Blake Shelton Nails ‘SNL’ Hosting Gig With Comedic Timing, ‘Nice Country Jokes’
Blake Shelton stepped onto the Studio 8H stage Jan. 24 to begin his opening monologue for ‘Saturday Night Live’ with confidence and enthusiasm, and he didn’t let up ’til the credits rolled.
The show took the rare opportunity of having a country star on set to play off the genre, weaving in an extra banjo and a Bolo tie here and there throughout the episode.
Shelton’s monologue was a nod to both the artist’s charm and his simple upbringing. After cracking a joke or two about being the ‘Justin Bieber of country music,’ the intro broke into a full-on ‘Hee Haw’ reenactment. The cast, however, didn’t quite catch on to the ‘nice country jokes’ format, and Shelton tried to rein them in.
A standout sketch from the night was a pre-recorded music video spoof featuring Shelton donning a blonde wig and mustache alongside cast members Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon, also looking like they stepped out of a country video in 1997. The three weaved a tale in the style of a melodramatic inspirational ballad, each telling of the dire times in which they found themselves — until a magic ‘wishin’ boot’ came to aid them.
As the night went on, Shelton played a ‘Farm Hunk’ — a nod to ‘The Bachelor,’ a panelist on ‘Family Feud’ — complete with ‘SNL’ players stepping in as his fellow ‘The Voice’ castmates versus the ‘American Idol’ team, a lawyer hearing a criminal’s plea, a heckler at a magic show, and a songwriter roped into accompanying a terrible song for his landlord. No, the country country vet did not disappoint, bringing authenticity and entertainment to every line. He showed off his comedic timing sketch by sketch, impressing fans with his hidden acting skills.
Shelton not only nailed the acting portion of the show, but his day job as well. Performing ‘Neon Light’ and ‘Boys ‘Round Here,’ Shelton’s vocals were on point, blending seamlessly with the female background vocals (Gwen Sebastian) on each song.
The star’s performance as both host and musical guest was nothing short of well done, making Shelton one of the notable hosts of the season thus far.
Watch Blake Shelton as ‘Farm Hunk’ on ‘SNL’
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