Comedy

"Saturday Night Live" jumped on the Chinese spy balloon caper ... insinuating we made a way bigger deal of it that it actually was.

Chloe Fineman played MSNBC's Katy Tur, conducting an interview with Bowen Yang, who was dressed as a large spy balloon that was bobbing in the ocean.

"Well, you got me, congrats, you shot a balloon," Yang mockingly said. Fineman's response, "Wow, balloon, I'm sorry you're in the water, but thank you for speaking to us."

Yang continued, “I entertain you people for four days, and then get shot by Biden. I can’t believe that I’m Joe’s Osama!"

Steve-O says Bam Margera has yet again fallen off the wagon -- which leaves him with no choice but to accept that his old friend might turn up dead one of these days.

As you know, Bam's been on the road with his 'Jackass' costar ... opening for Steve-O on the first leg of his comedy tour. Bam even brought his son Phoenix onstage with him at one of the stops. All seemed to be well -- that is, until Bam posted a shocking caption this week that spurred a hard truth from Steve.

Bam threw up a pic of himself, Johnny Knoxville and SO, writing ... "One arm is a best friend who had my f***ing back all along, another arm is a poser. A pro creation thief. If Jeff tremaine was in this photo, he would be to greedy to fit. F*** jeff. Remember I tattooed that on me long ago jeff? It’s because I knew who you were all along."

He added, "@steveo much love and respect."

Steve-O responded in a since-deleted comment ... which is pretty hard to read. He accuses Bam of staying up all night and getting loaded after the last show -- when he made the post -- and says he's now bracing for the prospect of hearing about Bam's passing, and there is nothing left he can do to save him.

While Steve might've nixed the comment, his feelings haven't changed -- telling TMZ he'll never stop being there for Bam if he wants to actually achieve sobriety. But if not, he says he's done all he can ... and that there's nothing more he can do to try and make him want to recover. He decided to delete the comment after a few minutes and had nothing else to add.

As we've reported ... Bam's been on a very turbulent journey over the past year or so, hopping in and out of rehab facilities -- oftentimes under a court order -- and continuously finding himself in situations where he's partying his face off and drinking to excess.

It's sad. At this point, even his closest allies who remain in his corner are starting to wane.

Michael Blackson says Eli Apple is ruthless with the Twitter fingers ... telling TMZ Sports he's not one bit surprised about his nephew's trash-talking antics -- 'cause it "runs in the family!!"

Apple made headlines throughout the playoffs for speaking his mind on social media ... going after opposing teams and gloating each time the Bengals came out victorious.

The actor-comedian told us he was cheering on his kin against the Kansas City Chiefs on championship Sunday ... but admits if he were Eli, he would have waited until after he won a Super Bowl ring to get at his contemporaries.

"I was rooting for him," Blackson said. "I always believe in talking smack once you get that ring. Once you get that ring, then you can talk smack."

Michael said despite what some people say about Eli, there are a lot of cornerbacks who want to be in his position -- playing in back-to-back AFC title games and the SB last season.

Michael also told us his thoughts on the big game -- he says the first-ever Super Bowl between two black quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes, and Jalen Hurts, "means a lot."

"Finally, Black quarterbacks are getting recognized," Blackson said. "At one point, nobody thought running quarterbacks would make it to the Super Bowl."

MB expects the game to be a high-scoring affair ... and predicts the Eagles will defeat the Chiefs, 28-24, but says you can never count out Mahomes.

"Patrick Mahomes is a kid that never goes down," Blackson said. "This guy finds ways to stay in the game and finds ways to win the game. We have to contain him. He runs all over the place."

Tiffany Haddish says she's shocked there's a push to get her written out of the long-anticipated "Girls Trip" sequel -- but she's defiant, telling us there's no way she'd miss it ... no matter what Twitter haters think.

Tiff seemed genuinely surprised outside The Ivy Tuesday evening when she was asked what she thought about the instant backlash when it was announced last week "Girls Trip 2" was finally going to be made ... and with the OG cast of Tiffany, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Regina Hall.

