Former NFL player Shannon Sharpe has emerged as a true media personality, who enjoys chatting it up with notable Hollywood celebrities on his podcast. Weeks ago, he participated in what now appears to be his biggest interview yet – a conversation with comedian Katt Williams. The two-and-a-half hour discussion made waves across the web and, as of this writing, it has over 53 million views on YouTube alone. Sharpe’s video has been so popular, in fact, that it’s since become fodder for Saturday Night Live. The sketch comedy series roasted the entire situation in a sketch, and Sharpe has since shared his thoughts.
SNL Season 49’s latest host and musical guest were Jacob Elordi and Reneé Rapp, respectively, this past weekend. Apart from Elordi’s various sketches, it was the Shannon Sharpe-related one that truly seems to have grabbed the public’s attention. It featured cast members Devon Walker as Sharpe and Ego Nwodim as Katt Williams, and they simply skewered the widely buzzed about conversation.The two actors dressed in outfits that were virtually similar to the real ones worn by their characters and firmly mimicked their cadences. On the whole, the sketch played on the major claims Williams made during the real interview, just taking them to new and humorously unrealistic heights.
Celebrity reactions to such parodies can vary by person, with some being willing to laugh at themselves and others expressing more negative feelings. When it comes to the former Denver Bronco, he seemed to be quite amused by the comedy bit. He conveyed as much during Nightcap – an offshoot of his Club Shay Shay podcast – which was shared on YouTube. When discussing it with co-host Chad Johnson, he had this to say:
I can't believe Saturday Night Live fooled ya boy, Ocho. The dude had a brown tracksuit on just like I had. They had Katt with a big old necklace on, man. I sure hope my sister watched this live.
They do say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, even if it may not seem that way on the surface. It’s honestly refreshing to see that the three-time Super Bowl winner has no problem chuckling at his own expense. And, let’s be real, the Saturday Night Live bit in question is legitimately funny. Check it out and judge for yourself:
The original viral YouTube interview saw Katt Williams discussing a wide range of topics with the podcast and TV host. Williams made a number of claims about various people within the entertainment industry, especially stars in the stand-up comedy game. Among the sentiments he shared was the notion that Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer have stolen jokes. He also referred to Kevin Hart as an “industry plant” and clapped back at fellow comic Rickey Smiley’s claim that he was meant to play the role of Money Mike in Friday After Next. As of this writing, Williams himself has yet to respond to the SNL segment.
It probably shouldn’t be all that surprising that Shannon Sharpe can take a joke, especially considering he had to develop thick skin as a professional athlete. Even in more recent years, he’s taken jabs from the public, just as when fans joked about him calling Stephen A. Smith “Skip” on ESPN’s First Take. He can also dish out a barb or two of his own, like he did when he dropped that NSFW quip about Larson Pippen’s sex life.
Later during the Nightcap installment, Chad Johnson mentioned that Shannon Sharpe could use this fame to generate a hosting gig at an awards show like the Oscars or Emmys. I’m not sure if that seems like a stretch at this point but, at the very least, Sharpe could try to parlay the buzz into a hosting gig on the late-night sketch comedy institution. He remains a big celebrity to have never hosted SNL and could deliver his distinct brand of humor. If not, I’m sure he doesn’t mind just taking in the comedy, including any parodies of himself, like the rest of us.
Saturday Night Live will return with Dakota Johnson as host and Justin Timberlake as musical guest on January 27 at 11:30 p.m. ET as part of the 2024 TV schedule. You can also stream past episodes using a Peacock subscription.
