Castrati - SNL

[@ahaetulla]

That blank and pained expression is brilliant and what sells the entire sketch

[@katiehoholick420]

Especially when they zoom in at the right moment

[@user-hs3xh1od1k]

Her take on this part is both hilarious and sensitive. A lot of people would have given a simpler, flatter performance, I was impressed; she may be really good in some adult roles if she wanted to go for it. Not all former child actors keep their talent. She may be one who has. I'd be curious to see her in a challenging serious part.

[@sara31773]

@@user-hs3xh1od1kshes a phenomenal actress. She’s gotten better and better over the years. She’s Glinda in Wicked which comes out in November. From the parts that have been released, she is awesome. I fully expect her to win an Oscar for her roll.

[@blairbrown4812]

​@@user-hs3xh1od1k, it's funny that you should happen to mention child actors. Because really, this entire sketch could be construed as a commentary on some Child Actors and their overbearing parents.

[@katharinenoble1682]

Thinking the same thing. 8)

[@hg82met]

She's done the thousand-yard stare so well to convey the sheer despair of what his parents did to him.

[@sugatborthakur110]

It’s the Nickelodeon/Victorious trauma

[@m-alexandria-g]

Very topical tbh

[@rickwrites2612]

Eh castrati were mostly discarded street orphans cut when very small and were admired like elite rock stars.

[@vader92]

​@@sugatborthakur110 Probably she remembered Dan Schneider created a castrado , but a modern one.

[@mattwallace1303]

​@@sugatborthakur110more like the Dan Schneider state

[@thepunisher6674]

Surprisingly arianna grande in a wig really does look like a Italian renaissance boy whose been castrated

[@Letsgo88809]

I legit did a double take she looks just like a little boy all it took was a wig change. 💀

[@pastelqq]

Perfect description

[@olivegreenpants7153]

She looks so cute like that

[@DunmoresMovieMania]

And-a she sing-a like one a-too!

[@ummagumma21]

Considering she's Italian and looks a bit like a little boy already, is this actually "surprising"?

[@truegrit7697]

Arianna is really a great comedian. Her expressions were subtle, yet hilarious.

[@ciaravann6250]

Yes, she's smashed every skit in that show👏👏👏👏!

[@heezypeasy8611]

She really is amazing!

[@Sundae_Times]

*Ariana

[@NOMADdaf]

Yes. It would be very easy to overact this part.

[@Daydreamroses]

She’s so cute as a castrated boy with intense trauma 😂

[@ftuT]

Never thought I needed Ariana Grande as a concerned castrated child.

[@christopherzehnder]

SNL writers are the masters of finding things we didn’t know we “needed”

[@777sn2]

​@@christopherzehnderThey'd never make a joke about a woman getting her privates cut off tho...why is that?

[@cm-yu6gu]

You don't!! This is so dark..

[@ccal6441]

This the weirdest comment I seen, u and Christopher

[@alanhoffman-mp2es]

Twist and Shout😊😊😊

[@olivergarrick1175]

The dead eyed stared on antonio absolutely killed me 🤣.

[@imliss3473]

Same, I feel his suffer

[@tapiocamango]

I feel bad for his gonads

[@JoshuaMartian-go3tm]

It takes talent to hold a straight face like that.

[@thomasjones4570]

Ahh yes, open racism towards Italians....imagine them doing all Jamaican or Japanese accents and costumes and then joke about something cruel they used to do that caused great harm to some of them. Yeah. SNL and all of YOU should be ashamed for thinking this is funny.

[@Deuteromis]

Well having your homies twisted off tends to do that.

[@matrixinterface]

Everyone is great in this skit, but I think the minimalist performance by Arianna is what really makes it funny. They way she just twitches slightly every time they say "twist" 🤣

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

It's almost a shame she's as successful as she is with music because she is an actual comedic genius. Anyone who saw Victorious as a kid knows it and knows how restricted she was by that show.

[@ben711.p]

Ariana*

[@coribug42]

The small sneer of defiance 😂

[@thomasjones4570]

Ahh yes, open racism towards Italians....imagine them doing all Jamaican or Japanese accents and costumes and then joke about something cruel they used to do that caused great harm to some of them. Yeah. SNL and all of YOU should be ashamed for thinking this is funny.

[@godlygamer911]

@@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep It's a shame she just exists as a whole...

[@Alex-zi1nb]

the look on her face when they say "we twist" hahaha she knocked it out of the park

[@benzaiten933]

"Yes, Kenan?" Andy absolutely knew what he was doing.

