Poking fun. Amid Aaron Rodgers’ recent controversy surrounding his COVID-19 vaccine claims, Saturday Night Live poked fun at his lengthy rebuttals during its weekly episode.
“It’s my body and my COVID,” Pete Davidson said while portraying the NFL athlete, 37, during the Saturday, November 6, cold open skit. “I can give it to whoever I want. But suddenly, the woke mob is coming after me. It’s gotten so bad that State Farm called and they’re not even offering me the Rodgers rate!”
In the opening clip, Cecily Strong brought back her Judge Jeanine Pirro impersonation, inspired by her Fox News TV show. During the SNL sketch, the 37-year-old Schmigadoon! actress’ character invited the “American brave enough to stand up and say, ‘Screw you, science, I know Joe Rogan’” before the King of Staten Island star, 27, joined her onstage as the quarterback.
Davidson donned a graphic T-shirt, a blue beanie and had fake facial hair and a long wig to portray the football star.
“I never lied,” Davidson-as-Rodgers continued during the sketch. “I took all my teammates into a huddle, got their faces three inches away from my wet mouth, and told them, ‘Trust me: I’m more or less immunized. Go team!’ … People can talk all they want, but at the end of the day my record is still seven in one, meaning of the eight people I’ve infected, seven are fine.”
Days earlier, the California native made headlines after claiming he “didn’t lie” about his vaccination status when he tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this month.
“The league was fully aware of it upon my return to the Packers,” Rodgers explained during an episode of “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, November 5. “It wasn’t some sort of ruse or lie, it was the truth. Had there been a follow-up to my statement that I’d been immunized, I would have responded with this: I would have said, ‘Look, I’m not some sort of anti-vax-flat-Earther. I’m somebody who’s a critical thinker.’ I march to the beat of my own drum. I believe strongly in bodily autonomy, [in the] ability to make choices for your body, not to have to acquiesce to some woke culture or crazed group of individuals who say you have to do something.”
The quarterback also explained at the time that he skipped the shot due to an allergy to an ingredient that’s found in the vaccine and infertility claims, noting his desire to be a father one day. The FDA and CDC have both clearly stated that there is no evidence that the vaccines cause infertility.
Following Davidson’s impression in the opening sketch, Kieran Culkin hosted the NBC variety show with musical guest Ed Sheeran. In his monologue, the 39-year-old Succession star fondly recalled his first appearance on the show, back when older brother Macaulay Culkin hosted in November 1991.
“I have been on this very stage,” Kieran explained during the episode. “I was on an episode of SNL back when my brother Mac hosted 30 years ago, almost to the day. I was 9 years old. I got to be in three sketches, two of which are non-problematic, and, at the end of the show, I got to be on the stage for the good nights and I think we have a clip … So, there’s my brother, and the cast has lifted him up on their shoulders and, boom! There I am, clearly jealous.”
The actor had cast member Kevin Nealon lift him into the air in 1991, and current regulars Chris Redd and Kenan Thompson hoisted him onto their shoulders as the credits rolled on the 2021 episode.
Saturday Night Live airs on NBC on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET.
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