For anyone who thinks that Saturday Night Live is no longer a valid cultural institution, one of the installments that aired amid the 2024 TV schedule provided the ultimate case against such thoughts. Thanks to Ryan Gosling’s recent hosting stint on the landmark sketch comedy show, and more specifically the Beavis and Butthead sketch that’s been making the rounds, the series has been enjoying some great press. Since the episode, new BTS information on the segment's conception has been divulged, and some interesting details have come to light. Now, as it turns out, the "biggest challenge" in mounting this years in the waiting SNL sketch didn't involved crafting Gosling's Beavis, but rather writer/star Mikey Day's Butt-Head.
During a chat with THR, the show’s makeup department head, Louie Zakarian, discussed the preparations that went into giving Mikey Day his striking appearance as the MTV comedy icon. And, as one would have expected, the piece that drove it all home was Butt-Head’s iconic upper lip, as Zakarian explains below:
The biggest challenge was those teeth. I made him a little retainer that had dentures and braces on it but with a little protrusion that kept his lip up.
When you really think about it, that sentiment absolutely tracks as one begins to break down one of the most popular Saturday Night Live sketches from this, or any season. Sure, doing the voice and dressing like Butt-Head is still intimidating; but for Mikey Day, having to look the part was no easy feat. Especially when, on a less makeup intensive day, this is what the man looks like:
Louie Zakarian, as well as SNL hair designer Jodie Mancuso, have been making the rounds to talk up the simply titled sketch “Beavis and Butt-Head” quite a bit lately. It was through their commentary that fans learned how this SNL sketch almost involved Jonah Hill, as it was written several years back by head writer Streeter Sedell and Mikey Day himself.
The report sourced above also mentioned that this comedic delight could have had a second life during Oscar Isaac’s 2022 guest spot, but it was once again cut. Now that “Beavis and Butt-Head” has finally happened, stories like Heidi Garner’s big character break have been as fun to behold as the sketch itself.
So, in case you’ve somehow missed this moment of comedy, or just want to watch it again for yourself, here’s the SNL sketch of the moment in its entirety:
I can’t believe the moderator’s name was literally a setup for that final button of a gag. "Beavis and Butt-Head" is the definition of a sketch that keeps on giving and, as SNL enters its 50th season, I have to wonder how they'll try to clear the bar of acclaim that this sketch has set up. Perhaps it's time for Aubrey Plaza to host, in the hopes of making a Daria-centric counterpart to make it all complete?
If you’re in the mood for more of the shenanigans that Saturday Night Live has been up to recently, you’re in luck. Through access to a Peacock subscription, you can catch some of those laughs for yourself. Or, if you really want to challenge yourself, see how long it takes you to not laugh at Mikey Day and Ryan Gosling’s perfectly ridiculous makeup jobs.