Well, she makes it crystal clear that as long as her costars want her to do the movie ... Tiffany WILL be there, regardless of any controversy.

The issue is, some fans think Haddish should not be included this time around, because of the child molestation lawsuit that was filed last year against Tiffany and Aries Spears.

As we reported, the suit was dismissed and the plaintiff even publicly forgave Tiffany ... saying she knows the actress would never harm her or her family.

As for the sequel to the 2017 comedic hit ... Tiffany told us she "can't be concerned with what other people think. I gotta be concerned about how I feel" ... and she says she's feeling really good about herself these days.

BTW, even though it's been announced the film will be set in Ghana, and everyone's on board ... Tiffany seems less than convinced it's actually gonna happen. As she put it, "Y'know every year they say this."

"Saturday Night Live" poked fun at the classified documents scandal engulfing President Biden, but the most biting humor was reserved for his Veep.

'SNL's Mikey Day played Attorney General Merrick Garland, kicking things off with a speech about how former Trump VP Mike Pence found classified docs at his Indiana home. Kenan Thompson, as an FBI agent, followed with a few wisecracks about Pence.

Then came the bit about Kamala Harris ...comedian Ego Nwodim, playing an FBI agent, bluntly said: 'Come on now. Joe Biden won't even give this woman a pen. You think she has classified documents? Please, Kamala Harris with classified documents."

Ego then walked away as Day returned to the mic, adding..."Well, we had to at least check."

Funny skit, but it also had to sting, since it implied Joe didn't trust Kamala enough to share the nation's secrets. Harris, as you know, has been dogged by criticism about her competence in her role as second in command.

Steve-O's new opening act for the first 9 shows of his comedy tour is Bam Margera ... and the 'Jackass' alums hit the stage together to workshop some new material.

We got video of Steve-O shocking the packed house at the Elsinore Theatre in Salem, Oregon last Sunday -- and Bam's surprise appearance drew huge applause from the crowd.

In the video, Steve-O helps Bam work on some jokes ... comparing Bam's life to Britney Spears' and telling a few stories from rehab.

Steve-O told the crowd he's bringing Bam along for "The Bucket List Tour" because he was terrified Bam was going down a path that would end in an early death. He said he wants his buddy on the road with him to see if it's possible for him to lead a healthy life and find a happy ending.

Remember ... Bam recently revealed on Steve-O's podcast he was pronounced dead in a hospital back in December, when he had 4 seizures and a nasty blood infection.

Bengals super fan Gary Owen REALLY loves Joe Burrow ... so much so, that the comedian tells TMZ Sports he'd be thrilled if the Cincinnati quarterback ever wanted to hook up with his family members!!

Let's be honest -- the thought of relatives getting freaky in the sheets is enough to weird anyone out ... but Owen is an exception when it comes to Joey B, 'cause he says his obsession with #9 has led him to welcome the idea with open arms.

"If somebody in my family wants to sleep with him, do it," Owen joked to TMZ Sports. "Do it. Like, you don't ever want to think of any females in your family sleeping with anybody. But Joe Burrow?? Yeah, I'll drop you off. What time do you need me to pick you up??"

Owen was in Buffalo to watch his beloved team beat up on the Bills in the divisional round ... and he said he will 100% be in Kansas City for the AFC Championship game on Sunday.

But it's not just Burrow that has Owen raving about his Bengals -- he says the defense also deserves a ton of credit, even with their hands full against a dominant Chiefs offense.

"I've never been more confident in a team," he added.

Bill Maher has a confession -- something he's kept under wraps for years -- he flies private, and if anyone expresses outrage they can suck it, because they'd do it too if they could.

The "Real Time" host bore down on climate change and how ridiculous the "everyone pitch in" concept has become. As Bill says, we gotta do something, but shopping with a laundry bag isn't gonna do the trick.

Bill says, "Humans are not good people," and when asked to pitch in to save the environment, their response is, "What's in it for me?"

