The Best and Worst of Jerrod Carmichael’s Hosting Debut

[{"selector":"#anim-e1159b2a-dc8c-4ba8-9ad4-13aebe938843","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dfdb2c1a-ee10-4759-9842-12d570a9cfea [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(14.05254755257289%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] The Best and Worst of Jerrod Carmichael’s Hosting Debut

[{"selector":"#anim-d2f217b1-1db0-4437-a3e1-cf02e75eaabb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-37562981-1880-41ee-857d-e6cf95abeb97 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(11.328124765340561%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] This week’s “Saturday Night Live” saw comedian Jerrod Carmichael step into the hosting hot seat, promoting his recent HBO standup special, “Rothaniel.

[{"selector":"#anim-f435272b-6a3e-494c-942d-4be3c9d5a45c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-685f0952-10c3-4866-b58e-10763aef443d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(20.894771941353074%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Naturally, this continued this season of “SNL’s” impressive streak of first-time hosts, this time with someone with — admittedly — less star power than the others.

[{"selector":"#anim-e7ff61fe-0182-45a5-bcf8-d58c1319d85d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-559b9d86-e641-4b65-9c50-c7e93af81948 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(13.309658868273527%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Carmichael spent his monologue talking around “it” (the Will Smith/Chris Rock Oscars controversy, of course)

[{"selector":"#anim-c4516128-7508-44dd-b91e-879a42952977","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bd233d97-8aa7-41ff-96b1-36c14238103b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.499999772451451%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] It’s an openness and honesty that one could imagine would inform Carmichael’s role as the latest first-time celebrity host in “SNL” Season 47.

[{"selector":"#anim-4d0a26e7-a810-463a-8f2e-98cb3f0f1c82","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43db1a5e-b11e-4614-9a61-192ca85f2162 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.812499744007886%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] In terms of “SNL’s” handling of the Smith/Rock situation, Carmichael’s monologue went the route of not even saying any names at all.

[{"selector":"#anim-edd745d8-a1bb-44d0-a8eb-2a441d9da47c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ed2d8c07-ab3c-4ae0-a8b7-a610531354e2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(18.694345313155157%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] After “Word Crunch” from Zoe Kravitz’s episode, the next game show sketch was always going to be fighting an uphill battle.

[{"selector":"#anim-7b7a1ea5-5687-4f4d-9a68-86a5f73ae521","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-04adfbce-ae2f-47bf-8efa-d56d56c57c1b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(14.05254755257289%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Plus, the joke of losing track of dates and months during a pandemic is already something “SNL” has done outside of this sketch. Learn more