[@patokev3691]

And he didn't break character which makes him the legend of SNL.

[@ellenwilliams3890]

Yes, he did😅

[@sparklejump8ropequeen]

What does that mean?

[@Thanksforbeingyou]

@@sparklejump8ropequeen he called Kenan by his real name

[@darylcloud7394]

But Kenan withstood the attempt by Andy to break him. The fact that noone missed a beat was impressive. That was not just directed at Kenan. Hilarious

[@mollydavenport9508]

“Yes Kenan?” Hahahha i’ve missed andy & kenan together 😭😂

[@TheAristocunts]

@@sergeyk2356that’s NOT what this sketch is about LMFAO?

[@huskerfly9390]

5:13 for those looking for it

[@facutoro1]

can somebody explain me the joke? im argentinian 🤷🏻

[@jerryx5195]

​​@@facutoro1 I don't think that was the script and it caught Kenan off guard.

[@shirowolff9147]

​@@facutoro1his name is kenan, in real life and also in the famous series kenan e kel

[@carcar113]

Justice for Antonio

[@ChristianeWinzenburg-uo4xb]

True 😳🙏🙏🙏💯

[@docjoe86]

La giustizia per Antonio!

[@PleaseDontEatAnimals]

And for all the innocent animals who are castrated without anesthesia every year so that people can eat them. 😥

[@Infinite_Deity_Ent]

😂😂😂

[@joesmith4443]

And Free Britney!

[@seleneprince.]

The fact what "miserere mei, Deus" translates to "Have mercy on me, O God" makes it all that much funnier lmao followed by the widen eyes after being asked they could noticed the castration lol

[@Doze1202]

Thank you! It sucks that the subtitles aren’t Italian when she sings, I was wondering if those words related to the sketch. Thanks. Merry Christmas as I text this! 🎄🎁🙏✝️

[@seleneprince.]

@ Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 😊

[@aguyonasiteontheinternet]

@@Doze1202that’s latin actually, but yeah lol

[@Doze1202]

I appreciate that clarification! ( ・∇・)

[@olivergarrick1175]

The sadness in his eye is perfect.

[@CalebJacobs1981]

His eye😂

[@jacquelinecallejas1390]

I have never seen Ariana act before but this showed me she's got talent in that area.

[@Ron-Ayres]

She almost looks like Pierrot! Surprised she hasn't approached Trump - tears in her eyes - _"Signor Trumpi, Sir..."_

[@Some_One_One]

3:09 Timestamp then!

[@ferretferr5600]

@@jacquelinecallejas1390 well you know she is an actress as well as a singer, in fact, that’s how she started her career

[@staciaallen3330]

Ariana’s face was so very priceless the whole time. 🤣🤣🤣

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

When they keep cutting to a close up of her face when they ask her questions, I'm crying. 😂 Almost as much as Antonio cried after the twist

[@Appetite4Rose]

I thought it was an actual doll to start with before she spoke 😅

[@blairbrown4812]

2:58 "Help. Me!" 😢

[@optioncoachjohn]

@@staciaallen3330 Funniest thing I’ve seen on SNL in forever. She is some kind of comic genius.

[@FireNecros]

Especially in the part where they keep on saying, a twist, just a little twist lol 🤣. 4:14

[@JackieLanceTenor]

As an opera singer and person who has always had a bit of a fascination with this morbid period in history, I have never clicked on an SNL clip so fast. This was hilarious. When Andy said "come se dice opium induced coma" I literally screamed. Also Antonio singing Misere mei deus was amazing dark humor. A+ guys! 😂

[@rejoyce318]

I'm not a follower of Ariana, but I was truly impressed by her singing in this episode - including the off-key bridesmaid.

[@Spidermanavengers6673]

You mean the castration of little boys for the preservation of their voices was real?

[@JackieLanceTenor]

@@rejoyce318 Arianna is incredibly talented. She's one of those artists where I have always felt that a lot of her original music is somewhat beneath her ability.

[@ginandromeda1618]

​@@JackieLanceTenor As a fan, I agree, wish she would go back to R&B or sing music where her voice gets to shine but I feel like since Sweetener, she's been doing a lot of mainstream pop songs with overproduced tracks that hide her beautiful runs and high notes. Heard her last album is different though, haven't heard it yet

[@rhettmitchell]

@@JackieLanceTenora lot of her earlier stuff really shows off her voice, but at the same time, a good amount of it was written FOR her, so it’s not exactly the deepest thing ever lyrically like her newer stuff is

[@maicey_t.]

