After yet another week marred by sexual abuse allegations against powerful men in entertainment and politics, few seem to be in the mood for comedy.
But leave it to Saturday Night Live‘s Kate McKinnon to land a few darkly funny jokes as her weasely caricature of Attorney General Jeff Sessions during the show’s cold open this weekend. The sketch starts with Vice President Mike Pence (Beck Bennett) sitting down with Alabama candidate for U.S. Senate Roy Moore (Mikey Day) to pressure him into stepping down from his bid for Sessions’ old seat. Several women came forward this week saying Moore had sexual interactions with them when they were teens and he was in his 30s.
Moore denies the allegations (as he does in real life) and blames the media, but Pence gives Moore a few minutes to seriously considering leaving the race. That’s when McKinnon’s Sessions tumbles out of a cabinet.
Sessions loves what Moore’s been doing on the campaign trail, from saying Muslims shouldn’t be allowed in Congress to waving a gun around on stage, but he admits allegations of child sexual abuse are a bridge too far. “I’m usually the creepiest one in the room, but I look at you and I’m like, ‘Oh my god,’” Sessions says.
He throws Moore out and pulls out a stuffed opossum he calls “papa.”
“There’s so many men out there acting like monsters—Mr. Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, the president. Daddy, has this been happening forever? Have I both fostered and benefited from a culture of systemic oppression? No? Well, that’s a relief! I love you, Daddy!”
Heh.
