If you’re a fan of Adam Driver’s brooding intensity, you probably enjoyed his recent hosting gig on Saturday Night Live. But a line during his opening monologue, interpreted by the live audience as a joke, is now making fans wonder — was a transphobic skit really slated to close out the show?
It’s tough to say, but the evidence could point to the possibility that a sketch was cut from the close of the show due to time. The episode ended with musical guest Halsey’s second performance, which breaks from the typical run of show.
And then there’s Adam’s monologue, which taken at face value, says outright that the mystery sketch made the host uncomfortable.
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“I’m just trying to drag this out because honestly at the end of the show, there’s a sketch I really don’t like, so I’m hoping this goes long and it’ll get cut,” he said, adding: “I play a woman in it, and I can’t tell if it’s transphobic or just really dated.”
The comment got a laugh from the audience, as it fit in with the monologue’s overall theme.
You can watch it below. The remark comes at the 3:52 mark:
Many viewers praised the move:
wait did Adam Driver really try to extend his monologue on SNL so they'd have to cut a sketch he thought was transphobic? king shit
— ashley ray (@arayyay) January 26, 2020
Adam Driver dragging out his opening monologue on SNL to avoid performing a transphobic sketch at the end of the show is why I love him.
— Tobie Madsen (@TobieornotTobie) January 26, 2020
While others were less convinced:
The joke in Adam Driver’s SNL monologue about him not wanting to do a transphobic sketch is both 1) a joke and 2) a shitty joke, because it’s the show absolving itself of all the shitty transphobic stuff it has done by making a winky acknowledgement rather than apologizing.
— There’s No One Like Fisackerly ? (@fisackerly) January 27, 2020
the people who thought that bit in adam driver's snl monologue about wanting to cut the transphobic skit WASN'T a rehearsed line are the same people who thought james corden really drives in carpool karaoke
— erin ? (@ScaryElwes) January 27, 2020
Still… we find it odd that the episode ended with a musical number instead of a sketch.
Related: Was Saturday Night Live’s Pat Character A Statement About Transgender People?
Then again, Driver’s monologue clocked in at a very average 5 minutes — here’s a rundown of the last five opening monologue lengths:
Eddie Murphy – 6:02
Scarlett Johansson – 5:00
Jennifer Lopez – 4:54
Will Farrell – 6:11
Harry Styles – 4:45
And to that end, why would he wait until air time to voice his reservations if he felt that strongly about it?
What do you think? Was it a joke or did Driver really vamp to cut a sketch?
nacinla
Good guy. Good actor. With huge hands ….
JosephYvon
The fact that he mentions it already exonerates him. I think he is playing with all of us. He was a great SNL host, in fact one of the best shows I’ve see in a long time.
ryanM
“I’m just trying to DRAG this out…”
“Drag” is a pun, right…?
inbama
You might be right.
He follows the trans comment with one that could be interpreted as good old-fashioned homosexual panic: “I’m in a movie with Scarlett Johansson, so I basically kissed Colin Jost if you think about it!”
frenchjr25
Maybe SNL will release the recording of the sit so we can judge for ourselves (they record the dress rehearsal, which is usually nearly 1/2 hour longer, so sketches that are not working can be cut from the live broadcast).
scotty
that show and others routinely cut sketches for lots of reasons, especially time.
M1ke
Typical Queerty making news out of something that isn’t.