SNL

'SNL' did a really smart cold open Saturday night ... challenging what appears to be the Supreme Court's notion that tradition should stand in the way of change.

It was pretty brilliant ... the host Benedict Cumberbatch, along with Andrew Dismukes, Alex Moffat, Kate McKinnon, Chris Redd and Cecily Strong played characters back in 1235, when the laws were incredibly draconian. The point -- these ideas have no place a thousand years later.

There's a hilarious moment when Cumberbatch says, "It’s just while I was cleaning the hole on the side of the castle where we poop and then it falls through the sky into a hole of human feces, I started to think about abortion. Don’t you think we ought to make a law against that?"

The reply ... "You mean like to know we have against pointy shoes?"

At one point someone asks, "Shouldn't we at least make exceptions in cases of rape or incest? Moffat jumps on that ... "But those are the only kinds of sex."

Then there's a turn where somehow mask-wearing becomes relevant, and even Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard becomes grist for the group.

Before this cute little kid with her hands on her knees became an 'SNL' comedian and actress, she was just a funny little girl starting her career in theater in the 5th grade, growing up in the town of Shaker Heights, Ohio.

If you're still having a hard time deciding who this super child is you should hop into some of her new entertainment projects, including her memoir book ... and just remember, there are two ways of getting into a swimming pool.

This comedic star will always put a smile on your face!

D.L. Hughley thinks Pete Davidson is out of line for getting the initials of Kim and Kanye's 4 kids inked on his neck.

We got the comedian at LAX and asked him about Pete's new tat, which seems to read "KNSCP" ... a collection of letters many believe stand for Kim, North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. BTW ... the initials of their kids are in order of descending age.

It's still unclear whether or not Kim co-signed on the new ink ... or had any idea Pete was doing it at all.

D.L. says it's a troubling decision from the 'SNL' star, given all the hostility between Kanye and his estranged wife's new boyfriend, and he's taking it as a shot across the bow from Pete.

D.L. says it's not fair to Kanye ... in fact, he says it's downright disrespectful.

D.L. has his kids' names tattooed on his body ... another reason why he would be really pissed off if he were in Kanye's shoes, and would have plenty to say about it ... which is interesting, because Kanye has so far remained mum.

Steve Martin has just about all of the internet going to bat for him against millennials who apparently don't find the humor in one of his most famous 'SNL' sketches ... King Tut!

Here's the deal ... SM's trending because somebody reposted and recirculated his famously goofy Egyptian-themed dance that he performed on the late-night program, on which he made regular appearances in the '70s. Yesterday marked the 44th anniversary of its debut.

While people were piling on with praise at first, it seems, one person (and perhaps more) asked a simple question ... where the heck is the funny in this thing???

As one 20-or-30-something notes ... "I'm sure my parents found this hilarious in the 70's but I honestly dont get it. He's doing a funny dance and voice but there isn't really a *bit* that my Millenial (sic) brain can parse." Their tweet is now taking off ... in a bad way.

Tons of people are coming out in defense of Steve against this person's perception of his comedy chops -- or lack thereof, in their eyes -- by rightly explaining he was a pioneer and kickstarted an entire wave of legendary standups that emerged in the late '70s and '80s through his wacky style ... which was more showmanship than actual traditional punchlines.

The King Tut dance, they explain, is just one example ... also, context matters too. There was a huge museum exhibit of the young pharaoh being dragged across the U.S. back then ... and it permeated the airwaves. So, Steve's satire here isn't lost on those who remember.

There also appears to be another convo happening on the outskirts of this King Tut clip -- namely, folks who are allegedly up in arms because of ... cultural appropriation.

Frankly, we can't find a single tweet expressing this position whatsoever -- Twitter's algorithm stinks when it comes to finding the initial outrage being cited -- but in any case, some say they're seeing that argument being floated ... and there, too, Steve fans are shutting it down.

