‘SNL’: Adele Breaks During Controversial Sketch Spoofing African Tourism — Watch
Every once in awhile on “Saturday Night Live” somebody just can’t help themselves and breaks down laughing, breaking character. On this weekend’s episode it was the host herself, Adele, who had a laughing fit during a sketch spoofing international tourism in Africa and the kinds of exotic “Eat, Pray, Love” trips older women supposedly go on after a heartbreak. (In other words, think the lurid sex tourism from a movie like Ulrich Seidl’s 2012 “Paradise: Love.”) Adele especially can’t stop cracking up whenever co-star Kate McKinnon says “tribesmen,” for one. And the singer/songwriter all but loses it once Heidi Gardner joins the scene. Watch below.
“Witness the wonder, the escape, the story,” McKinnon says. “The sandy beaches, the massive bamboo,” Adele adds, as the two banter back and forth on what’s most to love about a trip to Africa. “The lush, dangling foliage! The history!” The sketch, however, was met with some controversy on social media, with viewers pointing out the potentially offensive portrayal of Africa. Others have said that the sketch actually targets foreign ignorance about the continent.
Surprisingly, Adele only served as the emcee this week and didn’t actually perform any songs off her forthcoming album, which she said, during the opening monologue, is not finished. The musical guest of the night was H.E.R., also known as Gabriella Wilson. During her opening monologue, Adele took the time to encourage audiences to vote even though she’s British and proclaims to know “nothing” about American politics, and also thanked the frontline workers who’ve served the world during the coronavirus pandemic.
Also notable out of “Saturday Night Live” this week was the final presidential debate between Donald Trump, played by Alec Baldwin, and Joe Biden, played by Jim Carrey. Maya Rudolph co-starred as Kristen Welker, with McKinnon also joining briefly as Rudy Giuliani.
Next week, John Mulaney hosts “Saturday Night Live” for the fourth time, and on Halloween as well, and will be joined by musical guest The Strokes. “Three things define New York City: SNL, the Strokes, and Ed Koch. Koch is dead, so they got me. I am so goddamn excited. 4th time up. Wow and wow and wow,” Mulaney wrote on Twitter.
Watch the “Saturday Night Live” “Africa” sketch below.
