The Best Donald Trump 'SNL' Moments Had Absolutely Nothing To Do With Donald Trump
Twitter has voted, and Donald Trump hosting Saturday Night Live was a bust. Pretty surprising for a guy who's made "YYYYUGEEEE" part of our cultural lexicon in the midst of an election season, no? (JK. Not surprising at all!) If the Twitterverse didn't hate him for his overt racism, sexist commentary, and his general existence previously, then goodie for them, because they definitely do now. Despite hundreds of protestors (and Trump supporters) waiting outside the show's New York City walls, the show went off without a hitch.
Saturday Night Live wasn't a total bust, though. Larry David returned as Bernie Sanders (the highlight of my night), Ivanka Trump made a cameo in the show's opening minutes that proved a breath of fresh air, Sia performed not once, but twice (bless), and there was even more Larry David. (Seriously, Lorne Michaels, put the man on retainer if you haven't already! Please! Listen to the people!)
The election-fueled episode of Saturday Night Live was funny, and there were a few skits worthy of writing home about (hell, they inspired this post), but there's the thing: all the best moments had one thing in common. Curious to know what that one thing was? They had nothing to do with Donald Trump.
Alas:
Drunk Uncle Reminded Us Why Trump Is The Worst
Drunk Uncle's borderline teenage-girl profession of love was the tops. His masterful delivery paired with the standard things a woman says when she's blinded by ignorant affection stole my heart in all the right ways. "I don't just like him, I love him. He's gonna make America grapes again." And OK, fine, maybe he was talking about The Donald, but who cares. He didn't say his name, and that was enough for me.
We Got A Little Drake When We Needed It Most
Admittedly, the "Hotline Bling" parody lacked the comedic genius I've come to expect from SNL. (It's just been done before, you guys! And Bernie did it so much better!) Fortunately, this moment was salvaged by Martin Short wearing nipple-high pants and proving he can dance as well as Drake.
President Obama Showed Up! (Kinda)
Cleverly wrapped in the midst of the show, a quietly hilarious President Obama joke took hold. "President Obama criticized Republican presidential candidates for complaining about the recent debates, saying if they can't handle CNBC moderators, they won't be able to handle Putin and the Chinese. And if you can't handle Putin and the Chinese, you're only going to get two terms as president."
Mic drop.
Oh, Jeb Too.
Everyone may be tired of hearing about Hilary Clinton's emails, but what about Jeb Bush's? SNL warmed my cold, dead heart with this little dig: "Jeb has released a new book of emails that he sent to voters while he was governor of Florida that he's calling 'Reply All'. And voters are calling 'Unsubscribe.'"
He Took A Stab At Ben
Perhaps one of the best jabs of the set involved some literal stabbing —I mean, allegedly. "Ben Carson had a real interesting week. First he said that the Egyptian pyramids were built by the Biblical Joseph to store grain. Sure, makes sense. Then he had to defend stories about his violent past after CNN couldn't find anyone to verify them, which is great when you're running for president and you have to say, 'No guys, I swear, I really did stab my friend.'"
While the audience caught their breath from bouts of laughter, SNL put the nail in by adding:
"Yeah, Ben Carson, what is going on with you? You are the first black man in American history to turn down an alibi. That would be like if O.J. said, 'Hey, give me that glove back again. I think I can make it fit.'"
Images: Scott Olson/Getty Images, Giphy (5)
