When Pete Davidson hosted Saturday Night Live’s Season 49 premiere, he really came out of the gate swinging with some seriously iconic sketches. One of the most legendary was easily his viral parody of Barbie’s “I’m Just Ken” – which was aptly titled “I’m Just Pete.” The track plays into the comedian's highly publicized personal life, and it pokes fun at his ups and downs. Overall, it was a super fun sketch to watch, however, the actor couldn’t help but joke about the irony of it all.
While Pete Davidson has done music videos on SNL before – like Please Don’t Destroy’s “Three Sad Virgins” with Taylor Swift – there’s no denying that the first host of Season 49 really took things to the next level with “I’m Just Pete.” Commenting on the irony of him doing a sketch that involves so much singing, dancing and looks in a BTS video about the making of the bit, Davidson said:
It’s funny that I’m so excited to do this, but I do everything I hate in it, like dancing and singing and wearing wigs.
As you can see in the full sketch below, there is a ton of singing and dancing. Davidson really lived up to the task too, so much so, that I think he could have fit right in with the cast of Barbie as a Ken, especially during their battle. It’s no wonder, Davidson made such a comment, because making this video was no small feat.
Mike Diva, the film unit director for the bit proved this when he noted that this video differs from other SNL digital shorts because it’s “largely choreography-based.” Like “I’m Just Ken,” the sketch features a ballet number on a blue and pink background as well as more dancing in their version of Barbie Land. However, instead of having a movie's schedule, this sketch had to come together in 12 hours, according to Davidson.
The director recalled a conversation he had with the choreographer about how quickly they needed to work on the video. It's actually crazy how they pulled all this off so fast. He said:
I just told her, ‘Hey, I need cool dancing for this part, I need cool dancing for four choruses. And we need a whole ballet-influenced section, and you have like no time to come up with it, and 45 minutes to work with the dancers and have them all learn it.’ And she was like, ‘Alright, bet, let’s go.’
That “alright, bet” mentality seemed to be something Davidson had too, as he fully committed to the self-deprecating humor in the video along with the dancing. While he noted that he thought it was funny he was so excited to make the video, Mikey Day, who played Pete on his first Weekend Update in the bit, didn't seem surprised that his former co-star was so down for the number. He said:
Pete’s not afraid to make fun of several aspects of his life, personality.
Even though Davidson was doing everything he never wants to do, and realized the irony of being excited about it, clearly all that work paid off…big time. “I’m Just Pete” has gone viral since it dropped during SNL’s Season 49 premiere. And much like its inspiration, “I’m Just Ken,” it’s a true banger.
To go back and see Pete Davidson’s full episode, you can stream SNL with a Peacock subscription. Also, make sure to check out the 2023 TV schedule so you don’t miss the next episode of Saturday Night Live, which airs on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