Indeed, we're not about to apply the 2022 lens to Steve and his material some 40 years later. And, more importantly, no one in their right mind would try to "cancel" him now.

But, on the issue of whether he's actually funny or not -- either in his standup heyday or in movies thereafter -- well, it seems the answer depends on who you ask ... generationally.

'SNL' had an Easter message Saturday night ... and it was hilarious.

The show opened with the Easter Bunny, who towed along a gaggle of celebs to wish everyone a happy holy day.

Mr. Bunny began by cautioning people not to freak out ... "It's really me, the Easter Bunny. Either that, or you're at Coachella and the shrooms are kicking in."

E.B. was followed by Dr. Fauci -- btw, Kate McKinnon just nails it with real talk about COVID.

Not to be left out ... Marjorie Taylor Greene then appears clutching an AR-15, and she takes a shot at Jews, the LGBTQ community -- nothing surprising.

Maybe the funniest ... Jared Leto, who looks similar to another famous, historical figure. And the caution he gives to movie reviewers is hilarious.

There were also really funny bits with Britney and NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

And lastly ... Donald Trump makes an appearance ... the best line -- remember when Trump said COVID will be over by Easter. Well, he didn't say which Easter, right?

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are clearly two peas in a pod, but they made some extra room for date night with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.

The four got together Monday night in West Hollywood, hitting A.O.C. (no, not the politician) for dinner. On the way out -- Kim and Pete were looking real cozy, hugging each other and tied to the hip. It's kind of funny to see how focused the cameras were on the two while Jeff and Lauren simply trailed in the background.

Here's another interesting tidbit ... Pete drove Kim home in her Maybach whereas Jeff and Lauren had some drivers/bodyguards take them home.

As we reported ... the four of them are getting pretty tight of late. Kim and Pete had dinner at Jeff's pad not too long ago, which resulted in PD getting tapped to ride into space on one of Jeff's rockets. Unfortunately, that whole plan fizzled ... and Pete dropped out of the flight.

'SNL' hilariously recapped the Will Smith slap, saying despite Jada and Will talking about just about everything in their lives, most people didn't know she had alopecia ... equating it to Kanye getting upset because people didn't know he had psoriasis. (FYI ... he doesn't!).

Colin Jost and Michael Che were hysterical during "Weekend Update." As for Will's 10-year banishment from Academy events, they noted Will can still get nominated and even win another Oscar. As Jost put it ... "He just doesn't have to attend the four-hour ceremony where someone is definitely going to make fun of his wife again."

Che told a super-funny joke about equivalency ... him going out in frigid weather and noting that it's cold out, triggering people who heard him become outraged ... well, watch why -- it's great!

'SNL' star Kenan Thompson and his wife Christina Evangeline have made the difficult decision to end their marriage after nearly 15 years together ... 11 of which they were married.

Sources close to the couple tell us they've actually been separated for over a year now, successfully co-parenting their two daughters Georgia and Gianna. We're told lately, Kenan has been in L.A. working on his new show, called "Kenan" and Christina has been in NYC.

At this time, neither Kenan nor Christina have filed for divorce ... but that's expected to happen in the near future.

Our sources say over time, the two simply grew apart, but are able to remain great friends. They got hitched back in 2011 at an Aquarium in Atlanta.

Christina, who recently turned 33, met Kenan when she was 19, she works as an interior designer.

Kim Kardashian's done playing it cool in public when it comes to Pete Davidson ... instead, she's pouring her heart out about how happy she is, and all that's left is for one of 'em to say the L-word.

The SKIMS founder opened up about her romance with the 'SNL' star Wednesday morning on 'GMA' ... saying, "It's just a good feeling to be at peace".

As far as how serious things are, Kim says, "I mean, I am a relationship kind of girl, for sure".

Kim didn't outright say what the relationship means for the long haul, but she did say, "I wouldn't be with someone if I didn't plan on spending a lot of my time with them".

While Kim skirted spelling out just how serious she and Pete ... there's plenty of visual evidence now.