The castrati are such a sad thing in (recent!) history but this sketch is hilarious, Ariana's thousand-yard stare is everything

[@JaffaCakes-c7d]

What is a castrati?

[@naj2276]

@@JaffaCakes-c7dplural of castrato

[@David-b3n5b]

​@@JaffaCakes-c7dboys were castrated so their voices wouldn't drop after puberty.

[@JayeKai]

@@JaffaCakes-c7dthey got castrated to keep their voices high

[@kkotery]

​@@sophiai2770 woah

[@blessingsoutlaw]

Ariana’s acting was TOO good on this one. I felt so sorry for little Antonio…😢

[@PleaseDontEatAnimals]

Yeah, I was wondering if as a vegan she was thinking about all of the innocent baby animals who are castrated without anesthesia so people can eat them.

[@blairbrown4812]

I've watched quite a few SNL sketches over the years, including some from the very beginning, and some sketches don't tread carefully on that fine line between tragedy and comedy, they cheerfully obliterate the difference from the face of the universe with big size 17 boots. This is definitely one of those sketches.

[@jakobm.tilsted5333]

@@blairbrown4812 I agree ... though I am not certain why. It's not like I meet a castrati every day. And I am usually able to laugh at anything. This just wasn't funny, and I'm pretty sure Ms. Grande's version was too serious to be laughed at ...

[@I_Love_Rainbows510]

@@jakobm.tilsted5333 I wasn't amused, either! It was like a bad episode of SVU. I kind of stared at it in terror the whole time!

[@jonscott623]

This was actually sort of horrifying.

[@rinsolaris2284]

As an opera enthusiast, this was cheeky fun. The Castrati is real, and they were stars back in their day. There's audio recordings of the last Castrati singing on KZbin.

[@MilesToGoGo]

Falsetto children 😭😭😭😭

[@ikevizual6969]

And now its gender affirming care

[@peztopher7297]

@@MilesToGoGo Not technically. A falsetto is a false high pitch that grown men do, not a natural one because of no male hormones.

[@peztopher7297]

They were still doing that in the 19th century?? 😱

[@matthewmacdonald4687]

@@peztopher7297 Yes the surgery was around or before 1865, the recording were recorded in 1902 and 1904. I heard it was used to treat a type of Hernia, but later I heard that it my have just been and excuse to do it. Fortunately they don't use castration to treat those anymore.

[@mbd396]

A part of me wants to believe that an added layer of Andy saying "Kenan" is the implication that Kenan has been around forever even since the 1400s and looked the same :D

[@ricarleite]

No. There was supposed to be someone with a keyboard guitar as a second joke but he or she missed their mark horribly and was late to the sketch. They improvised and went straight to the castrato part. Kenan was not supposed to be asking the question but it would be weird to have someone who wasn't introduced before doing so. They improvised with "Kenan" and he laughed at it. I think I can tell who's the cast member who messed up

[@dbadagna]

@@ricarleite A keyboard with 6 tuning pegs can be seen at 03:29, and part of the face of its player can be seen at 05:10.

[@VideoAmericanStyle]

@@dbadagnadid they mix together shots from dress and air? It’s a weird bit of continuity error.

[@dbadagna]

@@VideoAmericanStyle According to @ricarleite, the keyboard player seems to have arrived late (apparently off camera).

[@sdaiwepm]

Black don't crack!

[@ericad8616]

The last of the known castrati, and the only one to make a recording was named Alessandro Moreschi, who lived from 1858 to 1922. If you google his name, you can hear several recordings of his voice, it's of course very high pitched, as one would expect and in my opinion sounds both plaintive and somewhat eerie.

[@alfiemarie]

that hope in antonios face when the dad said they kept his gonad "YOU DIIID?" lol marvelous acting by ariana hahahah

[@Norsilca]

Hahaha KZbin highlighted "gonad" and "DIIID", in case I wanted to search either of those 🤦

[@raykyogrou0358]

Now, the dog he bark like theez

[@beenaplumber8379]

I caught that too. Such desperate hope! Very good acting in this sketch.

[@deborahdouglas5067]

Kenan is such a professional for not breaking massively at that name drop by Samberg 😂

[@tresordelamer]

was that intentional? i was totally baffled by that.

[@bullsharkTM]

@@tresordelamer it seemed like it wasn't part of the script. I think he wanted to break Kenan 😂

[@TheBrainvision]

Definitely not scripted 😂

[@DonVideoGuy007]

@@bullsharkTM - That is probably what Andy wanted...

