Saturday Night Live (SNL) is known for its cutting-edge comedy. Many of its sketches, like “More Cowbell,” become part of the cultural lexicon. Others, like “Wayne’s World,” introduce recurring characters who become even more famous than the cast members who play them. However, most SNL sketches have a fairly short lifespan. They are the topic around the water cooler the Monday following airing, and then largely forgotten. This article is about seven skits that deserved more attention than they received.
Office Flirt (2000)
Whenever someone says “pee pee,” I respond with, “Do you mean urine or the actual member itself?” No one has ever known what I was talking about. It’s a quote from the “Office Flirt” sketch.
Cheri Oteri made a huge impact during her five seasons on SNL, playing iconic characters such as Nadeen (with her catchphrase “Simmadanna”) and one of the Spartan cheerleaders (with Will Ferrell), as well as delivering spot-on impressions of Barbara Walters and Judge Judy. However, her single appearance as Adele, the office flirt who is terrible at innuendo, was so entertaining she could have been a recurring character just the same.
Why did the Office Flirt never return? Oteri debuted this character two episodes before the end of her contract, then decided not to renew and left the show. I always hoped she would return to host someday and bring Adele with her. Perhaps her role as Gail Hailstorm in Scary Movie 6 will be the perfect opportunity.
Watch the sketch here.
Betsy DeVos (2018)
With so much turnover in the cabinet during Donald Trump’s first term in office, you’d be forgiven if you don’t remember Betsy DeVos. Appointed as Secretary of Education, DeVos had a disastrous interview with 60 Minutes in 2018 and Kate McKinnon parodied it on “Weekend Update.”
It was impressive how she portrayed DeVos as someone letting the intrusive thoughts win with expertly delivered quotes like “…we are working hard to ensure that all schools are safe learning environments for guns,” and “…doing worksheets with cute little blacks.” I’d always hoped she would bring the DeVos impression back, but then again, maybe it’s better if DeVos doesn’t give her reason to.
Watch the sketch here.
Water Park (2024)
Written by and co-starring Michael Longfellow, this sketch finds him and host Nate Bargatze playing near-deadpan EMTs who are tasked with bringing a dead body down from atop a waterslide. They are faced with a decision: respectfully carry the body back down the stairs or push it down the slide.
The audience reaction makes the sketch even funnier. The growing laughter during the long pause after Bargatze says, “I guess we should bring him down now,” shows people slowly starting to understand where the sketch is going. They clearly want to send the body down the waterslide but won’t outright say it. They end up convincing Jane Wickline’s character that it’s her idea.
The skit could never be repeated, primarily because Longfellow is no longer involved with the show (a misguided firing, as far as I’m concerned), but also because this is such a unique scenario that the joke only works once.
Watch the sketch here.
Hotel Ad (2021)
This is such a bizarre sketch, with most of it being Kate McKinnon and host Billie Eilish just robotically listing things. First, they mention the amenities offered by the hotel, like “Short glass wearing a little hat,” then later, complimentary breakfast items and the “less sparkly” life moments that usually bring in customers.
The sketch is very relatable for anyone who has ever stayed in a lower-budget hotel. “See why the news called us ‘The place that man did those things’” gets me every time. Kate is also a master at getting others to break. In this, Billie is clearly on the verge, so Kate leans toward her and gently pokes her. I had sincerely hoped for a sequel to this sketch during Season 49 when Kate hosted while Billie was the musical guest. While we didn’t get one, their collaboration on “Whiskers R We” had much of the same chemistry.
Watch the sketch here.
Dylan McDermott or Dermot Mulroney (2013)
This 2013 sketch finds Bill Hader as the sadistic host of a game show where the answer to every question is either Dylan McDermott or Dermot Mulroney. The two actors have often been confused for each other over the years, and it doesn’t help that the contestants played by Kenan Thompson, Jay Pharoah, and Jamie Foxx have never heard of either actor or even know where one name ends and the other begins. Bill Hader tries to help by offering clues, but they provide no context.
The confusion gets even more hilarious in the “McDermott McDouble” round, when the contestants actually need to write the name of one of the actors. Jamie Foxx’s guess of “Derbel McDillet” gets me every time. In true SNL fashion, they bring out the real Dermot Mulroney, but it quickly goes off the rails because he is convinced he is Dylan McDermott.
The sketch has never really gotten any follow-up. None of the cast members have ever been asked about it during interviews. It just exists on YouTube, waiting to be rediscovered. Perhaps the next time Bill Hader returns to host, he could bring the sketch back, but I’m not sure it would work a second time, and, quite frankly, it’s the perfect one-off.
Watch the sketch here.
Apple Picking Ad (2019)
Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant were a hell of a pair. They collaborated on many sketches, but this one was my absolute favorite because it hits close to home. With quotes like “Located in the part of New York State that has confederate flags” and “For just $45 you can bring home $10 worth of apples,” it really captures the unspoken side of apple picking and why I get confused every year when my friends want to go.
Host Woody Harrelson, playing the farmhand Hank, showing off the petting zoo while both Kate and Aidy struggle to keep their composure, is an absolute treat. While this was a one-off sketch, Kate and Aidy collaborated a lot, and there are plenty of other sketches with similar energy, such as “Smokery Farms” and the shot-from-home COVID-era “Grocery Store Ad.”
Watch the sketch here.
Joker Wedding (2022)
Host Jack Harlow clearly wanted to bring his home state of Kentucky to the show with him and this sketch absolutely rose to the occasion. It answers the question: If a wedding falls on Halloween, should you go in costume? Andrew Dismukes plays Clint, the best man at Jack Harlow’s wedding, who is also dressed as The Joker. The bride, played by Heidi Gardner, is appalled by this decision and refuses to marry Jack Harlow until Clint removes his costume.
The couple ends up letting the family decide, and they even pull in the real Jeff Probst from Survivor to announce that Clint gets to keep the costume on. However, the singular most hilarious part of the whole sketch is how often the word “Joker” is used. They say it 39 times in five minutes, each time with the most over-the-top Kentucky accent.
As far as I’m concerned, as long as Dismukes remains a cast member, there is hope for Clint to return someday. Jack Harlow could certainly come back to promote his Monica album, though the alleged cultural appropriation on that project could prevent his return.
Watch the sketch here.
Which one-off SNL sketches hold a special place in your heart? Are there any you think deserve a proper sequel?
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- Classic South Park Episodes That Are Even More Relevant Today
Featured image photo credit: SNL Studios
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