On this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live, Pete Davidson channeled the famous music video for 2000 Eminem single, “Stan”, as part of a Christmas-themed sketch.
The clip begins with a festive scene as Santa (played by host Jason Bateman) and his elves read through some wishful letters from kids around the world. Things get dark, however, when the elves get to one letter that’s “a little weird.”
At Santa’s encouragement, the Beck Bennett elf reads on, and the camera pans down to a recreation of the “Stan” music video with Davidson in the role of the song’s titular, obsessive fan, Stu. Rather than pining for the affection of a musical idol, however, Davidson’s Stu writes his letters with one main goal: to get Santa to bring him a PlayStation 5.
From plays on the lyrics (“I know you probably hear this every day, but you got a cool hat. I love the movie you did with Will Ferrell, man, Elf was phat”) to a pair of appropriate musical cameos (including Kate McKinnon as Dido and, in a nod to the song’s high-profile live performance at the 43rd Grammy Awards, Bowen Yang as Elton John), the Christmastime “Stan” parody hits every comedic mark.
The big finish, however, brings the biggest surprise, as the real-life Eminem pops up on a TV screen to twist the proverbial knife into the Pete Davidson character: Santa brought him a new PS5, and he didn’t even ask for one.
While “Stan” is now more than twenty years old, The Marshall Mathers LP track has entered the cultural lexicon as a both a noun and a verb addressing fan obsession. In 2019, Merriam-Webster officially added the Eminem-inspired usage of “stan” to the dictionary.
Below, watch the Santa Claus “Stan” parody sketch, “Stu”, and check out the original “Stan” music video and the live performance with Elton John for comparison.
“Stu” – “Stan” (Eminem) Parody – Saturday Night Live
[Video: Saturday Night Live]
Eminem ft. Dido – “Stan” – (Official Music Video)
[Video: EminemMusic]
Eminem ft. Elton John – “Stan” (Live) – 43rd Grammy Awards
[Video: theliveloungetv]
Saturday’s episode also featured musical guest Morgan Wallen. The country singer was initially scheduled to appear on the show earlier this year but was disinvited after videos of him partying and making out with college girls in Alabama the week of his slated appearance started making the rounds on social media. Wallen himself poked fun at his reckless behavior in a sketch during the episode. Watch the sketch and Wallen’s SNL performances here.