Dear Gossips,

If you are a regular visitor to this site, you know that I have no time for boring people with their boring bitching about how “SNL isn’t funny anymore” or “SNL isn’t relevant anymore”. First of all, that’s bullsh-t, and second, they clearly don’t understand what is or isn’t relevant.

One of the reasons why it’s worth tuning in on Saturday night is because it’s LIVE. And there is nothing on TikTok or YouTube, at least not yet, that can compare to live broadcast television. In one word, it’s POSSIBILITY. The possibility of being able to witness in real time, no filter, no editing, something great, something spontaneous. And something special. The bonus? When it comes from a long underrated cast member who lays down an all-timer, instant classic.

If you haven’t yet seen her bit on Weekend Update, SNL has posted it on Twitter but with that moment bleeped out. Here’s the uncensored part of Ego Nwodim's White House Correspondents Dinner standup:

Obviously it’s the way the audience just shouted out “sh-!” in unison. And then Che and Jost losing it behind her. But mostly it’s her recovery – immediate recovery and improv-ing a reaction that was a natural and hilarious extension of the comedy that came before it. She’s incredible, on multiple levels. Because that bit would have worked even without the unscheduled profanity.

Sarah wrote about Amber Ruffin’s dismissal from the WHCD last week and the original point of Ego’s performance on SNL, as a fellow Black female comedian, was to call out the absurdity of avoiding jokes about the White House and the White House press corps and making her whole routine about… the food. With the food puns relying on her precise delivery and word play. Super f-cking corny, but that was the thesis in roasting the decision to disinvite Amber, and still, she made it work! Even before the bonus with the audience swearing.

And Ego is known for this. One of the best examples, and a personal favourite, was her appearance on Update as Charlotte the pregnant stingray. “OK Nat Geo, that is natgeo business”, LOOOOLLL. Here, I just watched it again this morning and you might as well too because it’s Monday and we need the light wherever we can find it.

The thing about Ego, though, is that she’s been lighting it up for years, consistently. Up until this weekend, though, she hasn’t gotten as much shine as some of the others. Coming out of Saturday’s episode, though, Ego was the standout, finally.

Yours in gossip,

Lainey

Ego Nwodim Gossip

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