The SNL 50th Anniversary Special was a night to remember, with many iconic characters and celebrities making appearances. One of the most memorable sketches of the night was the one featuring Robert De Niro and Rachel Dratch, where De Niro played a customer and Dratch reprised her iconic character, Debbie Downer. The sketch started with Debbie Downer tending bar for visiting celebrities Drew Barrymore and Ayo Edebiri, and Jimmy Fallon also made an appearance, breaking up De Niro's beef at the end of the sketch. The comedy was palpable as De Niro tried to order a vodka soda with a straw from Debbie, who hit him with a reference to his famed role in Taxi Driver, asking "You talking to me? You talking to me?"
De Niro's character was not amused by the joke, and things took a turn when Debbie started talking about microplastics and how they have already taken up residence in people's testes. De Niro's patience wore thin, and he told Debbie to shut it, saying he didn't want to talk about plastic in his balls. The exchange was hilarious, with De Niro eventually waving it off and Debbie handing him a drink with a straw. As he stirred his cocktail, she quipped, "Kind of surprised you want a straw. Micro plastics, at this point, we're all walking landfills." The sketch ended with De Niro suggesting everyone join him in a toast, including Debbie, who poured a bottle of vanilla Ensure into a glass.
The character of Debbie Downer was created by Paula Pell and first debuted in the 2004 episode of SNL hosted by Lindsay Lohan. The original sketch saw Lohan and cast members get their Disney World vacation ruined by Downer. Since then, Dratch has returned to SNL as Downer several times, bringing laughter to the audience with her depressing comments and bad news. The fan-favorite sketches feature Dratch delivering a string of bad news and depressing comments, each one accompanied by a wah-wah musical cue. The character has become a staple of SNL, and her return to the 50th anniversary special was highly anticipated.
Aside from the Debbie Downer sketch, the SNL 50th Anniversary Special featured many other iconic characters and celebrities. The three-hour special aired on Sunday, February 16, from 8-11pm ET, and was a night to remember for fans of the show. With its mix of comedy, music, and nostalgia, the special was a fitting tribute to the long-running show. The special also featured a new sketch with characters Bobbi Mohan-Culp and Marty Culp, played by Ana Gasteyer and Will Ferrell, which was confirmed by Pell during an appearance on Today with Jenna and Friends.
The SNL 50th Anniversary Special was a huge success, with many fans taking to social media to express their love for the show and its iconic characters. The special was a reminder of the power of comedy to bring people together and make them laugh. With its talented cast and crew, SNL has been making audiences laugh for 50 years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The special was a fitting tribute to the show's legacy, and it will be remembered for years to come as a highlight of the show's history. Some of the key features of the special include:
* A star-studded cast of celebrities and former cast members
* Iconic characters like Debbie Downer and Bobbi Mohan-Culp
* A mix of comedy, music, and nostalgia
* A three-hour special that aired on Sunday, February 16, from 8-11pm ET
* A new sketch with characters Bobbi Mohan-Culp and Marty Culp, played by Ana Gasteyer and Will Ferrell