Tiffany Haddish made “Saturday Night Live” history over the weekend by becoming the first black female standup comic to host the show in its 43 seasons.
And the “Girls Trip” star earned raved reviews, with critics and celebrity peers alike touting her performance as one of the best.
“She killed it. In her historic appearance as the first black female comedian to host, Tiffany Haddish made it plain — men who sexually assault women are wrong,” Areva Martin wrote on Twitter.
“So excited for and inspired by you, Tiffany Haddish,” Jordan Peele tweeted.
“When the show didn’t get in her way, Tiffany Haddish delivered,” Vanity Fair tweeted.
Haddish infused much-needed energy into the show — and the season — Deadline reported, particularly in her opening monologue, in which she lamented that her bank account hadn’t yet caught up with her fame.
“I Googled myself — it said I’m worth $2 million,” she said. “But I ain’t seen this money! What do I need to do to get this money? Do I need to fake my death? Do I gotta Tupac this and move to Tyler Perry Island?”
“I grew up in foster care,” she said. “So I want to thank anyone who paid taxes between 1990 and 1999. … Living in group homes with mostly black and Hispanic kids wasn’t an easy thing come 11:30 on Saturday nights. Trying to convince them that Dana Carvey was just as funny as Damon Wayans was a problem. I got stabbed twice, in a bunk bed.”
Leslie Jones, who also appeared on the show, also tweeted her love for Haddish’s performance.
“Had a ball … with Tiffany Haddish hosting. We’ve come a long way baby,” Jones said.
Deadline wasn’t the only publication giving props to Haddish’s performance. The Los Angeles Times wrote that, after a subpar outing the previous week, “SNL” produced what might have been its best episode of the season.
“A lot had to do with host Tiffany Haddish, who brought energy and excitement to each sketch,” the newspaper wrote in a review of the show. “Even when the material wasn’t terribly strong, Haddish did her damnedest to keep things afloat.”
The United Kingdom’s “Refinery 29” wrote, “Tiffany Haddish brought much needed black girl magic to SNL.”
Reviewer Sarah Midkiff wrote: “Haddish made a point to showcase her infectious sense of humor. Her comedic timing was a highlight. She admitted to doing something we all do when she talked about getting the most use out of an expensive dress by wearing it as many times as possible.”
Haddish’s opening monologue mixed in relatable moments from her life with moments of transparency of the sort not often seen on the SNL, Midkiff said.
“Where it can often feel like the host is grappling to find human ways to connect in their monologue, or, in the case of comedians, desperately searching for the biggest laugh, Haddish was relaxed and real,” she said.