[@rbsan2502]

Not part of the script! I was at the dress rehearsal for this and the first time andy did this, kenan broke character. So for the live show i think he was expecting that andy would do the same.

[@royalinsidious5768]

Andy saying “como se dice” is a very underrated joke

[@liamosburn9824]

Agreed

[@acgeewhiz]

It’s really blurring the line between their Mario and Luigi style fake Italian accents and just speaking Spanish, lol.

[@RavenDots115]

He said it in Spanish lol he forgot the ch sound to make it Italian

[@daydream_believer]

@@RavenDots115 Exactly. His pronunciation sounds more Spanish. The c in dice has a ch sound like cherry.

[@daydream_believer]

@@anahata2009 Yes!

[@Nolroa]

And to think that the whole thing about castrated boys was because a female voice was needed since women were not allowed to sing or perform on stage. The person who sometime between the Renaissance, Baroque (or much later in the Romantic period) said, “Hey, what if instead of castrating child singers at prepubescent age, we allowed women to sing?” was the person who made a truly revolutionary case for inclusion.

[@TarzansMom]

I’ve never seen Ariana standing next to other adults before, she be tiny! And she really knocked this out of the park, especially the very subtle eye twitch at 3:13.

[@TheMaleSoprano]

she's mentioned in an interview she's 5'2"

[@ruggerobelloni4743]

@@TheMaleSoprano If that. Tiny Minogue Is the same but she also Is "all there". I had two five foot nothing US girls and funny enough they were both Swedish!

[@MikeCee7]

That was also my first reaction to her last night on SNL, If she’s listed at 5’2”, she’s probably closer to 5’0” (especially in this video, and based on all the other SNL Sketches last night. )

[@aguawassereau3372]

⁠​⁠@@MikeCee7I was thinking that as well. I’m 5’ 2” if you squint (just a hair under, lol) and I’m thinking she’s shorter than that. Maybe she’s wearing heels but Maya Rudolph is towering over her and Rudolph is only 5’ 6”.

[@user-iw4yl7fp9p]

yes she is 5'0.5"

[@jayb.6685]

So much sadness in her eyes, I legit felt sorry for the boy

[@BlueTickCH]

She does it well . A lot of pain and sadness I can see it tooo

[@Juliet475]

Like today's kids being used as gender changing lab rats.

[@wylmermonteiro]

I FELT IT TOO!!! I didn’t know if I cried or laughed so I just cried

[@jesusgonzalez-acton8045]

Just like modern trans kids, yeah. Bizarrely, no one in this comments section seemed to get the parallel

[@trini2DBone134]

​@@jesusgonzalez-acton8045stop trying to sound woke 😂

[@olivergarrick1175]

This truly felt like a 2000s SNL sketch in the best way possible i wonder if anyone from that era wrote it.

[@CalebJacobs1981]

The actors do have input and they do help write it. I heard.

[@myfirstday2562]

This feels very Andy Samberg to me.

[@cruisinguy6024]

I know exactly what you mean and agree totally

[@kiguess]

cierto cierto, i ah nootiiceed ah dat ah theey were ah prod ah y2k ah style eh sketches eh leetili eh bonasera bonasera 🤌🤌🤌

[@jabelzebub1451]

Reminded me very much of the Cork soakers sketch- also Italian xD

[@Izzie8017]

When my parents force me to go to my grandparents/relatives' house with them and they talk about me: 2:55

[@xrrgr]

lol

[@alanhoffman-mp2es]

​@@xrrgr😮😮😮

[@bahndag]

She looks like a cursed ceramic doll

[@BlueTickCH]

No doubt

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

She's blursed

[@VictorObregonCanada]

Thats the point

[@mustafa1name]

@@BariumCobaltNitrog3n Ooh, now that is QUALITY wordplay!

[@gmcubed]

thats been her look for a while now, even outside the skit. Its gotta be the ozempic.

[@ramirezproductions0826]

Andy Samberg calling Kenan’s character by his real name was the biggest laugh I gotten from this sketch.

[@CalebJacobs1981]

😂😂

[@niwaar]

This was because it literally was the only funny thing in this sketch... I hate to imagine what sketches got tossed after dress if this one was kept around.

[@bettyandthebeakers]

Funny and point of body autonomy💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙Vote blue for body autonomy!

[@revengefrommars]

He stole that from the doormen saying "Bobby Moynihan!"

[@CalebJacobs1981]

@@niwaar I love this whole sketch. What are you talking about. You have no sense of humor.

[@michellejames2447]

Maya Rudolf is brilliant in this sketch. The cheerful way she delivers those lines.

