‘SNL’ takes on Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ summer in hilarious sketch with Bowen Yang

It’s still brat summer for “Saturday Night Live.”

The late night sketch comedy show returned Sept. 28 for Season 50, featuring Jean Smart in her hosting debut alongside musical guest, Jelly Roll.

During the landmark season’s premiere, Bowen Yang embodied two of the internet’s biggest trends for the audience: Moo Deng and Charli XCX on the heels of her “Brat” album, which ignited the brat summer trend.

Yang took on Charli XCX as she hosted her own talk show, fittingly called the “Talk Talk” show, named after a track on her most recent album.

To get into character, Yang portrayed the “Guess” singer in all of her grungy glory, donning a black mini dress and matching knee high boots. The Charli XCX signature look was made complete with a long, dark wavy haired wig and black sunglasses pushed onto his forehead, showing off a dramatic smokey eye.

Yang tackled the topic of the “‘lection” on the talk show months after Charli XCX went viral for tweeting “kamala IS brat” back in June which apparently “left everyone from your mom to Jake Tapper wondering — what is brat?”

In the talk show’s first segment, Yang determined what recent events and pop culture happenings could be deemed “brat or nat.”

While Amy Adams starring in the upcoming movie “Nightbitch” was given the brat title, New York University received a “nat” rating.

Bowen Yang rates where current events fall on the “Brat or Nat” scale.
Bowen Yang rates where current events fall on the “Brat or Nat” scale.Saturday Night Live / YouTube

Yang went on to invite two guests onto the talk show, including Jean Smart as event producer Susanne Bartsch and CNN news anchor Kaitlan Collins, portrayed by Chloe Fineman.

Despite Yang assuring Fineman that the “Talk Talk Show” was a political talk show, the hard-hitting questions about President Joe Biden speaking before the United Nations General Assembly and reproductive rights only went to Smart.

Fineman ended up fielding soft news questions, including what she thought of Snoop Dogg as a new coach on “The Voice.”

Bowen Yang as Charli XCX interviewing Susanne Bartsch (Jean Smart) and Kaitlan Collins (Chloe Fineman).
Bowen Yang as Charli XCX interviewing Susanne Bartsch (Jean Smart) and Kaitlan Collins (Chloe Fineman).Saturday Night Live / Instagram

During the sketch, Yang was accompanied by Sarah Sherman portraying Troye Sivan, Charli XCX’s co-headliner on their joint North American “Sweat” tour.

Ego Nwodim also made an appearance on the talk show couch as Rep. Jasmine Crockett and received her own segment, “Jasmine Crockett’s Mean-Girl Cam” to roast politicians — and gerrymandering — by giving them harsh nicknames. 

Sarah Sherman as Troye Sivan, Ego Nwodim as Jasmine Crockett, Bowen Yang as Charli XCX, Chloe Fineman as Kaitlan Collins, and host Jean Smart as Susanne Bartsch during the “Charli XCX Talk Show” sketch on Saturday, September 28, 2024.
Sarah Sherman, Ego Nwodim, Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman, and Jean Smart ended the sketch dancing to a parody of Charli XCX’s “Girl, so confusing.”
Will Heath / NBC

The brat summer vibes continued backstage at “SNL.”

In a video shared on the official TikTok for the late night sketch comedy show, Yang and Sherman could be seen participating in the viral “Apple” dance trend, started by TikTok creator Kelley Heyer, who commented on the video, “Oh my god these divas!!!!”

“Bowen slaying as per usual,” another comment read on TikTok.


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