'SNL' has never known what to do with 'hot' guests, and Sydney Sweeney is the latest example
Sydney Sweeney was the latest host of "Saturday Night Live."
Sweeney's monologue and skit leaned on jokes about her looks.
This isn't the first time the show has dropped the ball with an attractive star.
Sydney Sweeney hosted "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend, leaving viewers wondering why the show just resorts to jokes about being attractive when it has a "hot" guest.
In her monologue on Saturday's episode, the "Anyone But You" star showed off the joke five-step plan for getting into acting that she shared with her parents, with "Show boobs" as her plan B.
The "Euphoria" star also performed in several sketches during the show, with most using her looks as the butt of the joke. One saw Sweeney play a Hooters waitress who earned $30,000 in tips, and in another, she played a dumb cheerleader who tried to hit on a Golden Retriever.
Viewers said they were surprised by Sweeney's comedic talents, but pointed out that the writers are guilty of doing the same things they've criticized others for in the past, including Donald Trump.
Challenge for SNL writers: have Sydney tell jokes that aren’t just about her being hot, and speak to her other qualities as an actor and person. Cmon guys
— Hussain (@huspsa) February 29, 2024
SNL makes fun of Trump for being sexist and reducing women to their looks but that is what every single sketch has done to Sydney Sweeney to tonight and it’s a shame. They’re just as bad as the rest of men.
— ahs 🛸 (@imrickdalton) March 3, 2024
SNL with Sydney Sweeney ... was surprised to see she's an amazing comedic actress... But writing was like let's make every sketch shes in she is a hooters waitress or dumb cheerleader ...idk....just makes me sad ❤️😹
— sarahbennett.pdf (@sarahbastard69) March 3, 2024
But this isn't the first time "SNL" has fumbled over a "hot" guest. Remember when Jacob Elordi hosted after all that "Saltburn" hype in January?
His guest appearance started with an incredibly awkward opening monologue where one of the "SNL" cast raises her hand and says "Just want to look at you." And it only got more uncomfortable from there.
Audiences weren't impressed by a sketch at a women's-only AA meeting, where the group plots to get Elordi drunk so they can try to sleep with him.
Gonna call foul on the SNL sketch where all the women at the AA meeting try to get Jacob Elordi to relapse so they can fuck him. He’s hot! I get it! Unfortunately it’s also making light of sexual assault and seemingly mocking sobriety. Overall F. I’m bummed. Better luck next time
— jim (@jamesmurtagh) January 21, 2024
This is the latest example of SNL being criticized for cringey writing. Back in 2004, the writers riffed on "Harry Potter" in a skit where Lindsay Lohan played Hermione Granger.
With an open shirt and short skirt, it focused on Ron Weasley (Seth Meyers) and Harry Potter (Rachel Dratch) struggling to take their eyes off Hermione's chest.
Comedy was a bit different back in the early 2000s, so the writers managed to get away with the gross "hot school girl" trope. But judging by the "Hooters" sketch, things haven't changed too much.
The makers of SNL didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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