Saturday Night Live
Austin Butler & Lizzo
December 17, 2022
For all of my fellow olds out there; Austin Butler is the kid who played Elvis in that recent Baz Luhrman movie, but he got his start in Nickelodeon shows in the early 2000s. This is why if you remember watching Eddie Murphy on SNL when he was originally a cast member, you probably have no idea who this kid is. But that’s OK — all you need to know is that he’s handsome, he has a certain charisma, and he does bear something of a resemblance to Elvis.
But how was he as a host of Saturday Night Live? The answer is: fine. He seemed a little nervous early in the night, which is pretty typical for first-time hosts with little live performance experience. But he was very loose and natural in a digital sketch, and later in the night, he was clearly enjoying himself in a bit where, ironically enough, he played an enthusiastic Elvis fan.
As for the episode itself, it was a perfectly middling outing that was overshadowed by the news that after 11 seasons, this would be Cecily Strong’s last episode. The show says goodbye to her twice, which is only fitting as she joins Fred Armisen and Al Franken as the fourth longest-running cast members. Strong has left her mark on the show and will be missed.
Continue reading “Austin Butler hosts a goodbye party for Cecily Strong on ‘Saturday Night Live’”
