Eddie Murphy made his much-anticipated comeback on the Saturday Night Live stage as host for the first time in 35 years and surprisingly some of his old comedy friends who he influenced crashed the party to show their support.
READ MORE: Eddie Murphy hints he might do some signature skits during ‘SNL’ return
Murphy’s triumphant return didn’t disappoint either, and the gut-busting laughs were reminiscent of his early SNL years.
And like the comedic champion he is with a breadth of work that spans decades, Murphy walked out onto the stage to chants of “Eddie! Eddie!” as if he were Muhammad Ali getting ready to rumble.
The 58-year-old dust off some of his most celebrated comedy characters like Buckwheat, Gumby, Velvet Jones and even the brought back Mr. Robinson but this time from a gentrified neighborhood.
The former SNL cast member was in his element and in full old-school mode and dug right in with the comedic jabs.
“This is the last episode of 2019,” he said, “but if you’re black, it’s the first episode since I left in 1984,” he said to the cheerful audience members.
Murphy then showed the audience a throwback photo of himself saying: “You know what they say: Money don’t crack.”
He’s Gumby, dammit. #SNL pic.twitter.com/SXwVfEfdbL
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) December 22, 2019
Let’s check in on our old friend, Mister Robinson. #SNL pic.twitter.com/UzHoagFGGM
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) December 22, 2019
It’s Black Jeopardy! and Velvet Jones is here to win. #SNL pic.twitter.com/IiV0y60Q3a
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) December 22, 2019
The father of 10 was in raw form and even made a slip of the tongue that included a curse word during the “Holiday Baking Championship,” skit when he said, “We can still win this sh–“. It was the ‘oops’ heard on live TV because for some reason there was no delay.
Some of the most iconic skits he performed for the night included Mr. Robinson’s not-so-beautiful neighborhood with a dose of reality about gentrification.
Murphy’s skit got real about how once minority-owned neighborhoods have been turned cushy multi-million dollar neighborhoods. He explained: “It’s like a magic trick. White people pay a lot of money, and then poof, all the black people are gone,” he narrates. “But where do they go, boys and girls? Back to where they come from, of course. Atlanta,” he joked.
And how has Mr. Robinson been able to afford his same digs all these years? He says: “Squatter’s rights. It’s like finders-keepers, but for other people’s houses.”
It was a funny, not-so-funny moment because it’s actually true to life about what’s been occurring across America.
READ MORE: Seriously? Bill Cosby is having ‘amazing’ experience in prison
But one of the biggest stingers came during his opening monologue when he took a stab at Bill Cosby, and impersonated him. Murphy has previously said Cosby treated him mean when he was on the come-up as a new comic back in the 80s.
Once known as ‘America’s Dad’ Cosby now sits in a jail cell after he was convicted of raping and drugging a woman. Murphy made mention of the irony of the situation saying that he would have never thought 35 years later Cosby, a once-beloved TV father figure, would be on the outskirts in America.
“If you would have told me 30 years ago that I would be this boring, stay-at-home house dad and Bill Cosby would be in jail … I would have took that bet,” Murphy said.
“Who is America’s dad now!” he quipped, crowning himself the treasured title.
The love for Murphy was crystal clear on Saturday as Murphy was not only joined by his 10 kids at Studio 8H, but comedic legends Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, and Tracy Morgan as well as Kenan Thompson, appeared on on stage during the opening monologue.
The comedy icons spoke about how much Murphy influenced their comedy careers.
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) December 22, 2019
For the record, it was Murphy who gave Rock a shot in the movie Boomerang, and he enlisted Chappelle as a crude comic for Nutty Professor and Morgan was an SNL cast member who followed in Murphy’s footsteps as well.
“When I got hired, Lorne told me, ‘You’re going to be the next Eddie Murphy,” Rock said. “And then a year later he said, ‘No, you’re not.’”
Chappelle said: “I followed your blueprint for my entire career,” Chappelle said. “I became the biggest star on television and then I quit.”
The powerhouse legends stood together on stage in a rare moment for all the world to see. And they didn’t let it go unsaid about just how much collective power they hold in their pockets.
“Right now you’re looking at half of Netflix’s budget, right here onstage,” Chappelle said.
It was a night to remember and singer Lizzo who had an extraordinary year, rounded out the night with two musical performances of her hits.
Griofam, what were your favorite Murphy skits? Let us know in comments.
The post Eddie Murphy hits gentrification, Cosby in triumphant ‘SNL’ return appeared first on theGrio.
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