John Mulaney is well known for his quirky sense of humor, and he channels that in a number of ways. Those sensibilities also extended to his appearances on Saturday Night Live, likely to the delight of his fans. Amid the 2024 TV schedule, Mulaney hosted SNL Season 50 and, in between his sketches, some may have noticed that he threw back to one of Brooke Shields’ famous cover shoots through one of his bumper photos. I certainly didn’t have that on my bingo card and the same is true of the delightful exchange Shields and Mulaney later had.
During the latest episode of NBC’s long-running sketch comedy series, John Mulaney appeared in a number of interesting bumper photos. One particular shot, though, sees the comedian donning a red button-up shirt, blue jeans and black shoes while against a white backdrop. Mulaney also struck a kick-like pose for the cameras. Altogether, this humorous sight was actually a recreation of Brooke Shields’ famous Calvin Klein ad from 1980. The Big Mouth alum totally pulled off the look and pose as well!
Upon seeing the photo for herself, the Blue Lagoon star took to Instagram to share a side-by-side comparison of the OG pic and SNL’s homage. The former child model also shared a cheeky quip that made me chuckle upon seeing it:
I see no difference… I guess they can be your Calvins too, [John Mulaney] 👖🤣 [Saturday Night Live] [Calvin Klein]
Long before Jeremy Allen White’s Calvin Klein underwear ad took the internet by storm (or SNL zinged Justin Bieber with a faux CK ad), Brooke Shields made headlines for her own promotional campaign for the clothing brand. The marketing push, which included a shoot and commercials, is now considered seminal, though it also received backlash at the time, especially since Shields’ pose was perceived as being a sexual innuendo. Speaking of that pose, John Mulaney’s humorous reply featured a joke about that:
I’m still stuck in that position.
Seriously, all power to the Mulaney creator for getting into that position because, for some, getting out of it could be easier said than done. But, that aside, I love that the comic opted to honor the Suddenly Susan star in such a way. And, of course, that was only one aspect of what was an eventful episode of Saturday Night Live. Mulaney dished out a humorous monologue, in which he discussed the reality of being a parent to two young children and also discussed the pitfalls of getting older. In regard to sketches, he appeared in an election edition of What’s That Name and New York Assemblyman Harvey Epstein. On top of all that, Chappell Roan served as musical guest.
It may have been a small detail in the grand scheme of the episode, but I truly appreciate John Mulaney’s nod to Brooke Shields and love that she had a good sense of humor about it. They say that imitation is the more sincere form of flattery, and I think that rings true. (Let’s just hope that stars who are referenced or mimicked on SNL moving forward feel the same way.)
Saturday Night Live returns on November 9, with Bill Burr as host and Mk.gee as musical guest. In the meantime, you can stream past episodes by using a Peacock subscription.