Maya Rudolph has earned rave reviews for her turn as host of Saturday Night Live this past weekend (February 18, 2012). The Bridesmaids star was making her hosting debut, but was praised for her uncanny impressions and funny opening monologue, reports E! Online.
Opening up the show, Maya said, "I am so happy to be back here at Snl with all my friends, my Snl family.It's a dream come true to be hosting, it really is. I will never forget the seven amazing years I had in this studio. Every face I see reminds me of a special moment I've shared. So many special moments.some of them sexual". The actress then broke into song, singing of her sexual trysts during her "wild child" days on the show - she later reprised her beloved character Jodi. The biggest laughs of the night were reserved for Rudolph's Beyonce skit, with actor Jay Pharoah playing Jay Z. The superstar couple were welcoming visitors to see baby Blue Ivy at their home, with Fred Armisen playing Prince, actor Keenan Thompson as LL Cool J, Nasim Pedrad as Nicki Minaj and Taran Killam and Abby Elliot playing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The funniest line came when Justin Timberlake's Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) apologized to Beyonce, saying, "Sorry I'm late...I was just wandering in the woods barefoot in Wisconsin, fashioned this guitar out of a canoe and I wrote a song for your baby" - he then fell asleep to the sound of his own music. The skit came after Bon Iver landed the Grammy Award for Best New Act last week, infuriating fans of Nicki Minaj who felt she was more deserving of the award.
Elsewhere on the show, Rudolph portrayed poet Maya Angelou and the First Lady Michelle Obama, while music came from noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells. Though the episode is being talked-up as one of the season's best - anticipation is building for the March 3, 2012 instalment when Lindsay Lohan hosts and Jack White provides music.