The massive SNL50 anniversary special has been in the rearview mirror of the 2025 TV schedule for some time now. However, there have still been bevy of stories surfacing, which double down on just how great it was. As we move towards the end of SNL50’s lineup of hosts and musical guests, those memories will be added to the hypothetical scrapbook this year has yielded. Among the best elements, however, was arguably Eddie Murphy's appearance in the "Scared Straight" sketch.
Frequent Saturday Night Live host and veteran writer John Mulaney seems to have enjoyed Eddie Murphy’s performances during that February primetime event. When Mulaney recently returned to the Conan O’ Brien Needs A Friend podcast, where he offered a piece of comedy geek analysis on the "Scared Straight." I was also pleasantly surprised when Mulaney mentioned when detail I never considered:
It felt like a lot of Saturday Night Live on display in one moment. He says he’s 'All the Way Ray,' because he never does anything halfway, but his hair is braided on one half, and then sticking up [on the other]. And it was like that dumbass funny joke that [Colin] Jost wrote, and the hair department made that wig specifically for that, it looked perfect. And the sketch starts, and it’s just sort of like a broad touch, and he has that joke. It was just a lot of things—every department [was] hard at work. It was the funniest, dumbest joke.
I can't believe I didn't realize that! The irony of Murphy's "All the Way Ray" not having his hair fully braided, despite his name is obvious. On the other hand, it's so subtle, and it's an incredibly cheeky piece of work.
The bedrock of Saturday Night Live, right from that first show on October 11, 1975, has always included room for a “dumb joke” told with panache. On that note, when it comes to Eddie Murphy’s funniest SNL lines, he certainly knows how to nail his delivery. That's one of the reasons why he was such a popular cast member between 1980 and 1984.
Obviously, those with a Peacock subscription can watch this “Scared Straight” sketch from the SNL50 special with no problem. Since we’re all here anyway, though, and there’s never a bad time for a good laugh, here’s the sketch John Mulaney was talking about:
“Scared Straight” is pretty much the textbook example of a Saturday Night Live sketch that’s built on a “dumb joke,” but gets so much mileage if the right performer is in the driver’s seat. Given that, seeing Eddie Murphy teamed with Kenan Thompson as a fellow prisoner, and then later adding Will Ferrell to the mix, really cranks up the laughs.
I totally believe Conan O’Brien’s recollection of watching Eddie Murphy with that 50th anniversary shindig being "mesmerizing," because watching a legendary cast member of this stature at work must be like watching magic. Then again, that whole weekend seemed to be imbued with something special, as suggested by that viral Jon Hamm SNL concert story where a lucky seatfiller had the night of their life.
That’s just part of the magic that comes with Saturday Night Live’s chaotic late-night history. Since John Mulaney and others continue to hold it in such high regard, I’d like to think we’ll continue to see that happen for some time. With both clever sketch writing, or in the case of Ego Nwodim’s recent brush with profane SNL crowd participation, that’s an assumption you could put some money on.
For now, though, you can enjoy this American comedic institution at 11:35 PM ET, either on NBC or Peacock’s live stream, on the same night it’s always inhabited for 50 years.
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