Do Better Next Time.

 Dave Chappelle's SNL Monologue-Cold Open

The January 18 episode of Saturday Night Live served as a stark reminder that the quality of the show doesn’t solely rely on the writing or the regular cast members but is often dictated by the host’s contribution to the evening. Unfortunately, in his fourth time headlining Studio 8H, Dave Chappelle offered little more than his own self-indulgence.

After a cold open in which MSNBC anchors (Sarah Sherman, Marcello Hernandez, Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, and Andrew Dismukes) couldn’t resist joining the media frenzy fueled by President Trump, Chappelle took the stage for an unusually long monologue. Clocking in at 17 minutes, it was the longest ever in SNL history. At one point, it seemed like Chappelle might actually take up the entire segment with stand-up, ignoring the usual flow of sketches altogether.

As for the material itself and the audience’s reception — which ranged from hit-or-miss to outright cringeworthy — the monologue had more than its fair share of issues. Chappelle’s jokes, some barely intelligible due to his strained voice (a result of his smoking habit), ranged from poorly received to deeply offensive. The tone shifted unpredictably, veering from humor to seriousness, as Chappelle touched on topics like the Southern California wildfires, the death of Jimmy Carter, and Trump’s impending re-inauguration. Though he expressed sorrow for the wildfire victims, Chappelle could not resist adding a controversial jab at the LGBTQ community. 

"If you were a rational, thinking person, you have to at least consider the possibility that God hates these people. Sodomites," he quipped. "That’s not true because West Hollywood was unscathed. How can you burn what is already flaming?"

While the studio audience responded with laughter, many at home likely found it hard to laugh along, especially when the joke targeted a marginalized community already facing constant discrimination. Even when Chappelle transitioned to a tribute to Carter, calling him “a great man” for advocating for Palestinian rights, his words felt hollow after the preceding rhetoric. The inconsistency in his statements — one moment calling for empathy, the next mocking the vulnerable — left a sour taste that overshadowed the rest of the show.

Fortunately, Chappelle wasn’t overly present for the remainder of the episode. He appeared in just two live sketches and one pre-taped segment where he revived his "Chappelle's Show" character, Silky Johnson. There was even a sketch written around Chappelle, but he was nowhere to be found in it. It’s clear that Lorne Michaels sees Chappelle as a big draw for SNL, but this latest episode did little to prove that theory. With SNL 50 on the horizon, perhaps it’s time to reconsider the host lineup.