It’s a moment that will go down in history – a night to remember, a night to cherish, a night that will leave you screaming “I’M A LITTLE BIT CHROME!” It’s none other than the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, and the celebration is in full swing! The iconic sketch comedy show has given us some of the most unforgettable moments in television history, and last night’s “SNL50” concert was no exception. Amidst the star-studded lineup, two of the most iconic performers of our time took to the stage – the one and only Andy Samberg, and the incomparable Lady Gaga. And what did they bring with them, you ask? None other than the infamous, the legendary, the utterly bizarre – “Dick in a Box”! That’s right, folks – the 2006 Digital Short that captured the hearts (and, let’s be real, the imaginations) of millions, made its triumphant return to the SN
The “Dick in a Box” Reunion
Andy Samberg, once again, has cut a hole in that box. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star headlined a rousing medley of some of his greatest musical hits from his time on Saturday Night Live at SNL50: The Homecoming Concert at Radio City Music Hall on Friday night. Samberg’s Lonely Island tribute began fairly unassumingly with a fake-out, as Lady Gaga played the opening notes of her song “Shallow,” from A Star Is Born, on the piano.
Samberg hilariously jumped in to sing the Bradley Cooper half of the duet, but botched both the high notes and the lyrics before giving up. “Andy, Andy, I gotta stop you,” Gaga said. “‘Cause it’s bad?” Samberg asked. “Yes, it’s very bad,” Gaga confirmed. “Yeah, I could tell as soon as I started, it was off. Maybe we skip it?” Samberg asked. Gaga agreed, suggesting they perform a different song that better fit Samberg’s vocal range.
“There is one song… but Justin’s not here to do his parts!” Samberg lamented, jabbing at Justin Timberlake, who sang the songs “Dick in a Box” and “Motherlover” with him in their original SNL Digital Shorts that became viral sensations. Gaga encouraged his idea — with a bit of condescension. “Andy, don’t be a bitch,” she said. “I’ll do it with you.” Andy Samberg and Lady Gaga perform ‘Dick in a Box’ at ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’. Peacock/YouTube
A Star Is Born… But Not By Andy
The duo then launched into a piano-driven rendition of “Dick in a Box,” which first premiered on SNL’s 2006 Christmas episode hosted by Timberlake, with Gaga singing the lines originated by the “SexyBack” musician, including the unforgettable “it’s my dick in a box.”
After finishing the first verse, Gaga and Samberg slipped in a couple of lines from “Motherlover,” the 2009 Digital Short also featuring Timberlake. Samberg’s former castmate Chris Parnell then took the stage. “Oh, s—, it’s a medley?” Samberg asked as a beat kicked in. “That’s right, Andy,” Parnell responded. “Let’s do this, you bitch!”
The duo then performed the beginning of their collab “Lazy Sunday.” Upon Samberg’s delivery of the line “let’s hit up Magnolia and mack on some cupcakes,” the broadcast cut to footage of his Lonely Island bandmate (and former SNL writer) Jorma Taccone dressed in a massive cupcake costume accompanied by three cupcake backup dancers.
More Than Just a Box: A Medley of Samberg’s SNL Hits
Cris Parnell Joins the Party: “Lazy Sunday” Takes a Turn
The beat suddenly switched to the second part of Kendrick Lamar’s recent track “TV Off.” “Wait, what? This has nothing to do with our song!” Samberg exclaimed. “I know, but I still wanna do it!” Parnell insisted before screaming “Mustard!,” echoing Lamar’s widely memed shout-out to the song’s producer, which even made it into the Super Bowl halftime show last week.
The duo then continued with “Lazy Sunday” over the “TV Off” beat. But that song was tragically cut short by Taccone “shooting” Samberg with a “laser cat” — harkening back to another recurring digital short — while Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” played, paying homage to yet another digital short, “The Shooting AKA Dead Sister.”
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Bad Bunny Joins the Party
Bad Bunny — who sang his recent hits “Baile Inolvidable” and “DtMF” during his own set earlier in the concert — then interjected with an operatic rendition of the Lonely Island’s “I Just Had Sex,” singing the hook originally performed by Akon.
But then he was interrupted by T-Pain, singing his bridge from “I’m on a Boat” with mermaid backup dancers on either side of him.
The Enduring Appeal of “Dick in a Box” and Beyond
A Medley of Memorable Moments
Eddie Vedder, who performed a cover of Tom Petty’s “The Waiting” and Pearl Jam’s “Corduroy” earlier in the evening, then rode in on the top of a pirate ship, singing Michael Bolton’s hook from “Jack Sparrow.”
After a couple of lines, Bad Bunny, Gaga, Parnell, and T-Pain all jumped in with overlapping lines from their respective songs before coming together to triumphantly sing, “I jizzed in my pants.”
Conclusion
As the curtains closed on NBC’s “SNL50” concert, the iconic duo of Andy Samberg and Lady Gaga left the audience in stitches with a sizzling rendition of their infamous “Dick in a Box” sketch. The performance was a masterclass in nostalgia, as the two superstars brought back memories of their groundbreaking digital shorts from their “Saturday Night Live” days. By revisiting this iconic moment, Samberg and Gaga proved that their creative chemistry is still unmatched, and their ability to push boundaries and blur genres remains unmatched.
The significance of this performance extends beyond the entertainment value, as it highlights the enduring impact of “SNL” on popular culture. The show’s ability to foster innovative collaborations and encourage artists to take risks has been a hallmark of its success, and the “Dick in a Box” sketch remains an exemplary case study. As the music and comedy industries continue to evolve, it’s clear that the lessons learned from “SNL” will remain a guiding force, inspiring future generations of creatives to think outside the box and challenge the status quo.