TMZ broke the story -- Pete's met her kids, or at least one of them. We got this video of PD and North as they tooled around in a golf cart in Scott Disick's gated L.A. community. ... which is not far from Kim's home.

Kim Kardashian has taken a big step in a relationship that is getting more and more serious ... her boyfriend, Pete Davidson, has now met the kids.

Pete and North West were cruising around late Sunday afternoon in what appears to be Scott Disick's gated community in L.A, near Kim's house.

They were riding around in a pink, electric MOKE car for around 30 minutes -- from 5 - 5:30 PM ... so Pete was in no rush to see the Grammys.

You can't see her in the video, but we're told Penelope Disick was also in the little whip, so it was truly a family affair.

Kim and Pete have now dated for around 6 months, so Pete being around the kids isn't a stretch. In many divorce cases the exes agree that anyone with whom they become romantically involved cannot be around the children ... typically for 6 months, so Pete's intro is in line with the norm.

'SNL' showed a different angle of that slap, and it's hilarious!!!

Chris Redd played Will Smith flawlessly, as he jawboned with a fan just before hearing the "G.I. Jane" joke. It's manic, even somewhat believable, but undeniably funny.

We won't give you the blow-by-blow ... watch the video -- it's worth the time.

'SNL' doing the slap was as predictable as the sunrise, and the show delivered several times during the program.

Thing is ... the skit plays off real-life -- Will laughing at Chris Rock's joke, then becoming enraged and later tearfully taking the stage. Manic seems like the proper label.

And, speaking of tearful ... the one thing that got the waterworks going was when "Will" makes a comment about "Red Table Talk."

Smith subsequently addressed the altercation in his Best Actor acceptance speech, in which he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees but not to Rock. Smith followed up with a written apology to Rock on Instagram on Monday. Smith has since resigned from the Academy as he was facing a suspension or expulsion.

Gunna served as the musical guest, performing his hit song "pushin P," while Jerrod Carmichael hosted the episode and had a hilarious monologue where he shared his own jokes on the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars slap.

On "Weekend Update" Michael Che and Colin Jost got in on the action, saying, "Intelligence officials are saying that Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by his advisors about how badly the Russian military is performing in Ukraine, which is kind of like Will Smith's agent telling him, 'You crushed it at the Oscars!'"

Jost wasn't done, saying Will's actions were "disgraceful" ... because it sets "a terrible precedent for having to defend your wife at awards shows."

Che noted that during his acceptance speech after landing the award for Best Actor, the "King Richard" star said, "Love will make you do crazy things."

And, then there's this ... Smith could join others who have been booted by the Academy -- Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski and Harvey Weinstein -- Or as Colin puts it, "Bad Boys For Life."

Ohio born comedian and actress Molly Shannon was 34 years old when she took on the role of Mary Katherine Gallagher -- an awkward catholic high school girl hoping to achieve her dreams of dating the school's popular boy and winning the school talent show -- in the 1999 'SNL' spin-off film "Superstar."

Shannon shared the big screen with quite an impressive cast including Elaine Hendrix as the popular cheerleader, Evian, Glynis Johns as Mary's loving devout, Grandma, Harland Williams as Mary's BF, Slater ... and of course Will Ferrell as the popular boy and dreamy Jesus, Sky Corrigan.

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are escaping all the drama with Kanye West by filling up on comfort food ... but their attempt to do it on the QT was a pretty hilarious fail.

The couple rolled up to an In-N-Out in the L.A. area, and got in line at the drive-thru ... and immediately drew plenty of attention. First of all, there's nothing low-profile about Kim's custom gray Mercedes-Benz sedan ... so, the paparazzi certainly spotted them.

And then there's the passersby on foot, and the restaurant employees who obviously recognized Pete and Kim -- they're only the most talked about couple in the country right now.

While waiting in the line for their food, Kim seemed to lean over for a little PDA with Pete ... as they're clearly not trying to hide their affection for each other anymore.

