NEW YORK (AP) – Bad Bunny Launches 51st Season of Saturday Night Live
“I think everyone is pretty excited about it—even on Fox News,” the music icon quipped during his monologue.
He interspersed his speech with several sentences in Spanish, radiating Latino pride and expressing happiness about the recent results. He humorously added, “If you don’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn!” Bad Bunny’s performance in Spanish marks a significant moment in Latino culture.
The episode’s cold opening introduced a slew of new cast members, featuring a bit where Secretary Pete Heges discusses his previous sketches, sharing laughs about them.
Colin Jost, hosting “Weekend Update,” impersonated Heges, highlighting his comments about the military, saying he was “tired of seeing the formations of battle alongside out-of-shape troops,” calling it unacceptable to see overweight generals in the Pentagon.
“There’s no room for fat, facial hair, or body hair,” Jost’s version of Hegges declared. “We face the greatest threat to freedom and democracy the world has ever known. And we all know what that threat is.”
“Late Night TV!” James Austin Johnson chimed in as President Donald Trump.
“The start of SNL 51 has been rough,” Johnson’s Trump noted. “We’ve got 17 new cast members and the guy from the open update.”
Following a celebratory 50th season, Saturday Night Live is looking forward with a mix of five fresh faces as several cast members have departed.
Bad Bunny is certainly having quite a week. Besides his “SNL” hosting duties, he is also stepping away from his historic residency in Puerto Rico, with Super Bowl news on the horizon.
Of course, his moments in the limelight haven’t been without political conversations. He mentioned that one reason his residency didn’t take place on the U.S. mainland was worries about U.S. immigration and customs enforcement possibly targeting immigrants during his shows.
When asked on a podcast if ICE agents would be enforcing during the Super Bowl, Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem responded that DHS is responsible for safety, but didn’t clarify whether typical immigration enforcement would occur at those events.
The topic provided a humorous takeaway during the “Weekend Update” where a joke was made about Trump’s advisor suggesting that an ICE agent would be a half-time performer at the Super Bowl to “catch all the farm workers who could afford the tickets.”
This was Bad Bunny’s second time hosting “SNL,” accompanied by musical guest Doja Cat, who was making her debut in that role.
He participated in numerous comedic segments, including a take on popular sketches featuring George Washington trying to instruct soldiers about the customs and language of their new home. In this skit, Bad Bunny portrayed a Spanish ruler from 900 AD, explaining the existence of both masculine and feminine nouns in the language.
In the upcoming weeks, Amy Poehler and Sabrina Carpenter will follow Bad Bunny as hosts. All three were standout figures in the 50th season celebration and also appeared in Bad Bunny’s performance during “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert.” Poehler will take the lead on the October 11 episode, marking the anniversary of “Saturday Night Live” since its original airing in 1975.
Carpenter will host and serve as a musical guest on October 18th, continuing the anniversary festivities.
The revamped cast comes shortly after the departures of notable members like Ego Nwodim and Devon Walker. Fresh talent includes former “SNL” writer Ben Marshall, as well as newcomers Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Calhane, Cam Patterson, and Veronica Slow Kouzka.
Nwodim, Walker, Emil Wakim, and Michael Longfellow announced their exits from the show via social media last month.
Last month, the show snagged 12 Emmys for its 50th season and anniversary programming.
“I first won the award 50 years ago in 1975,” Michaels said while accepting an Emmy, reflecting on never imagining he’d still be involved with the same show after so many years.
