Culture Diary: SNL with John Mulaney and the Strokes

I don’t know when I first became aware of John Mulaney. It might have been just listening to his “Salt and Pepper Diner” bit, which I’ve since replayed for countless friends. I’ve heard all of his stand-up specials multiple times and have seen him perform live. I even saw him once at a coffee shop in the Village a couple of summers ago! He is tall.

Mulaney got his start as a writer on SNL. Some of his hits include the classics “Rocket Dog,” “What’s That Name?” and, perhaps the most iconic, Stefon, which he co-created with Bill Hader. Since he left the show, he’s returned to host four times, which is pretty rare for a stand-up comedian who’s arguably not a movie star (though I did love his turn as “Spider-Ham” in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse).

He’s gone viral recently for his “Horse in the Hospital” bit which appeared in his 2018 Netflix comedy special Kid Gorgeous. In the bit, he hilariously compares Trump being elected president as a horse being set loose in a hospital. No one knows what to do, because there’s never been a horse in the hospital before! It’s an apt analogy, though I think it does a disservice to horses everywhere because they are majestic, gentle creatures and Trump…is very much not either of those things.

As for this week’s episode of SNL, I was a little disappointed. I haven’t been into Jim Carrey’s portrayal of Joe Biden — something about it is too…Carrey-esque? Joe Biden isn’t a cartoon cowboy, which seems to be the character that Carrey is…