We hadn't seen them together in public for a while, but after recently going IG official, doesn't look like they're holding anything back now -- no matter how much it might upset Ye.

Seeing these 2 indulge in classic fast food makes us wonder, though -- animal style?

Pete Davidson is officially taking off, not just in his celebrity status -- but in space too ... 'cause he's now got a launch date for the next manned flight that Jeff Bezos sends up in the air ... and he's learned who his fellow passengers will be as well.

The announcement was made Monday ... Pete's going to be joining 5 others on the forthcoming mission, which is scheduled to hit the skies and beyond on March 23 (next Wednesday) in West Texas. It'll be Blue Origin's fourth human flight.

As far as who else he's going with -- all of whom are paying customers BTW -- Pete will be joined by Party America CEO Marty Allen, hubby and wife duo Sharon and Marc Hagle, entrepreneur Jim Kitchen and Commercial Space Technologies Prez Dr. George Nield.

And, of course ... there's Pete, whom we're told continued talks with Bezos about potentially going up back in January, when he had dinner with the guy in L.A.

Another cool thing about this flight, specifically, is that it'll be incorporating a kids element -- namely, through a program called Postcards to Space ... which is being deployed by Blue Origin's foundation, Club for the Future. It's actually kinda neat.

Essentially, students write up postcards that they'd like to see in the stars, and Blue Origin provides the vehicle to get their dreams into orbit ... carried by all the different passengers. The whole idea is to encourage young people to join STEM fields as they pursue their education.

Pete will join a growing list of celebs that have already gone up, including Michael Strahan and William Shatner. Bezos himself also went up during the initial manned-flight.

'SNL' managed to walk the line Saturday night, with a hilarious cold open about TikTokers making the trek to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., advising the Prez on how to fight the Russians.

The premise -- President Biden meets TikTok stars in the Oval for a brainstorming meeting on how to fight the Russian disinformation campaign and Putin himself.  After all, these are influencers, so maybe they can influence the right folks.

It's actually a real thing ... White House officials briefed 30 social media influencers this week about the Russian invasion.

Well, in the skit, a CW actress goes all AnnaLynne McCord and suggests the best way to tame Putin is with a poem.

Not to be outdone, another TikToker suggests the solution is a prank ... throwing Putin down a flight of stairs.

Another influencer seems to swing far right, as she suggests Hunter Biden started the war.

There's a hysterical mix-up when a dude named Charles D'Amelio said he didn't know why he was there, but he assumed they meant to invite Charli. Honest mistake ... on his way out he asked if there were any extra stimi checks.

And then the influencer with the plunger ... you just gotta watch it. Super funny.

When people say Pete Davidson is a rising star, you can take that literally now -- dude's talking to Jeff Bezos about blasting off in a Blue Origin spacecraft!

TMZ has confirmed the 'SNL' star is in serious discussions with Bezos about becoming a newly-minted astronaut.

If you know anything about Pete, he's been yearning for a ticket to space for years. Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... the discussions between Bezos and Davidson have been going on for a while now.

Remember, we saw Pete and his GF, Kim Kardashian, heading into the Amazon founder's Bev Hills estate back in January. The couple had a dinner date with Jeff and Lauren Sanchez. Our sources say a topic of conversation during the meal was Pete going to space in the Blue Origin New Shepard space capsule.

We're told reps for Pete and Jeff are hammering out details, and although it's not a done deal, we're told it's "highly likely" it will happen. Our sources say if they reach an agreement, Pete will blast off sometime this year.

Page 6 was first to break the story.

Pete is just the latest celeb to sign up for a Blue Origin flight -- Bezos has previously tagged Michael Strahan and William Shatner for astronaut status ... and, of course, Jeff himself went on the initial launch back in July 2021.

Fun fact: the closest Pete's previously come to space travel was when he played his popular Chad character for an 'SNL' skit last May ... when Elon Musk was hosting.