Nate Bargatze recently landed the golden opportunity to host the iconic “Saturday Night Live”, a milestone that showcased his comedic prowess to a broader audience. Leading up to the live performance, the “SNL” team playfully acknowledged Bargatze’s well-earned title of the nicest guy in comedy through teaser clips. They humorously nudged him to channel a more tempestuous side, and when he did, the applause was hearty and genuine.
The show unfurled with Bargatze warming up the audience with snippets from his widely acclaimed “Hello World” stand-up special on Amazon Prime, which has soared to become the platform’s most-streamed original comedy special. His monologue whimsically navigated through his amusing encounters with Afrin nose spray, a comical self-comparison to a pilgrim, and his laugh-out-loud confession of historical cluelessness which made a Pearl Harbor movie a suspense-filled adventure for him.
As the show segued into the sketches, Bargatze donned the role of George Washington in a 1777-set skit. Amidst a campfire huddle, his portrayal of Washington humorously rallied the troops, emphasizing the eccentricities of America’s selective embrace of the metric system. The sketch cleverly highlighted the paradox of a nation where a ton is 2,000 pounds, yet 1,000 pounds remains nameless. As Washington, he amusingly declared the peculiar American way of measuring various liquids, with a distinctive preference for traditional units over the metric system.
The comedic journey continued with a pre-recorded skit titled ‘Lake Beach’, where Bargatze led a faux country band named Mudpuddle. Embodying a playful stereotype of southern charm, he crooned about lakeside leisure while clad in knee-length denim shorts and a cowboy hat. The narrative humorously escalated with Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl making a cameo as the mullet-sporting uncle whose reckless cornhole antics ended with a bang – quite literally, with a fireworks mishap.
He was part of some funny sketches that included surprise cameos by “Papa Pumpkin” Christopher Walken, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, and “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi, adding an extra dash of star-studded charisma to the whimsical scenarios unfolding on the SNL stage.
As the curtains drew close on this memorable episode, a heartfelt Bargatze, adorned in a sweatshirt bearing the zip code 37138, paid homage to his hometown of Old Hickory, Tennessee. This gesture also cleverly circled back to a joke from his stand-up special, creating a full circle of laughter and nostalgia.
Nate Bargatze’s SNL stint was a harmonious blend of insightful humor, engaging sketches, and nostalgic nods, enriching the comedic tapestry of the show while leaving the audience both entertained and endeared.