The Big Picture
Barbie really continues to take over the world. First, with “Barbenheimer,” then, it became the highest-grossing movie of the year. Now, with the return of SNL, it’s “I’m just Pete.” Host Pete Davidson took to Saturday Night Live with musical guest Ice Spice to bring us a funny show that was weird, hilarious, and filled with callbacks to some of Davidson’s past work on the show. Leaving in 2022, this is the first time that Davidson is hosting the show, and it was a nice return for Davidson bringing all of the charm that made him a fan favorite during his SNL tenure.
In a sketch with people making fun of him about his failed show, why he’s already back at Saturday Night Live, and how a series like Bupkis can have legends like Edie Falco and Joe Pesci in it but still not have anyone watching it. Davidson overhears it and so what does he do to try and understand how everyone is reacting to him? He has a moment of reflection that takes him to a pink Barbie-filled world. In a parody of the “I’m Just Ken” sequence from Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, Davidson brought together his “Petes” all together to try and fight for his honor.
This is one of those sketches for Saturday Night Live that is a direct callback to a hot pop culture moment that we can’t get enough of. All of the “Pete” outfits did have their twists, riffing off of what Ryan Gosling wore in the movie but putting it in Pete’s signature style, from his black hoodie to swapping sweat pants for jeans. It’s funny, weird, and just the right amount of callback to Barbie with an impressive level of production value for SNL’s first night back after months of hiatus in support of the WGA strike.
Pairing Pop Culture With ‘Saturday Night Live’
Saturday Night Live loves to bring us into the pop culture titles we know and love and make sure they’re highlighted with some of the show’s sketches. We missed some pretty big moments while the show was off the air that would have probably had a call-out, but it is still nice to know that things like the “I’m Just Ken” sequence is one that has enough staying power for fans to continue to laugh about, this time, with Davidson.
SNL is finally back, and you can watch Davidson’s full “I’m Just Pete” performance below.
