When it comes to telling jokes, John Mulaney is a diamond. There are few comedians in the world as reliable with a punchline as he is, as assured in their delivery, as innately affable in front of an audience. Tonight, he returns as the host of Saturday Night Live, following one of the most tumultuous periods of his life. Mulaney – an unlikely candidate for tabloid sensationalism, it must be said – was hit by a wave of media attention last year, as it was revealed that he had entered rehab after relapsing with cocaine, alcohol and prescription pills. (Mulaney had been sober since early adulthood.) After leaving rehab, Mulaney faced more public scrutiny when it was reported that he was divorcing his wife, and having a baby with the actor Olivia Munn. All of this falls comfortably within the remit of his private life, otherwise known as none of anyone’s business. But it thrust him into the thick of a PR blizzard.
Mulaney has addressed the headlines during a late-night TV appearance in September and, more recently, on stage, as part of his new touring stand-up show From Scratch. His SNL spot tonight comes more than a year after his last appearance on the popular NBC sketch series, which came right before a relapse. It’s unclear exactly what he’s going to say up on the Studio 8H stage, but he’s already proven himself more than willing to crack jokes about his struggles. From Scratch features segments in which he describes his addiction and rehabilitation, at one point describing his intervention in comic detail. Despite some pig-headed criticism from some corners of the internet, Mulaney’s welcome return to the spotlight sends a positive message: that addiction isn’t something that should be stigmatised or scandalised by. It’s good to be open about it. But there’s a difference between being open about something and voicing it on a live national TV show.
