The latest edition of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update received a positive response on social media, covering everything from Donald Trump being named Time magazine’s Person of the Year to Sabrina Carpenter’s Christmas special.
Hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che kicked off the segment with a rapid-fire series of jokes, addressing topics like the mysterious drones in New Jersey, former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s new show on One America News, and more. Che could be heard laughing during many of Jost’s deliveries, especially a joke about Luigi Mangione, the man charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Jost joked, “This week, America continued the delicate, sensitive debate over who will play this guy in the Netflix mini-series,” likely referencing Mangione’s large fanbase who believe he’s attractive.
However, it was the sketches that followed the Weekend Update that gained the most attention on social media.
The first sketch featured SNL writer Andrew Dismukes playing a bald man brought into the studio to comment on a UK judge’s ruling that calling a man “bald” is sexual harassment. The ruling followed a lawsuit by electrician Tony Finn, who claimed his boss called him a “bald c***” during an argument in 2019. Finn won the lawsuit in October after being dismissed from his job in 2021.
Dismukes delivered a lively performance while wearing a bald cap, adding physical comedy, like applying lotion to his head and towel-drying it, all while accompanied by exaggerated sound effects. He also joked about the three bald judges who ruled that using the word “bald” against a man could breach equality laws, even though a female British judge oversaw the case.
Jost asked, “So I imagine you’re pretty happy about this ruling?”
Dismukes responded, “Of course, I’m sick and tired of all the bald jokes, Colin. And yeah, I’ve heard ‘em all! When I take a shower, I get brainwashed. Lice scream when they see my head. Give me a break.”
Throughout the sketch, Dismukes pretended to get offended at Jost’s comments about his baldness, ending with a joke about taking Jost to court and referencing Scarlett Johansson’s “Marvel money.”
The bald man sketch quickly went viral, with fans praising it as one of the funniest segments ever. “This might be an all-time top 10 SNL Weekend Update lmao,” one person wrote on X. Another bald man tweeted, “Thank you Weekend Update. I feel so seen.” Some even suggested Larry David would have been a perfect fit for the role.
The second popular sketch featured SNL cast member Jane Wickline performing a comedic parody of Sabrina Carpenter. The 25-year-old pop star recently released her Christmas special on Netflix, and Wickline humorously tackled the way rumors about celebrity sexualities often swirl on the internet.
Wickline, who admitted she “can’t look or sound like” Carpenter, sang a song about how no one spreads rumors about her being gay, unlike other pop stars. “A lot of people on the internet like to start these juicy rumors about whether pop stars are gay, and this is a new song that I, Sabrina Carpenter, wrote called ‘When Will Even One Person Do That About Me,’” Wickline sang.
She also poked fun at Carpenter’s rumored love life, referencing Carpenter’s kiss with Jenna Ortega in her “Taste” music video. “I make out with Jenna Ortega passionately,” Wickline sang, humorously lamenting, “Why am I the only straight pop star taken at their word? It’s lonely, I do gay stuff and you don’t get mad.”
The performance received mixed reviews, though many fans found it amusing. One Twitter user called it “a brilliant fun little simple commentary performed wonderfully.”
There was also a notable reaction online to a loud scream from the audience when Jost and Che were introduced. One fan wrote, “The girl screaming at the top of her lungs during the Weekend Update intro is so me if I ever get to attend SNL in person.”
As always, Jost and Che wrapped up the show with jokes about the week’s major news events. Che joked about the mystery drones in New Jersey, including one that crashed into a homeowner’s backyard. “Tensions about drones flying over New Jersey continued to rise after a drone crashed into a person’s backyard, but at least now we know whoever’s flying them is the friggin’ women, right?” Che quipped.
Jost, frustrated with Time magazine’s decision to name Trump Person of the Year, commented, “Because no person on Earth has taken out more of our god damn time.”
Che finished with a roast of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who recently suffered a fall and sprained his wrist. “He suffered minor injuries after he fell during a Republican lunch, but thankfully he landed on his hard-shell back,” Che joked.
The episode’s blend of topical humor, physical comedy, and sharp jabs resonated with viewers, making it another memorable edition of Weekend Update.