[@altagraciaadames3483]

Kamala Harris is brilliant in this sketch. The cheerful way she delivers those lines.

[@TitanQueen]

Somebody in the writing room... Definitely has researched all of this.

[@Burn143]

The quick “yep!” 4:41 got me😂😂😭😭Also that wig on Ariana lmaoooo

[@AprilLynCaouette]

The wig was truly horrendous haha

[@Burn143]

@@AprilLynCaouette It really was😂😂

[@lovelychelle5238]

Like baby nessarose but haunted

[@carterfoerch4556]

I am a music history college student and this sketch felt like it was written for my friend and I, so thank you SNL

[@Justanotherhuman11]

I majored in music history and i was so excited to see this!

[@dankingsbury9971]

Recommended read: "Cry to Heaven" by Anne Rice

[@ChrisMarrin]

That was actually funny. I'm impressed with Ariana staying in character with her aloof expression and that silly haircut.

[@Iampatrix]

I think that was supposed to be traumatized, not aloof.

[@RaymondHng]

That hairstyle is called a page boy.

[@herm712]

Massive applause for Ariana's subtle acting in this skit--you really really REALLY felt bad for little Antonio. Poor baby was completely traumatized. Maya and Andy were freakin hilarious but she didn't break either. I would have lost it when Andy called Keenan by name 😂

[@gnbman]

I can't believe this is a new sketch! It feels like a classic. Just goes to show what having the right writers and performers can do.

[@iamteubing]

When they have 'the balls' to write something edgy. Clearly a message pointing to the lunacy of child mutilation.

[@rabcd-f9t]

This is an actual representation of history.

[@matthewmark7224]

takes my back to my college days; a little creepy lol.

[@PleaseDontEatAnimals]

And what still happens to innocent baby animals by the billions every year when people choose to eat them. Except, they are not given any anesthesia or opioids and have to suffer without anything to take away the pain.

[@kierankim-murphy495]

This felt like some very targetted humor

[@Jake-hn6yt]

It’s referring to kids being castrated under the flag of trans ideology.

[@imell372]

@@matthewmark7224wait what

[@MusicalBasics]

This is actually the funniest skit I’ve seen from SNL in a long time 😂😂😂

[@saanasalonen8684]

forreal! im laughing my gonads off with this one!

[@moonshinershonor202]

70th because youse can fit one more in there!

[@rhondarobinson8443]

I concur!!!

[@peabobryson-m7w]

Kind of a commentary on gender identity politics lol

[@cm-yu6gu]

It's literally the darkest skit I've seen what are you talking about..

[@delaudosa]

She has the cutest acting 😂❤ I think she got her spark back

[@chaeyoungsstrawberryfarm3327]

Her Italian relatives must be so proud of her for proudly showing her culture on tv

[@roarmalf]

🤣

[@Jasongr777]

They are! Thanks for asking

[@j.t.1086]

And today's rainbow castrati must be so proud of reminding America that trans kids are nothing new :) they were bringing profits to elites with scalpels hundreds of years ago!

[@joshuamahaffa1250]

This is her family's culture but.....with a little tweest

[@senister14]

Yep, most people forget her Italian heritage.

[@JG-vq6rd]

Grande absolutely nailed the facial expressions.

[@adamschroeder5842]

It is so great having Dana, Maya, and Andy back for a short time.

[@DunmoresMovieMania]

Are they back in the CAST for this season?

[@davidao2551]

​@@DunmoresMovieManiano

[@soni8995]

❤

[@nadecha5326]

Hopefully it won’t be short if u know what I mean

[@greg3087]

Wait what? I thought THEY were part of the SNL that everyone complained about?? Oh that’s right it’s a cyclical thing where people just gripe and bitch about the good old days when and was funny no matter when that was as long as it’s not now.

[@jacobkemezys3453]

1:32 Come on, Party!

[@toothless_ariana]

LMAO MOST OF THE WIGS THEY PUT ON HER 😭😭

[@zachcohenfb]

Nice to see they gave Ariana the Will Byers hair

[@roncinephile]

I was thinking the hair Samberg wore for Helen Mirren's Magical Bosom

[@saradeandres2131]

Real! But I don’t know who ended up more traumatised

[@devilsfavorite999]

What's with all those blue search links?

[@vedametatron]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 yep !

[@andreedwards4542]

loll

[@BugGenerat0r]

This sketch has Andy Samberg's fingerprints all over it. And Ariana is surprisingly good in it.

[@cicalinarrot]

Feels like all pitches for a sketch by Andy start with "Listen up, you all know testicles, right?"

