Live From New York….It’s Sabrina Carpenter!

Sabrina Carpenter performed double duty on “Saturday Night Live” last Saturday, Oct. 18. While the public’s response was mostly positive, nothing happens in Hollywood without at least a little bit of backlash. Let’s go over the highs and lows of Sabrina’s big night and her first time ever hosting SNL. 

Sabrina definitely showed off her acting chops and comedic timing in many of the sketches in last Saturday’s episode. She was peppy, upbeat and not afraid to poke fun at herself. In her opening monologue, she made a few jokes about the cover art for her new album “Man’s Best Friend,” which was under fire due to the depiction of Sabrina seemingly getting her hair pulled. If you’ve seen any clips of Sabrina online, you’ll recognize that this monologue was very much her style: girly and unserious — as was the rest of the show

The Highlights

Sabrina starred in every sketch in Saturday’s episode, but not every single one could be a hit. One highlight of the night included the sketch titled “Surprise,” in which Sabrina and others pose as coworkers surprising new cast member Ashley Padilla’s character for her birthday. They end up scaring her so bad she farts (classic), and the rest of the sketch is her learning that her job is way less prestigious than she originally thought. The sketch just proves that fart jokes never get old, and while Sabrina isn’t the main actor in the sketch, it was just plain old funny.

Sabrina also starred in a pre-taped music video sketch with Bowen Yang, in which they star as middle schoolers at the school dance called “Grind Time.” This sketch was simultaneously able to give the audience feelings of nostalgia whilst also giving the ultimate ick. Sabrina and Bowen’s chemistry also shown through — which allowed the sketch to feel lively and fun!

The Lowlights

Sabrina Carpenter, Chloe Fineman, Jane Wickline and new cast member Veronika Slowikoska made extremely convincing pre-teen boys with microphones in this sketch called “Boys Podcast.” While the impressions were amusing at first, the rest of the sketch just fell flat and, honestly, just annoyed the masses. This sketch also included a Trump impression halfway through, which just felt awkward and ill-fitting.

Domingo also made a return for the fifth time, and viewers seem to be split on whether or not the recurring bit is funny or overdone. While some people love Domingo and find comfort in things they’ve seen before, many feel that the sketch is tired and makes it seem like SNL writer’s are simply out of content.

The Performances

Overall, Sabrina shined doing what she does best: performing! She sang two songs from her new album “Nobody’s Son” and her number one single “Manchild,” both while on unique and super fun sets that fans have never seemed before. The fan favorite moment of the night seemed to be her singing “Manchild” while dancing in a barbie-esque bedroom, even using a hairbrush as a microphone. However, her performance of “Nobody’s Son” faced some heat, as singer Rina Sawayama called out Sabrina creative’s team for cultural insensitivity. Mainly, Sawayama pointed out that the performance featured footwear on tatami mats, which is disrespectful in Japanese culture, and urged for more respect from creative teams when referencing other cultures. This also gave way to mixed reactions, with some saying that it was a demonstration of appropriation, and others saying that it is just another example of cancel culture. Sabrina is known for taking criticism and commentary in stride, so hopefully her team works on this for the next time.

Overall, Sabrina’s double duty on SNL was a success mainly because people are talking about it. Saturday Night Live hasn’t had the best reputation the last few seasons, so while many sketches might fall flat, it is mostly at the fault of the writers. Sabrina’s enthusiasm and energy was the main reason to watch last Saturday’s episode, and her live vocals were on point. That’s our show!

What are your thoughts on Sabrina Carpenter’s episode of SNL? Let us know by tagging us @VALLEYMag on X!

Related