'Saturday Night Live': Dave Chappelle makes Pete Davidson spit his vampire fangs, fans call it 'best SNL sketch'
This week’s episode of ‘Saturday Night Live’ will be remembered for many reasons. The most significant one would be that their November 7 episode was aired on the same day the country got their president-elect and vice-president-elect in Joe Biden and Kamala Harris respectively. ‘Saturday Night Live’ had announced a few weeks back that they are adding a post-election episode, just like they did four years ago in 2016. Another common link between the 2016 post-poll episode and the latest episode was the host -- comedian Dave Chappelle. The musical guest for the evening was Foo Fighters. Excited fans were getting impatient because the show was delayed for almost half-an-hour due to the Clemson vs Notre Dame college football game.
The cold open, as expected, focused on the election results. Jim Carrey as Biden said, “We did it. Can you believe it? I actually kind of can’t. It’s been so long since something good happened.” While Maya Rudolph as Harris repeated all the firsts she was achieving, including being the first female, the first Black and the first biracial vice president. “If any of that terrifies you, I don’t give a funt. My husband is also Jewish and the first second husband, so between us, we check more boxes than a disqualified ballot,” she said. The duo said they would be “humble” in accepting their win before breaking into a groove to the song, ‘You About To Lose Your Job’.
They didn’t leave out Donald Trump. Alec Baldwin came in as Donald Trump for a concession speech that never happened in reality. Baldwin’s Trump said, “Of course they’re trying to steal the election! Stop the count! Stop the count…oh we’re behind! Count all the votes!…look at all that red.” The red he was referring to, which Chloe Fineman’s Kayleigh McEnany brought out to support that claim, was actually the map of “Covid-19 cases”. Then Baldwin’s Trump sat down at a piano and sang a subdued version of ‘Macho Man’, before saying, “This isn’t goodbye, America. I’m just going to say, ‘See you in court’.”
Host Chappelle’s monologue also entertained the audience. Chappelle’s monologue started with him talking about his great-grandfather — a man he never met but heard about all his life. The comedian said his great-grandfather was a man who was a slave for 10 years of his life before learning to read and then dedicating his life to education, the freedom of Black people and Jesus Christ. He spoke about recent months during the pandemic and performing stand-up comedy in the cornfields in the small town in which he lives. Chappelle admitted that in some ways the shows have saved the town, he also pointed out that his neighbors have complained his shows are too noisy.
During a sketch, Chappelle appeared as the “Allstate guy”. The sketch focused on Rudolph’s Aunt Jemima and Kennan Thompson's Uncle Ben getting fired from representing the pancake mix and rice brand respectively. “This is ridiculous. If we can't work, how come the Allstate guy gets to work?" Thompson's Uncle Ben said as Rudolph's Aunt Jemima questioned: "Who doesn't love my pancakes?"
This was in reference to Quaker Oats, which had announced it would drop Aunt Jemima from its syrup and pancake packages after critics claimed that the character's origins were based on "mammy," a Black woman content to serve her White masters. In September, Mars Inc. announced that its popular Uncle Ben's rice will now be called Ben's Original and also remove the image on the packaging “to create more equitable iconography.” Baldwin, playing an executive, said, "Aunt Jemima, this is hard for us, too. We love you. It's not personal… we have to clean the house."
Even though Chappelle lost his composure and started laughing, he quickly switched back to his character to answer Uncle Ben. He said, “I sell security. My deep Black voice makes white people feel safe. Like they are in good hands…If anything, why don't you fire Count Chocula, why is he still working?" Pete Davidson entered as Count Chocula in full costume, including sporting a fang. Davidson said, “But I’m not even Black, I’m just made of chocolate.” “Look at those big chocolatey lips behind them fangs,” said Chappelle. But right after that he went off-script and said, "Seriously America look at Pete Davidson’s lip.” This made Davidson laugh and for a moment spit out his vampire fangs, before saying, “Ok, maybe I got some Italian in there somewhere.”
This moment became a discussion point on social media as well. One fan said, “Pete Davidson as Count Chocula is something that I didn’t know I needed.” Another said, “Dave Chapelle as Dennis Haysbert then breaking the 4th wall to Pete Davidson is the best SNL sketch I seen in a while.” One commented, “Watching the #SNL encore and laughed so hard at #Chappelle pointing out #PeteDavidson's lips that I couldn't breathe.” A fan stated, “Bruh I’m in tears watching Dave Chappelle make Pete Davidson spit out his fangs during their skit from laughing.” Another said, “Dave Chappelle and Pete Davidson breaking on SNL was medicine for the soul, man.”
Pete Davidson as Count Chocula is something that I didn’t know I needed 😂😂😂👏🏻👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/d7041oztTp
— !Megan! (she/her) (@morethanpilots) November 8, 2020
Dave Chapelle as Dennis Haysbert then breaking the 4th wall to Pete Davidson is the best SNL sketch I seen in a while 😂
— Dr. Bunso Paves (@BunsoPaves_PhD) November 8, 2020
Watching the #SNL encore and laughed so hard at #Chappelle pointing out #PeteDavidson's lips that I couldn't breathe.
— Joel Garcia (@MrJoelGarcia9) November 8, 2020
Bruh I’m in tears watching Dave Chappelle make Pete Davidson spit out his fangs during their skit from laughing 😂😂😂😂😂😂
— Joe Fanello (@JoeFanello) November 8, 2020
pic.twitter.com/UmHbQiKSV7
Dave Chappelle and Pete Davidson breaking on SNL was medicine for the soul, man.
— Eddie Pasa (@EddiePasa) November 8, 2020
‘Saturday Night Live’ airs on NBC at 11.30 pm ET