We are now talking about banning gas stoves, yet people are more than happy to pollute the earth with Amazon deliveries, because it's so damn convenient. Cell phones use more energy than refrigerators, but getting rid of your cellphone ... hahahahaha.

Now the confession ... Bill Maher flies private. There it is -- he's a polluter/offender, but at least he's honest about it.

He regales us with image after image of socially conscious people -- some huge environmental activists -- who are more than happy to jump on a private jet -- because they can. Just a few -- Oprah, George Clooney, Leo DiCaprio, Paul McCartney, Harry and Meghan, Sting, Beyonce and Jay-Z, and on and on.

Jay Leno isn't letting a few broken bones stop him from getting back on his motorcycle ... telling us he's got no plans to quit riding despite a recent scary accident.

Jay tells TMZ ... everyone's telling him to stop riding motorcycles, but "when you're 72, crashing a motorcycle is better than slipping in a walk-in bathtub."

As we reported ... Jay recently revealed he crashed his vintage motorbike January 17, suffering a broken collarbone, two fractured ribs and two cracked kneecaps during the accident -- an incident that flew under the radar.

Jay tells us he still plans on riding motorcycles despite the accident, because ... "Once men get past the age of 40 you can't teach them anything!"

The TV host says he didn't even realize how badly injured he was after flying off his motorcycle when he was clotheslined by an unmarked wire stretching across a parking lot ... he says he actually drove himself to the doctor, where he was diagnosed with broken bones.

As for the bike, Jay says it kept going after he was knocked off ... crashing into a building. He tells us the bike is at his famous Burbank garage and he plans on fixing it.

Jay's shouldering the blame for the incident ... telling us he's not going to sue whoever strung up the wire without hanging a flag from it, because he's not a "lawsuit guy."

The former 'Tonight Show' host is having some pretty scary accidents of late ... back in November, he sustained severe facial burns and other injuries in a car fire at his garage.

Jay insists he's fine, though ... telling us he plans to perform Sunday night at The Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, CA for a sold-out crowd.

Jay Leno got into a motorcycle crash last week and his injuries were no joke -- he shattered several bones.

The comedian told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he suffered a broken collarbone, two fractured ribs and two cracked kneecaps during the January 17 accident that went unreported until now.

Jay said he's currently feeling "Ok," but he's still recovering.

This accident comes on the heels of his frightening car fire in which he sustained severe facial burns and other injuries in his Burbank garage.

In his latest accident, the former 'Tonight Show'  host said he was riding a vintage motorbike and started to smell gas leaking, so he turned into a parking lot, heading directly for trouble.

“Unbeknownst to me, some guy had a wire strung across the parking lot but with no flag hanging from it,” Jay said. “So, you know, I didn’t see it until it was too late. It just clotheslined me and, boom, knocked me off the bike."

Jay added ... “The bike kept going, and you know how that works out."

Austin, Texas native and actor Ryan Lee was 15 years old when he was cast as the mini Tom Petty lookalike Joseph -- the school's cyberbully who goes face-to-face with a pushy pregnant mom -- in the comedy film "This Is 40" back in 2012.

Lee shared the big screen with Hollywood greats including Leslie Mann as the mom who is anxious to turn the big 4-0, Debbie, Paul Rudd as the father and record label owner, Pete ... and Maude Apatow as the 13-year-old daughter who doesn't make the hot list, Sadie.

Ryan was also in the show "Trophy Wife" as well as David Guetta's music video for "Titanium."

Chelsea Handler isn't afraid to let Prince Harry know how she feels about all the intimate details he's been sharing ... as she made his royal family jewels the butt of some icy jokes at the Critics Choice Awards.

The comedian took the stage Sunday night in L.A., and during her opening monologue she took some jabs at a ton of folks ... including Harry and his recently released memoir, "Spare."

Chelsea was talking about Niecy Nash-Betts' nomination for the Netflix series "Dahmer", but deftly segued to poke fun at the Duke of Sussex.

She said, "Dahmer became the third highest viewed show on Netflix with a combined watch time of 1 billion hours, which apparently is the same amount of time we're going to have to listen to Prince Harry talk about his frostbitten penis. It's enough, already".

