Say what you want about Kim Kardashian, but she definitely knows how to get people talking, and this time Debra Messing of Will & Grace is involved. Not too long after Keeping Up with the Kardashians wrapped, the longtime reality television icon landed a gig hosting an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live, resulting in Messing calling out Kardashian and wondering why a reality star got the job. If you can see the flaw in Debra Messing’s logic, you’re not alone: Twitter couldn’t help but roast the former SMASH star.
To say that the Internet had some opinions when NBC announced that Kim Kardashian would host the second episode of the upcoming season of Saturday Night Live would be an understatement. Some users were thrilled, some were outraged, and some, like Debra Messing, were just plain confused. The Will & Grace star tweeted:
Why Kim Kardashian? I mean, I know she is a cultural icon, but SNL has hosts, generally, who are performers who are there to promote a film, TV show, or album launch. Am I missing something?
Debra Messing has an arguably valid point, but with changing times and the popularity of reality TV have come a shift in who SNL chooses as hosts. She asked if she was missing something, and some people on Twitter had a whole lot to say. One person noted Kardashian's importance to pop culture:
you mean are you missing something besides the massive cultural shift of the past, like, decade?
It’s true that hosts of classic SNL seasons have typically been actors, but a television personality is nothing new. Many celebrities with no performing experience have taken to the NBC stage. The list includes athletes like LeBron James, Lance Armstrong, and Derek Jeter, as well as multiple politicians, including Rudy Giuliani (regularly lampooned by Kate McKinnon in a bald cap) and Steve Forbes. Another person pointed out an SNL host who was arguably an even more bizarre fit for the show:
They let Elon Musk host it.
Compared to Elon Musk, Kim K looks like an Academy Award-winner. And at least she actually has television experience, as one user pointed out:
She hadThe biggestLongest runningReality show
So if SNL has a long history of non-actor hosts, why was Debra Messing so confused? One Twitter user posits that the perplexity was a cover for the green-eyed monster:
...someone sounds mad they never got a call…
It’s true that Debra Messing would probably make a great SNL host, but in the age of social media, Kim K’s 255 million Insta followers make her much more hashtag-worthy. It’s also worth mentioning that SNL regularly satirizes the Kardashian family on sketches like “Waking Up With Kimye” and “The Kim Kardashian Fairytale Divorce Special.” With Kim K herself as host, the show will almost definitely take the opportunity to poke a little fun at one of the most famous families in the world. One person may have summed it up best in a response to Messing:
Truth be told @DebraMessing, @KimKardashian just wrapped up what is likely the most successful & longest-running reality television show in history & is launching a new series on @hulu. That and her 'side gigs' @skims & @kkwbeautymade her a billionnaire. She is @nbcsnl worthy.
The 47th season of Saturday Night Live will premiere on October 2 on NBC. Owen Wilson, fresh off of the inaugural season of Loki on Disney+, is set to host, and Grammy Award-winner Kacey Musgraves will serve as musical guest.
