The passing of beloved actor and America’s sweetheart Betty White on New Year’s Eve at 99 years old was the final blow of 2021. White has left an indelible mark on American culture, from her work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls to her countless appearances in film, television series, and pretty much every corner of popular culture. But one of my absolute favorite Betty White performances took place on May 8, 2010, when she hosted the Mother’s Day episode of Saturday Night Live.
RIP Betty White, the only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party. A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end.
— Seth Meyers (@sethmeyers) December 31, 2021
White was 88 at the time, and her hosting gig came after a Facebook campaign to bring her on to host the show (aka the last time Facebook was a force for good). In her opening monologue, White quipped, “When I first heard about the campaign, I didn’t know what Facebook was, and now that I do know what it is, I have to say it sounds like a huge waste of time.” The episode, which featured several women cast members returning for the show, featured a killer line-up of sketches, with White crushing every single one. There’s a special energy to the episode, and you can tell all the cast members were genuinely thrilled to have her. White’s appearance won her a seventh Emmy, Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
One sketch saw Kenan Thompson’s convict character Lorenzo McIntosh, who brings his grandma Loretta (White) to scare some teens straight. If you don’t laugh at Betty White screaming “Wizard of Ass!” then I don’t know what you think humor is. Even Bill Hader, who so rarely breaks in scenes, can be seen busting up.
We also got a return of the Census taker sketch, where Tina Fey takes responses from White’s wild cat lady. The sketch was done previously with Tim Meadows and Christopher Walken in 2000. The original is great, but White truly heightens the bit as only she can.
White also appears in the classic Ana Gasteyer/Molly Shannon sketch “Delicious Dish”, which was revived for Mother’s Day. White plays Florence Dusty of Dusty Muffins, and flawlessly delivers the double entendres with a naughty glint in her eye.
My favorite sketch of the night is the cold open, which sees the return of The Lawrence Welk Show and Kristen Wiig’s tiny-handed Dooneese. This bit will never get old for me, and White’s presence makes it one of the best of all time. Also the cast’s love and admiration for White really shine here.
The episode also delivers a MacGruber appearance where White plays MacGruber’s grandma. There’s also “Gingey”, a sketch that sees White supporting her gay granddaughter. “Just let her stay home and lez” is great advice for us all.
White also returned to SNL for their 40th anniversary special, where she popped into a “Californians” sketch
What’s your favorite Betty White bit? Let us know in the comments!
(image: screencap/NBC)
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