[@giuliad223]

yeah it's like half middle school humour half extremely cursed. it's his thing

[@100videos4you]

@@BugGenerat0r fingerprints, interesting…

[@ElizabethGonzalez-jf6ks]

By now People should know that Arianna by far is an excelente actress too byside her singing should eran her the right to appear more often ANTONIO FELT SO SORRY FOR YOUR CASTRACIÓN YOU NAILED THIS ONE

[@Zarastro54]

@@ElizabethGonzalez-jf6ksShe was horrible in Hairspray Live, which surprised me because I’d seen her in Victorious and knew she could act. Her appearance here reaffirmed that she’s actually very good. I don’t know what was going on with her in Hairspray.

[@Some_One_One]

3:09 "Do you notice the castration Antonio?" THAT LOOK THOUGH!!😂😂😂

[@jujitsujew23]

I wonder how many people in the audience knew or realized this was absolutely a real thing and it was recent enough that there are audio recordings of castrati

[@helenmorgan7767]

Everybody who wasnt home schooled?

[@London1869]

Fans of Anne Rice know all about it

[@jadacampbell9331]

Some didn't. Folks I watched it with thought the writers were on drugs

[@imrustyokay]

I learned this in college. It's one of those facts I love to spring on people just to freak them out. I feel vindicated.

[@j.t.1086]

I wonder how many are capable of realizing we are still doing this -- castrations to stop puberty so that boys will remain effeminately childlike forever, for the entertainment of adults who pretend there's no harm.

[@ellagaudie9903]

Andy Samberg being partially in this season makes me so happy, id love to see him host again

[@SuperChuckRaney]

Each-ah show-ah is just-ah better, a lilTwistah to them-ah

[@sytycdvigirl]

How is she not laughing hysterically? OMG, this is hilarious.

[@Airbear211]

02:43 WAIT… That note was actually beautiful. My parents are opera singers and I showed this to them and they both were like “damn!!!” Lmao

[@caitiscraft]

yeah shes been trained to sing like that for the last 4 years or whatever for Glinda

[@csen96]

5:17 this was hilarious and sweet… og cast!

[@cleverusername9369]

OG cast? Uh... no. That would be Dan Aykyrod, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Jim Belushi, Laraine Newman, and Michael O'Donoghue. Do you know what OG means?

[@nosogirly]

We get it, you're old ​@cleverusername9369

[@fatma6320]

@@cleverusername9369are u eighty years old

[@ThatOrangeGhost]

@@cleverusername9369go see Saturday Night and calm down. For a lot of us The OG and last great time of snl was the early 00’s

[@absolutangel64]

​@cleverusername9369 OMG, calm down. Some people here weren't even born when the first season came out, so Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg could easily be the OG cast for them.

[@elizabethjohnston7156]

This was absolutely a real thing. Castrati were rock stars in their day.

[@gulfmarine8857]

@@elizabethjohnston7156 All stars, no party

[@grebmoolb311]

Oh dear lord I missed this in history class. I just googled this and holy shit. See anytime I think society has lost its mind I remember we lost it long ago. Thanks!

[@obediahpolkinghorniii564]

True. It took balls to be a castrato.

[@dallasapollo]

@@obediahpolkinghorniii564 Get out! Leave!

[@elizabethjohnston7156]

@@grebmoolb311I was a music major so that’s where I learned about it. Pretty disturbing!

[@rebecca55371]

Loved seeing Andy again!

[@NestorCustodio]

The stupid CD ad at the end really got me good. The random last-second surprises this week were pure gold.

[@JillKnapp]

I watched this live and I don't remember the CD ad at the end of the sketch. Is it just me, or was I just still swooning from her high B?

[@bhcompy188]

@@JillKnapp it's not on my dvr recording

[@JillKnapp]

​@@bhcompy188 Thank you for settling this for my brain! 👍

[@Yuyu99000]

“You DIIIID”?” Omg this sketch is immaculate 🙏

[@TeclaSAPcomUlissesCarvalho]

How am I ever going to listen to 'Twist and Shout' again without feeling the pain?

[@onothankyou]

That's easy! You just the, como se dice, "opium induced coma" and you won't even feel it!

[@soulserenade.kcn1992]

Ahahah!

[@angelfelicedejesus6920]

I watched this before watching wicked so when I saw Ari in theaters at the beginning of the movie all I heard was Antonio and kept giggling 😭

[@marksasahara1115]

Twist and shout. OMFG! Poor Antonio, dead eyed and twitching. Grande was amazing in this!

