“Cause these men ain’t what?” You can find the answer to that question by watching Ego Nwodim’s SNL skit on TikTok. Viewers had a lot to say after watching this late-night skit go wrong. Popular clips from the show are now watched on social media. Users flocked to TikTok to create videos and comment on them.
How SNL became TikTok Famous
Does anyone watch live TV anymore? Millions of people are watching clips on social media instead. Saturday Night Live has turned 50, but is finding new fans on TikTok. Skits have gone viral as people continue to reuse the content. TikTok’s short-form style makes it the perfect platform to display SNL skits. Even the show has an account with clips updated every week. One of TikTok’s capabilities is that users can comment on videos. That is something that cannot be done with live TV.
Some people have already noticed this shift from live TV to TikTok. Andrew Wallenstein discusses this on “Strictly Business”, his entertainment and business news podcast.
“TV shows and movies have taken a backseat to TikTok’s never-ending algorithmically targeted feed of short-form videos.”
Wallenstein had a lot to say about how TikTok is changing the future of the media. He even admits that he reaches for the app more than TV. He also often chooses TikTok over his paid streaming services.
Sketch Gone Wrong
In Season 50, episode 17, Ego Nwodim stops by the Weekend Update with Colin Jost and Michael Che. The hot topic of conversation? How the White House Correspondents’ Association canceled their comedian for this year’s dinner. Nwodim’s stand up persona, “Miss Eggy”, gave her take on being the comedian. “Good god this food is bland tonight,” she said. Miss Eggy soon went off the main course and onto a new one. “I saw y’all got jicama on the menu. More like jicama another man with another excuse.”
In this part of her skit, Nwodim did a call and response bit. The audience was unfamiliar with the catchphrases. It was supposed to lead “to (intentional) dead silence,” said NBC. What went wrong you may ask? When Miss Eggy said, “cause these men ain’t what,” the audience yelled “Shit!”. Everyone, including Jost and Che, erupted into laughter. “We finna get fined for that” said Nwodim. While incredibly hilarious in the moment, they may actually get fined for that.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), federal law prohibits “obscene, indecent, and profane content” from being aired on broadcast TV. The FCC does not have a specific list of curse words that are not allowed but, “shit” is known to be one of them. If a specific curse word is used, such as “shit” or “fuck,” it must be noted to stations so that it can be bleeped. If not, the FCC could fine the broadcast show for using the word.
How did TikTok users react?
TikTok users are spreading around the uncensored version of the skit. Many TV watchers were upset that it was censored for them. SNL also uploaded the censored skit on their YouTube and TikTok.
@funwithtrivia The S-bomb was dropped on Saturday Night Live during Ego Nwodim’s Weekend Update bit #snl #snlsketch #saturdaynightlive #egonwodim
Others have spread a rumor that the audience was given a script. It said the audience should have replied with “not worth a damn.” One audience member has used TikTok to debunk this. She said the audience was not supposed to respond with anything.
@amanduhhud Replying to @taylor SNL’s viral weekend update moment: audience member POV #snl #egonwodim #satudaynightlive #weekendupdate #colinjost #michaelche #jackblack #viral #pov
Viewers did not believe her at first. She had to make a separate video with proof that she was actually there.
TikTok users agree that this went hilariously wrong. They think the word should be allowed on late night TV. Will SNL get fined? Do you think these curse words should be allowed on TV?
