Megan Thee Stallion has completed her stint on Saturday Night Live, and the reactions and responses are overall reasonably positive. The “Body” rapper doubled as a first-time host on the Oct. 15 episode and performed “Anxiety,” “NDA,” and “Plan B” from her latest album, Traumazine. She was the second woman rapper to perform and host after Queen Latifah in 2004. Despite the recent robbery of her Los Angeles home, Megan brought energy and enthusiasm to the show, portraying a fitness instructor who aims to enlarge her clients’ butts and a nurse who glams up ordinary patients, among other sketches.
Media outlets praised her efforts, with The Atlantic saying she was “the host SNL needed right now” and that her “charisma brought her sketches to another level—and emphasized the blandness of the rest of the show.” A.V. Club called Megan “talented with an infectious natural charm and charisma,” claiming “she is the perfect host to bring eyes back to SNL.”
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Vanity Fair applauded her monologue (“delivered with aplomb”) and her sketches for publicly addressing issues of anxiety and burnout alongside sharing mental health resources. The publication also said Megan, who appeared in every sketch, “working her tail off, was excellent company to the Studio Players.” Fan sentiment has rallied around the music artist for her talent and fortitude to perform under such stressful conditions. Read more for the fan reactions to Megan’s sketches and performances.
Monologue
Despite the focus on recent achievements, Megan used time in her monologue to demonstrate her British accent to appeal to Bridgerton’s casting director. Additionally, she gave a shout-out to badbitcheshavebaddaystoo.com, a mental health platform that includes links to online therapy services. The rapper definitely entertained one fan who tweeted, “Megan Thee Stallion just killed. Her monologue was really good. Loved the British accent, and I am here for her being on #Bridgerton. Make that happen !”
Hot Girl Hospital
Her first sketch featured Megan as a nurse at the “Hot Girl Hospital,” a facility funded by Golden State Warriors player Draymond Green to serve his community service hours. Megan and her colleagues perform Brazilian Butt Lift surgery instead of providing medical care. A viewer noted, “It’s giving Mad tv and I like that,” referring to the sketch comedy television series originally inspired by Mad magazine that aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009.
Deer
Another sketch features Megan and her new boyfriend (Devon Walker) showing their parents their new home, and her dad (Kenan Thompson) gets attacked by a deer who tries to stab him and pull his pants down. Thompson also makes Megan break in this sketch with his patented over-the-top antics toward the deer. Another viewer approved, writing, “Loving this deer sketch. Shout out to whoever controlled the puppet. Also Megan Thee Stallion is a naturally gifted comedic actress.”
Girl Talk
Megan also appeared in the sketch “Girl Talk,” which centered on a talk show hosted by Monique Money Monique Problems (Ego Nwodim). Megan asks for advice about a cheating boyfriend; the two women then converse by saying “girl” in various ways. “It’s the fact that we as black ppl can communicate like this and fully understand it,” one Twitter user commented, to which another replied, “You can tell Megan was IN the writers room for this one.”
Workout Class
Megan later appeared in a sketch as a fitness instructor promoting exercises to build big butts, competing with a class led by two white women promoting workouts for flat butts. One fan wrote in response, “After seeing that workout sketch on #SNL it made me think does Megan Thee Stallion have a Hot Girls Workout video series? I feel like thats just money sitting on the table.”
Anxiety
Fans praised Megan’s “Anxiety” performance for showing strength amid her struggles. The star became visibly upset when she referenced the loss of her mother in verse. “People couldn’t last a mile in Megan’s shoes,” one fan tweeted. “She has been through more than most and still let’s her light shine brightly and beautifully and that’s all I have to say.” Another wrote, “when Megan started tearing up, i lost it. i know it’s gotta be hard, but i’m glad she’s still going.”
Unfunny
All that congratulatory praise doesn’t mean there were no naysayers. A disappointed viewer tweeted, “I watched #SNL last night and found Megan Thee Stallion to be completely underwhelming. The sketches seemed unusually tailored to her and unfunny. She also seemed to have an infectious unfunniness. Not even weed helped that show.” Another wrote, “I’m not gonna mince words, but I’ve only watched the first half hour of @nbcsnl, and I have got to say, Megan Thee Stallion was hilariously awful as host!!I wasn’t laughing at the humor, I was laughing at the way she delivers her lines in every sketch.”