The Best ‘Saturday Night Live’ Opening Monologues of All Time

Saturday Night Live has been around for over 40 years, and has been the source of countless moments of scripted (and unscripted) hilarity. The cast has featured too many stars to name, giving the rise to dozens of comedic legends. Among the current stars to have first call SNL home include Bill Murray, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler. The show is famous for its sketch routines, featuring a celebrity guest host each week.

Sometimes, the host themselves are a source of memorable moments. Let’s take a look back at some of the greatest opening monologues in Saturday Night Live history, including some from former cast members.

15. Martin Lawrence

In 1994, Martin Lawrence hosted SNL and gave the opening monologue in what would be his final appearance on the show. Lawrence seemed to be doing fine in his monologue, making jokes about topical subjects such as Lorena Bobbitt and Tonya Harding. But then, Lawrence went into a whole rant about the lack of proper feminine hygiene from women in the 1990s.

That didn’t go over so well, and Lawrence got slapped with a ban for some of his colorful language. In re-airings of the episode, SNL cuts out several minutes from the monologue and replaces it with a short written explanation.

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