[@giulio1675]

5:40 twist it and pop it right off 😅😅😅

[@RaymondHng]

Like opening a bottle of Coke.

[@irubberyouglueonethousand5384]

This was definitely Andy Samberg's idea. That's why he did the most talking. Everybody else just followed his lead

[@bretel73]

Andy: show them Antonio Antonio: unzips his pants

[@FireNecros]

I love Ariana face every time they keep on repeating just a little twist lol 🤣 4:14

[@someguyanonymous5171]

Love Andy being back on SNL. He's a legend!

[@JustTheFacts530]

Ariana is so talented omg I can’t even her expressions were on point of what a little boy who got castrated should be 😂😂😂

[@Letsgo88809]

Her face doesn’t show expressions if she tried. Too many fillers and the eye lift gives her stone face.

[@PleaseDontEatAnimals]

Being a fellow vegan, I wondered if Ariana was thinking about all of the innocent baby animals people eat who are castrated without anesthesia. It's horrifying.

[@trini2DBone134]

​@@Letsgo88809it literally does...but go off gullible loser 😂 y'all can't help but be negative for no reason

[@JB182Dog]

Are you AI?

[@rollingblade7582]

@@Letsgo88809dang man having a bad day eh?

[@qutipiecx]

when they asked him if he noticed the castration and he just widened his eyes 😂 3:10

[@scarletcordelianneheart8464]

0:58 Maya Rudolph as Mother Gothel 😱🤩

[@rmcnabb]

Another hilarious insane off the wall sketch. Those tiny flinches of pseudo-remembered pain as they describe the popping...too much. So funny.

[@TheWill58]

My favorite part of SNL is when professional actors stare directly at the cue cards and don’t even try to look at the person they’re supposed to be talking to.

[@ShadowRose1622]

Did anyone else notice Maya almost break at 4:34? hehehe

[@RaymondHng]

Like she bit her lip.

[@DrGaryOak]

Andy saying “twist” was a killer. This was funny!

[@OvSpP]

The best ‘what year is this from’ feeling I’ve ever had watching this show.

[@rooksrucus]

Yesssssssss i want back put to check

[@Fullmetal1890P]

Literally every neutered dog staring off into space, questioning their existence

[@ashtonkyle8164]

That wig that Ariana is wearing is giving me Uncle Fester vibes when Debbie had him wear that wig 😭😭

[@nechiforvlad-marian9673]

Once again Ariana proved that she 's not only an amazing singer, but also an equally good actress.I hope one day she gets the full recognition she deserves. Great SNL Sketch as usual. Congrats.Good job.

[@TrevorCopter]

4:03 Andy clearly wrote this line cause it’s the same “How do you say..?” bit as the French Pole Vaulter he did on Late Night 😂😂😂😂😂

[@nellypanama9333]

"We just atweezed 😂😂😂😭😭," got me rolling 3:45

[@vanessawhitneypro]

Ariana Grande is always FUNNY AF... Great writing & performances! Cheers, SNL!

[@witchypoo13]

The last castrato recording is actually on KZbin. Just search Alessandro Moreschi sings Ave Maria (no scratch). It’s quite eerie and dark if you know the history.

[@BernardProfitendieu]

he was an old man when that recording was made, so not a good example of what a castrato sounded like in his prime

[@rvwsy]

ariana is giving us so much content we love you girl!!

[@DiegoAlvarezBeltran1993.]

A lot of people compliment her 1,000 yard stare but that shakey, terrified shrill singing actually makes this bit funnier.

[@rhondarobinson8443]

Easily the best sketch of the night!! Bravo, Arianna!! Great accent from Maya, also!!

[@Rhythmicons]

When Rudoplh made the gesture with her hands at 2:09 that was just one of the many subtleties going on here.

[@jaymendezz]

Niccccee

[@KrisHoppz]

Maya’s creepiness is perfection here 3:53

[@katiehoholick420]

Soon as he said "We justa twist" I saw that too HA

[@jasmith007]

The frightening part is that that is all history and more or less happened in the way described

[@jasondashney]

Still is. Not for singing purposes tho.

[@beenaplumber8379]

@@jasondashney Not even Tr*mp believes that. You know he just makes stuff up, right? And this is something he isn't even saying, but if enough knuckleheads post that nonsense online, you might get a shout out from him and his pal JD. Right now you're just agitating the opposition, which motivates us. And right now, Walz is agitating Tr*mp, which gets under his skin and makes him act stupid. You saw how Kamala played him at the debate, knocked him off his game until he was howling about migrants eating dogs and cats, something he still refuses to back down from. Not helpful. That makes him a poor choice for leader. We've seen world leaders play him the same way. You see, it doesn't help your cause in Nizhny Novgorod or wherever your troll farm is, but it does help our side.

