Jerrod Carmichael Makes A Splash On Saturday Night Live, And Oscars Jokes Basically Guest Starred

If you tuned in to "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, you might have found yourself asking, "Who is Jerrod Carmichael, and why is he hosting the show?" The comedian may have created and starred in his own NBC sitcom, appropriately titled "The Carmichael Show," but it only lasted three seasons, and it wasn't exactly a "Seinfeld"-level hit. There's also a chance that you might recognize him as one of the frat boys from the "Neighbors" film franchise. But Carmichael's greatest success comes from his stand-up comedy career, and he proved that very well with a monologue that managed to address the pop culture frenzy surrounding the 2022 Oscars controversy heard 'round the world without actually bringing up any of the names involved or even the specifics of the incident itself. 

Unfortunately, this wasn't the only appearance that the tired subject made throughout this episode of "SNL." Thankfully, there were a variety of fantastic sketches that didn't need the crutch of a headline-making celebrity misstep to spark laughter. 

So, let's dig into the Jerrod Carmichael-hosted episode of "Saturday Night Live."

Scattering Remains – Man, this sketch could have been one of the best of the night. This funeral service takes a dark turn when the typical scattering of a deceased family member's remains ends up being the entire body thrown over the end of a cliff. It's not just the physical comedy, but the audio used to depict the sound of the body falling down the cliffside. It's so loud and cartoonish, like a bunch of junk was thrown over instead of a body. While Andrew Dismukes and Jerrod Carmichael's dry approach to their misstep is hilarious, the pacing of the dialogue makes it feel rather stilted, and it really takes the wind out of the sketch's sails. Plus, the conclusion of this sketch is rather clunky. But even so, it was still one of the better sketches of the night.

Baby Clothes – On the surface, this sketch might seem based on the inappropriate nature of the phrases on these new Oshkosh shirts. However, what's great about this sketch is how it speaks to the inherent silliness that we allow from heteronormative perspectives with gender-based shirts. That's not to say that some of these shirts can't be cute on unsuspecting babies, but if any kind of relationship or gender dynamic was represented in the same way on children, it would create an uproar on Fox News that would last for at least a week. There's still some hilarity that comes from the framing of the advertisement itself, especially reactions from Bowen Yang, but it's the commentary that works best. 

Post-COVID Game Show – Even though the premise of this sketch is almost too simple and silly, the way it's played by Kate McKinnon, Bowen Yang, Sarah Sherman, and Jerrod Carmichael makes it feel a little less elementary. In particular, I loved the part where the contestants answer McKinnon as she rhetorically asks herself, "What's wrong with me?" But this sketch also had pacing issues where it felt like there were silences that lasted just a little too long, on top of being maybe a tad too broad.

Almost the entire first half of Weekend Update was focused on the Oscars controversy involving Chris Rock and Will Smith. They tried to lead-in cleverly with a misdirect about Vladimir Putin, and then they really leaned in. Granted, the punchlines are much more varied than simply mocking the incident itself, unlike the aforementioned, unimpressive sketch, they're not really adding much to the conversation that was had throughout the entire week. However, even though Che's defense of Rock (and presumably many others) not knowing that Jada Pinkett Smith had alopecia feels a little misguided, the punchline about comedians being held responsible for the insecurities of others (especially when it comes to not being aware of details in certain people's lives) is much better than the manner in which it's set up. 

Thankfully, the rest of Weekend Update made up for the overflow of Oscars jokes. Jost's riff on Senator Lindsey Graham looking like he wants to be part of an orgy in the aforementioned headline was aces, and Che even made a joke tied into a radio show appearance where he made it sound like he would be leaving the Weekend Update desk. Watch the second part of Weekend Update right here.

Senator Marsha Blackburn on Judge Jackson's Confirmation Hearings – Cecily Strong doesn't quite have the same streak of political personalities that someone like Kate McKinnon has on the show, but when she impersonates a prominent government figure, she knocks it out of the park. This Weekend Update appearance by Senator Marsha Blackburn, who had some ludicrous moments during the confirmation hearings for SCOTUS nominee Judge Jackson, is thoroughly enjoyable. But sadly, that's because it's painfully accurate.

O.J. Simpson on Will Smith's Oscar Slap – After Jerrod Carmichael's opening monologue (we'll get to that next), the obvious sketch attempt, and the barrage of Weekend Update jokes, you might have thought we were done with Will Smith. But the Weekend Update desk had one more riff. Thankfully, this one isn't actually about the incident itself. Instead, it's merely a launching point for Kenan Thompson to give a great performance as O.J. Simpson, who is hilarious concerned about having awards and accolades taken away from him. It may not be the most timely or relevant take on the incident, but it's certainly much better than almost all the other comedic takes that have arrived this week.

Cecily Strong – Even though her appearances throughout the night weren't always in the best sketches, Strong was easily a high point whenever she was on screen. In fact, Strong also gets point for her off-screen work as the voiceover in the Oshkosh commercial for baby clothes. It's something that she frequently does whenever there's a commercial parody for Target, Old Navy, Kohl's and plenty of other companies, and it often goes overlooked, but it deserves just as much recognition as any other comedic turn. Sometimes the best comedic performance doesn't stand out, but in this case, Strong was the clear MVP.