And, it seemed to go over well with a lot of the audience ... cause she got laughs all around the room.

Of course, she was referring to details from Harry's book, where he shares his John Thomas got frostbitten back in 2011 during a charity trek to the North Pole.

Prince Harry wasn't the only one to catch some strays from Chelsea ... she also made fun of James Corden and his restaurant debacle.

50 Cent made a rare public apology to Megan Thee Stallion this week ... but Luenell is not entirely convinced he did so out of the kindness of his heart.

We bumped into the sassy comedian on Friday in NYC and she quipped that 50 was simply trying to get into Meg's good graces so he could then get in her bedroom.

Luenell tells us Meg's best revenge will just continue to be the same Grammy Award-winning, platinum-selling success that got her to this point.

We also had to pick Luenell's brain on the current climate in comedy, in the wake of Eddie Murphy's Will Smith joke at the Golden Globes ... which weirdly angered Tyrese, who in turn, angered Ray J.

Luenell tells us Eddie's punchline was killer and the Will Smith slap jokes are here to stay, now that the dust has settled on the controversy.

Perhaps she'll bring some to "The Daily Show" ... as she officially tossed her name in the hat to be Trevor Noah's replacement.

More legal trouble for Andy Dick ... and it all started with alcohol.

Andy was arrested early Friday morning in Lake Elsinore, CA after sheriff's deputies say they got a call about an intoxicated person.

Law enforcement says when deputies arrived, Andy was showing signs of being drunk ... and he was arrested without incident.

Sheriffs say they checked Andy's records during the arrest and determined he was a registered sex offender who was not up to date on his registration ... so he got dinged for that too.

Andy was ultimately booked into a detention center on two charges ... being under the influence of alcohol in public and failing to register as a sex offender.

The sheriff's department says they are still investigating.

Ray J is coming to the defense of Eddie Murphy -- whether or not he needs it -- by warning Tyrese to shut up about Eddie's Golden Globes joke referencing the Will Smith slap.

An incensed Ray J hit the comment section Thursday on The Jasmine Brand to voice his disapproval of Tyrese's sentiment that everyone, including EM, should stop bringing up Will's infamous slap of Chris Rock at last year's Oscars.

As Ray sees it ... Tyrese is in no position to give Eddie advice, seeing as how his resume doesn't have any classics to measure up to "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Coming to America."

He also seems to think Will isn't above an encore performance, suggesting he might have to unload on Tyrese to get him in line.

It's clear there's bad blood between them, because Ray added, "You know how i feel about you and your antics.!"

We're not sure where Tyrese's sense of humor went -- Eddie all but brought the house down with his joke. It might be a little old, but it was brilliantly delivered.

This year's Golden Globes host, Jerrod Carmichael, garnered gasps when he mentioned Whitney Houston's death during the show -- something the estate was equally shocked by.

Pat Houston -- Whitney's longtime manager and sister-in-law -- tells TMZ through a rep ... "The Whitney Houston Estate is disappointed in the joke, and felt it was in poor taste." Pat is the sole executor of the estate, BTW ... so she controls all things Whitney-related.

As for whether Carmichael's joke was alerted to anyone connected to Whitney prior to Tuesday's broadcast -- sources with direct knowledge tell us nobody was given a heads-up.

It's unclear if anyone at NBC knew JC was going to mention Whitney during his hosting gig -- in the moment, his remark seemed off the cuff ... and it very well may have been.

In case you missed it ... after the Globes came back from commercial break at one point, Carmichael said he had been asked to shout out the venue, after which he quipped ... "So, we are here, live, from the hotel that killed Whitney Houston, the Beverly Hilton."

Of course, he's referring to the fact Whitney overdosed in one of the hotel rooms back in 2012. Some folks laughed, but a lot more seemed taken aback and others even groaned.

It was just one of the controversial moments from Jerrod -- another came when he mentioned Shelly Miscavige ... a high-ranking Scientologist who's been out of public view for years.