On his first “Saturday Night Live” hosting appearance in 35 years, Eddie Murphy didn’t say “Live from New York,” but he did blurt out a naughty word.
The superstar comedian, whose deft use of of profanity runs from his classic 1980s stand-up specials through his current Netflix film “Dolemite Is My Name,” made the slip while playing a contestant on “Holiday Baking Championship.”
Having concocted a cake so awful it burst into flames and began speaking, Murphy tried to shut up the sentient, mutant dessert by barking, “We can still win this s—-!” (The word is censored in the online clip below.) Instantly aware of his gaffe on live TV, Murphy covered his mouth and looked sheepish — but only a little.
The episode, which began with a Murphy-free Democratic presidential debate scene, also included the return of his Mr. Rogers parody character Mr. Robinson (older, thicker, grayer and still in his slum apartment but in a gentrified neighborhood), a medley by Buckwheat (whose voice was instantly recognized by the “Masked Singer” judges), a Weekend Update harangue by Gumby (heaping insults on Colin Jost and Michael Che) and even a “Black Jeopardy” stint by book-shilling pimp Velvet Jones.
In his monologue Murphy traded gags with surprise visitors Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle, and took a shot at Bill Cosby. Comparing Cosby’s imprisonment to his own parenthood of 10 children, Murphy turned on his Cosby voice to quip, “Who’s America’s dad now?”
(He apparently had a change of heart since “SNL’s” prime-time 40th anniversary special in 2015, when Murphy reportedly refused to revive that imitation in the thick of Cosby’s sexual assault scandal and instead gave a brief, humorless statement of gratitude.)
This was Murphy’s third time hosting, including a 1982 stint when he was a last-minute fill-in and became the only person to host while still in the “SNL” cast. After leaving the cast and hosting a second time in 1984, he began distancing himself from “SNL,” an estrangement fueled by a 1995 incident when David Spade, then in the cast, joked on air about Murphy’s sputtering film career and labeled him “a falling star.”
