John Mulaney Takes on Podcast Bros and the ’90s Swing Revival in These SNL Cut for Time Sketches

John Mulaney hosted Saturday Night Live last night, and although it was easily one of the better episodes of the season, some of its funniest material didn’t even air during the broadcast. Two sketches that were cut for time have been uploaded to YouTube today, and anybody who digs what Mulaney brings to the show should check ‘em out.

The first one, “Podcast Set,” is a pretape about a subject Saturday Night Live knows very well: white dudes getting fired from their day job for offensive stuff they said on podcasts. That’s what happened to comedian and would-be SNL cast member Shane Gillis, who was hired in 2019 and then fired before ever appearing in an episode after his history of racist, homophobic, and sexist comments on podcasts was uncovered. Fortunately SNL doesn’t take some kind of ridiculous anti-”cancel culture” stance in this video, squarely depicting its group of white podcasting bros as toxic assholes who believe their insistence on “telling it like it is” and being racist and sexist on podcasts is somehow a brave stand for the freedom of speech, instead of just being a toxic asshole. A Fisher-Price Podcast Set that lets these dudes bloviate privately and offline could help change society in its own small way.

The second cut for time sketch focuses like a laser on that brief period in the 1990s when white twentysomethings thought it was cool to dress up like cartoon caricatures of their grandparents swing dancing in the ‘30s and ‘40s. Yes, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy get mentioned by name. (Fortunately they spare the more interesting Squirrel Nut Zippers from the mockery.) I can see why this one didn’t make the cut—it was a strong episode, and there’s maybe only one sketch that aired that I’d say is less funny than this one—but it’s still worth watching—especially if you remember that damn Gap ad.