Imagine, if you will, the most disastrous talk show imaginable. On this theoretical show, random fights could break out at any time, the host might punch you below the belt and the guests would include some of the most problematic celebrities possible. This weekend’s Saturday Night Live offered a glimpse of what such a talk show might look like in a sketch called Mellen — and if that sounds not dissimilar to Ellen, you’re on the right track.
The premise? An afternoon talk show in the vein of Ellen targeted to men, hosted by a guy who legally changed his name to Mellen. Onetime SNL cast member (and this week’s host) Jason Sudeikis played the title character, and while the concept of the sketch — what if Ellen, but with toxic masculinity — was spot-on, it also allowed several of the current cast their moments in the spotlight.
This included Chris Redd playing Kyrie Irving, who is the subject of an on-camera “prank” on the show, along with Pete Davidson’s take on Jake Paul announcing his next foray into boxing. It’s worth mentioning that Paul is one of the least problematic celebrities invoked by the sketch, which goes into some very bleak places — and also features the sight of Chloe Fineman beating the hell out of Gritty.
Sudeikis’s stint as guest host included him revisiting characters he played during his time in the cast, but the parade of escalating cringe in this echoed the “Underground Festival” sketches that were a mainstay of his time on the show. The tone here is a little more varied, but the notion of a talk show embodying countless bad ideas ends up working well.
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