shop” by Sam Smith, is particularly popular on the app right now; the whole bit reminds me of this series of videos in which TikToker and mixologist Chris Lowder reviews the 2007 South Florida Bartender Competition; they make a reference to “a negroni spagliato with prosecco in it” (IYKYK) and they joke that they don’t “bend to lesbian TikTok.” Basically, it’s one big TikTok joke … that somehow manages to barely reference TikTok.
As for the sketch itself, it starts off well enough, but they clearly have no idea where to end it. They should have just straight-up mocked these 2007 South Florida Bartender Competitors instead, though it might be difficult to make these any funnier than they already are:
@getlowdernow #duet with @getlowdernow Isaac comin in hot to the South Florida Bartender Competition with this Poison Ivy flair cocktail . #miami #floridaman #cocktailcompetition #bartendercompetition #southflorida #malibu #recipe
@getlowdernow #duet with @getlowdernow Socrates taking us on a wild ride in the South Florida Cocktail Competition. Be safe out there yall. . #cocktail #cocktailcompetition #recipereaction #amnesia
@getlowdernow #duet with @getlowdernow Joe out yere using cherry garnishes in ways we never thought possible. Another bold entry into the South Floridy Cocktail Competition. . #cocktail #cherry #cringe #cocktailcompetition #recipereview #creepy
Grade: B
“Weekend Update” tackles Elon Musk taking over Twitter, Herschel Walker’s abortion problem, and, of course, Kanye West, and they keep it nice and tight. I’m ignoring Che’s women driver’s joke for my own sanity.
Grade: A-
ASIHOEUSUJGHHNJKAW IT’S DRUNK UNCLE! IT’S BOBBY MOYNIHAN AND HE’S BACK AND HE IS DOING DRUNK UNCLE! COME BACK TO US, BOBBY MOYNIHAN!
of all the snl shows I’ve been in the audience for, the most I’ve EVER seen lorne michaels smile was when bobby moynihan did drunk uncle at tonight’s show🥹
— abby g (@abby_grunz) October 30, 2022
Grade: A+++
I mean, once you have Tom Hanks and Bobby Moynihan showing up, we all knew this was coming. But honest question: Why didn’t they move this up earlier in the night to preserve the surprise? They could have done this sketch before “Weekend Update,” and moved the AA/Pixar sketch to this spot, and then no one would have been the wiser that it was happening? I don’t know, seems like a wasted opportunity to me.
Grade: A-
Finally, there’s a sketch set at The View where Jack Harlow is the guest and shamelessly flirts with Whoopi Goldberg until the two are making out. That’s it. That’s the joke. (Again, I have a theory, but it’s just a theory, that this might have been inspired by an appearance by Jo Koy on The View this summer in which he spent his entire segment gushing over Whoopi Goldberg, but I could be wrong.)
Grade: B-
Cut for time is this ostensible ad for “JNCO Longs,” but is really a statement about gender-affirming surgeries, and how heterosexual people have them performed on themselves all the time. We just refuse to acknowledge that boob jobs and hair plugs are merely an attempt to make our bodies more feminine and masculine to align with how we think we should look.
That’s what makes them Longs. JNCO Longs. pic.twitter.com/vgr6BZuWG7
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) October 30, 2022
Saturday Night Live airs at 10:30/11:30 p.m. Saturdays on NBC.