Fans and Critics React to Selena Gomez’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ Performance
Selena Gomez hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time, although it was not her first appearance on the long-running sketch comedy show. Here’s what fans and critics said about Gomez’s performance on SNL.
Selena Gomez hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ for the first time
Singer and actor Selena Gomez took on the prestigious and challenging job of hosting Saturday Night Live on May 14.
This was Gomez’s first time hosting the comedy show, but it was not the first time she has appeared on the SNL stage. According to People, Gomez was the musical guest in a 2016 episode hosted by Ronda Rousey. The former Disney star performed a medley of her songs “Good for You” and “Same Old Love,” as well as her hit “Hands to Myself.”
Throughout the show, Gomez poked fun at a multitude of pop culture entities ranging from Bratz dolls to the Netflix show Old Enough! Her Only Murders in the Building co-star, Steve Martin, made an appearance in a pre-taped sketch. In her opening monologue, Gomez joked about her dating life, and she delighted fans with an impression of her good friend and fellow Disney star, Miley Cyrus.
Musical guest Post Malone performed his songs “Cooped Up” and “Love/Hate Letter to Alcohol.”
Fans loved Selena Gomez’s performance on ‘Saturday Night Live’
Selena Gomez’s fans couldn’t get enough of her performance on Saturday Night Live. Many of them took to social media to leave glowing reviews of her hosting skills.
“Selena Gomez is literally so gifted. Not only can she sing and make HIT RECORDS but ALSO my girl can act her behind off,” one fan gushed on Twitter. “She’s so sweet and really just enjoys life 💕 I just love her #SNL.”
“Selena gomez didnt need SNL but SNL needed selena gomez,” tweeted one fan.
And another fan tweeted, “Selena gomez on snl is one of the best things that happen [sic] in 2022 so far.”
Critics gave mixed reviews of the former Disney star’s hosting gig
While Selena Gomez’s fans left gushing reviews of her Saturday Night Live gig online, some critics weren’t so generous. Her hosting performance received mixed reviews from various outlets.
In an article titled “Selena Gomez (and Steve Martin) can’t energize a less-than-inspired episode of SNL,” AV Club wrote, “… although Gomez had a few strong moments, she didn’t quite soar on the show, partly because of the writing, partly because of her tendency to come off a bit recessive in sketches.”
Paste Magazine panned Gomez and the entire episode in an article titled “Selena Gomez Sleepwalks Through a Listless Saturday Night Live.”
“Here, Gomez was muted to the point of sleepiness, the sketches were bordering on dire, and Post Malone – well, I just don’t get Post Malone,” they wrote before declaring the whole episode “a dud.”
Vulture praised Gomez’s performance, writing, “Gomez is an absolute pro, and she showed it tonight. Again, SNL played to her strengths, letting her play a Latina TV host, a teenage babysitter, and a model.” They added, “Gomez is really good at playing annoyed, and she hit every punch line in ‘Old Enough’ perfectly. We definitely saw the skills that helped make Only Murders in the Building a hit show.”
