Sunday, November 9, 2025

'SNL' recreates Trump's press conference in its cold open

Last night's Saturday Night Live began with Oval Office Press Conference Cold Open.

President Trump (James Austin Johnson) addresses grocery prices skyrocketing, Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayoral election and more after someone collapses in the oval office.
At least this version of Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump tells the truth about things, even if the truth isn't all that funny.

Weekend Update covered many of the same topics in Executive Collapses in Oval Office, Zohran Mamdani Elected New Mayor of NYC.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like someone collapsing in the oval office during a press conference, Zohran Mamdani becoming the new mayor of New York City and Dick Cheney passing away.
I think the actual clip of RFK Jr. fleeing the press conference was funnier than the recreation in the cold open. In fact, all of the news covered in both sketches was funnier here. Speaking of which, what happened to Dick Cheney passing away? I either missed it or it was in the video description but not the video itself. Finally, the mention of Michael is enough to earn today's entry's status as the Sunday entertainment feature, but Weekend Update: Pete Davidson Talks About His and Colin Jost’s Staten Island Ferry had more show business news, even if it was Davidson talking about doing a show in Saudi Arabia and taking pot shots at Lorne Michaels.

Pete Davidson stops by Weekend Update to discuss him and Colin Jost losing money on their Staten Island ferry.
Thanks to Davidson, I now know what's good about Staten Island, the pizza. I'm still a fan of Detroit-style pizza.

Follow over the jump for the monologue from last night's show plus the rest of the variety special Emmy Awards.

Nikki Glaser Stand-Up Monologue featured more comments about politics, entertainment, and society.

First-time host Nikki Glaser talks about getting spray tans, all the beauty treatments women do and her boyfriend being a short king in her monologue.
I see and hear why she earned an Emmy nomination last year. She's funny, incisive, and edgy.

Now for the rest of the Emmy Award winners for variety specials, beginning with three categories I covered in 'SNL50: The Anniversary Special' leads nominees for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) at the Emmys.

Outstanding Music Direction
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar – Kendrick Lamar and Tony Russell (FOX)
  • The Kennedy Center Honors – Rickey Minor (CBS)
  • The Oscars – Michael Bearden (ABC)
  • SNL50: The Anniversary Special – Lenny Pickett, Leon Pendarvis and Eli Brueggemann (NBC)
  • SNL50: The Homecoming Concert – James Poyser and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson (Peacock)
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert leads the Gold Derby odds as the choice of 85.7% of experts, every editor, and 83.4% of users. The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar has the support of 14.3% of experts and 12.0% of users. The rest of the nominees have weak user support with last year's winner The Oscars picked by 2.9%, The Kennedy Center Honors 1.7%, and SNL50: The Anniversary Special with none.
The experts and editors shifted slightly in opposite directions by the Creative Arts ceremony, with 90.0% of experts and 83.3% of editors joining 86.1% of users in picking SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, while 10.0% of experts, 16.7% of editors, and 12.5% of users were choosing The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar. The latter group turned out to be correct. Watch Music Direction: 2025 Creative Arts.

Tony Russell from The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar accepts the Emmy for Music Direction at the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Congratulations! Also, I was right when I wrote, "enjoy the game, commercials, and halftime show! You will almost certainly see some Emmy nominees and maybe a couple of Emmy winners!"

Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming (Juried)
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar: "Humble" / "Not Like Us" – Charm La'Donna (Fox)
  • Beyoncé Bowl: "My House" / "Sweet Honey Bucklin'" / "Texas Hold 'Em" – Truck Patterson, Charm La'Donna, Christopher Grant, and Parris Goebel (Netflix)
  • The 67th Annual Grammy Awards: "Doechii Musical Performance – Robbie Blue (CBS)
  • The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl: "He Lives in You" – Jamal Sims (Disney)
  • The Oscars: "James Bond Tribute Performance" / "Quincy Jones Tribute Performance" – Mandy Moore (ABC)
My gut says Beyoncé Bowl, but this is a juried award, so my political sense is useless. I'd actually have to watch the performances and rely on my experience as a marching band judge to make a call. Not today.
I never got around to watching the performances, so I never made a call. That's O.K. The Television Academy didn't upload the acceptance speech for this award, either, so I'm embedding Doechii - CATFISH / DENIAL IS A RIVER (Live From The 67th Grammy Awards/2025) instead.

Music video by Doechii performing CATFISH / DENIAL IS A RIVER (Live From The 67th Grammy Awards/2025).© 2025 The Recording Academy, under license to UMG Recordings, Inc.
That was wild, well-executed, and very 21st Century. Congratulations!

The Television Academy uploaded the acceptance speech for the next award.
Outstanding Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Special
  • The 67th Annual Grammy Awards – Noah Mitz, Andy O'Reilly, Patrick Boozer, Ryan Tanker, Erin Anderson, Madigan Stehly, William Gossett, Bryan Klunder, Hannah Kerman, Matt Benson, Matthew Cotter, Guy Jones, and Kevin Faust (CBS)
  • 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony – Allen Branton, Felix Peralta, Kevin Lawson, George Gountas, Bianca Moncada, Alex Flores, Guy Jones, and J.C. Castro (ABC)
  • SNL50: The Anniversary Special – Geoffrey Amoral, Rick McGuinness, William McGuinness, Trevor Brown, Tim Stasse, Frank Grisanti, and Reginald Campbell (NBC)
  • SNL50: The Homecoming Concert – Tom Sutherland, Harry Forster, Hunter Selby, Bobby Grey, Ryan Tanker, Chris Roseli, Matt Cotter, JM Hurley, and Bob Benedetti (Peacock)
I think this award will be decided at the intersection between music awards shows and SNL's 50th anniversary, which is SNL50: The Homecoming Concert.
I got this one wrong. Watch Lighting Design/ Lighting Direction For A Special: 2025 Creative Arts.

The team from The 67th Annual Grammy Awards accepts the Emmy for Lighting Design/ Lighting Direction For A Special at the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Congratulations!

I turn to Nate Bargatze vs. Conan O'Brien for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) at the Emmys for the final award I'm covering today.

Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming
  • Ali Wong: Single Lady – Sean Hubbert (Netflix)
  • Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years – Kelly Lyon (Hulu)
  • Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor – Bill DeRonde and Timothy Schultz (Netflix)
  • Cunk on Life – Damon Tai and Jason Boxall (Netflix)
  • Your Friend, Nate Bargatze – Sean Hubbert (Netflix)
On the other hand, I'm featuring Ali Wong because her special was the only one nominated by the American Cinema Editors, so it's my pick to win.
Again, I was wrong. Watch Picture Editing For Variety Programming: 2025 Creative Arts.

Damon Tai and Jason Boxall from Cunk On Life accepts the Emmy for Picture Editing For Variety Programming at the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Congratulations!

This is a wrap for today. Stay tuned as I plan on covering the winners of the 2025 Critics Choice Documentary Awards tomorrow.

Previous posts about the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards
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