[@starchannel123]

@@jasondashneythey don’t do it when the kid is old enough to remember anymore

[@jasondashney]

@@starchannel123 I'm talking about gender transition surgeries and hormone blockers. They are still removing the genitals of boys in 2024.

[@Merlin_Signus]

@@starchannel123 that doesn't make it any better, you debased kid cutting maniac.

[@reflector374]

The dog made a big meal with the gonad. and now he 👹BARK LIKE THEEEES ...wth... hilarious😂😂4:57

[@MISTERKIC]

THEEESE For Real ! Woooo! 😂

[@CheesyBeefy88]

Best joke in the sketch!

[@melodi2036]

​@@CheesyBeefy88 right?!?!? Apparently eating balls makes your voice drop 😂😂 who knew

[@RauchenWir]

Holy shit, calling him "Kenan" was the biggest laugh I've ever heard from the audience. I don't think I've ever heard the audience laugh balloon the room like that. Also, Ariana Grande's high is so clean wtf

[@ku4uv]

I had a music 101 class in college back in 1995. One day we were learning about castrati singers. Our professor mentioned that during the Renaissance period, castrati men were very popular with the ladies of the era. There was a silence in the classroom. Suddenly, one of the guys in the class yelled out, "Uh, why?" We all burst out laughing!

[@moonshinershonor202]

Shota core or no pregnancies? The world will never know.

[@TwolfAirfan]

This skit has unlocked new levels of fear within me.

[@tlyoung88]

Ariana's range is supernatural. Which is how they used to describe the castrati.

[@dennixoxo1483]

es pun intended?

[@daydream_believer]

OMG! 🤯🤣 So funny!

[@KajiVocals]

There is no similarity between Ariana’s voice or technique and that of actual castrati of the period. This is very wrong.

[@tlyoung88]

@@KajiVocals I'm guessing the opium induced coma was anachronistic too.

[@KajiVocals]

@@tlyoung88 Missing the point.

[@giulio1675]

02:46 the vocals!?? are u insane??

[@anog999]

5:43 though!! 😭

[@giulio1675]

@@anog999 also!!!

[@luiruiii]

sound like Rosalia

[@deepalmer3960]

The tight look on Kenan’s face when Sanberg calls him by his real name. Total surprise! I spit out my tea!

[@thailifemark]

Antonio is the perfect prototype for a communicating robot. the facial expressions, body movement, costuming and vocal characteristics, and of course, Ariana Grande's performance.

[@michaell8722]

This practice (castrati) lasted over 500 years, the last person who underwent this “procedure” was in the early 1900’s.

[@jasminehouston-burns1691]

We're doing it right now. It's called tr@nz1ng children. It's stunning nobody seems to get that. It's so exact, right down to inhibiting puberty, violating an unhappy child to satisfy the self-congratulation of adults, to the lie that "it's reversible." If you even remotely support accommodating the idea that people can be the opposite sex, you are this sketch. If not worse.

[@RANIYAFAI]

You mean this is a real historical thing?

[@TheGreenZone4]

@@Schatz7it's happening today?

[@GabrielNicho]

No, he died in the early 1900s, no-one was castrated in the 1900s.

[@juliehutchens6289]

@@TheGreenZone4 It’s done chemically; puberty blockers.

[@sin1981]

I love how they can get a hilarious sketch by just telling the exact history of the castrati. Lol

[@embearry]

"como se dice opium induced coma"

[@Jordiw00t]

This made me spit on my coffee. The delivery of it was incredible.

[@karlalerod]

😂

[@FrancSchiphorst]

LOL you comment has a "translate to english" below it :D i guess it's 50% right either way :D

[@RaymondHng]

coma indotto dall'oppio

[@Haley__-yq7gu]

Antonio ran so Glinda could walk!

[@mariateresamendez155]

Tuscan Signori with Brooklyn accents crack me up😅 Greetings from Siena 🇮🇹

[@docjoe86]

4:01 The writers copied this description of castrating a castrato from the Wikipedia article about castrati. I know because I looked at the article when this sketch was starting!

[@jasminehouston-burns1691]

It's stunning nobody seems to realize that this is identical to tr@n$ng children. Somebody wrote this, thinking they were mocking the past with no self awareness that it describes the single most outrageous claim of the day.

[@Rita_unteathered]

Well duh