John Mulaney has had quite the comedy career. From writing on Saturday Night Live and coming up with the iconic recurring Stefon character, to having five comedy specials on Netflix, the Oh Hello star is still at the top of his game. Now, he is reflecting on his SNL days and some of his jokes that didn’t work. In particular, he talked about a specific joke that The Rolling Stones frontman, Mick Jagger, was not a fan of.
Mulaney was a guest on Hot Ones, a talk show where he ate increasingly spicy wings while answering questions about his career. During the interview, the stand-up comedian was asked what jokes he had that were shut down by the celebrity guests when he was an SNL writer. In true Mulaney fashion, he was quick to recall a specific instance with Mick Jagger, who did not like one of his monologue ideas. He detailed:
I remember we had a joke when Mick Jagger hosted that was ‘Hey everyone I’m Mick Jagger. So mothers lock up your daughters and daughters lock up your mothers.’ And he listened, and he went ‘Nah I don’t like that.’ And I actually remember I made Seth Meyers read that one.
It’s actually a pretty funny joke, but I’m not surprised the rock star didn’t go for it. It certainly pokes fun at the frontman’s sex symbol persona and reputation, and not everyone is always game for that. Clearly, Mulaney was apprehensive about the joke as well, as he wanted the former SNL head writer to take any potential grief the comedians might get for the crass comment.
This isn’t the first time the 40-year-old comic has talked about working with Jagger during the hosting stint. The stand-up does an entire set of jokes about the rock legend in his 2018 Netflix special Kid Gorgeous, where he talks about famous people being able to get things immediately. He does an entire bit around Jagger shutting down jokes by just saying “No” and “Not Funny.” It has become a well-known piece of Mulaney’s stand-up, sparking screencaps from the moment being used as memes. This interaction must’ve stuck with the comedian, as he can still recall the jokes Jagger hated many years later.
While The Rolling Stones singer wasn’t a fan of Mulaney’s sense of humor, many are. He has risen to prominence from his many stand-up specials, attracting a large range of audiences. He has become such a notable 21st-century comic, that he has hosted SNL five times in a five-year span, joining the exclusive Five-Timers Club, which is almost unheard of in the modern era of the show. The attention has also attracted intense media scrutiny over his personal life and public battle with addiction, which is one of the main subjects of his latest special, Baby J. Despite controversies, Mulaney remains immensely popular, and his failed SNL pitching days are long over.
You can catch John Mulaney’s Baby J now, as it’s available to stream with a Netflix subscription. Fans of the comedian should also check out our feature on how to watch his other must-see comedy specials. On top of that, make sure to consult our guide to other great Netflix stand-up specials for subscribers who love to laugh.
