What Up with That


"What Up with That?" is a recurring sketch on the NBC television series Saturday Night Live which first aired in 2009. It stars Kenan Thompson as DeAndre Cole, host of a talk show on BET. Supporting characters include Taran Killam as the show's announcer, Fred Armisen as Giuseppe, a Kenny G-like saxophone player, Jason Sudeikis as Vance, an overzealous track-suit-wearing backup dancer,, and backup singers Pippa and Piper, portrayed by Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad, Pedrad and Vanessa Bayer, Bayer and Cecily Strong, Strong and Sasheer Zamata, and Ego Nwodim and Melissa Villasenor. The sketch has incorporated unannounced cameo appearances by a number of celebrities. In addition to this, cast members frequently play roles adding to the chaos during Cole's performances, such as Paul Brittain and Abby Elliott's dancing performances as Vili Fualaau and Mary Kay Letourneau, a student and teacher who made news for their sexual relationship.

Format

The sketch begins with Cole singing the show's lengthy theme song, "What's Up With That?" Cole welcomes viewers to the show, but his introduction of the day's topic generally leads into a reprise of the theme song. Once the reprise is finished, he introduces the show's three guests, with the third always being Bill Hader playing Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. As soon as the first guest begins talking, Cole echoes each thing they say in a sing-song manner, eventually leading into yet another rendition of the theme song. The multiple theme song performances end up using all the show's time, and the second guest does not get to speak, nor does Lindsey Buckingham, who, according to Cole, has attended dozens of times without ever getting interviewed but still remains a good sport.
In the May 14, 2011, episode, the real Lindsey Buckingham appeared alongside Bill Hader playing him. The first guest was that week's musical guest, Paul Simon, who opened his interview by complaining about how Cole invites Buckingham each week but never gives him a chance to talk. While Hader had no lines once again, the real Buckingham played guitar and spoke up for him.
In a backstage clip from the show on February 18, 2012, Cole lets Buckingham list the U.S. Presidents and their birthdays. This marked the first time that Hader's Buckingham ever received an opportunity to speak.
In the December 15, 2012, episode, Samuel L. Jackson said "fuck" and "bullshit" on the live broadcast, prompting Cole to respond with "Come on, Sam, that costs money." Jackson responded to the controversy by stating that he had said the profanities expecting Thompson to cut him off in the middle of each.

Reception

The skit has received mixed reviews. Television web site Hitfix applauded Thompson's performance, stating that it works because he can actually sing. However, Entertainment Weekly suggested that the skit was getting old over time, asking: "How many more times can they fall back on this one?" Rolling Stone would go on to name the sketch as a breakout moment for Thompson.
Internally, among the writers of the sketch there was worry that the bit would not work with Bryan Tucker noting that if was feared that the sketch "might be too random and silly". The night of its premiere, though, Tucker noted that "After the sketch was over, everyone stopped working and lined the backstage hallway to give Kenan a high-five or a pat on the back" and that they were "treating the moment like it was a high school football game, and the home team had just won".

Episodes

#Original airdateGuestCelebrity cameos
1October 17, 2009Gerard ButlerJames Franco
2November 21, 2009Joseph Gordon-LevittAl Gore, Mindy Kaling
3December 19, 2009James FrancoMike Tyson, Jack McBrayer
4March 6, 2010Zach GalifianakisPaul Rudd, Frank Rich
5October 2, 2010Bryan CranstonMorgan Freeman, Ernest Borgnine
6December 4, 2010Robert De NiroRobin Williams
7May 14, 2011Ed HelmsPaul Simon, Chris Colfer, "another" Lindsey Buckingham
8February 18, 2012Maya RudolphBill O'Reilly, Kate Upton
9December 15, 2012Martin ShortSamuel L. Jackson, Carrie Brownstein
10February 15, 201540th Anniversary SpecialAs part of a montage of musical sketches
11April 25, 2020N/ACharles Barkley, DJ Khaled

In addition to these sketches, Kenan Thompson as Diondre Cole, Jason Sudeikis as Vance, and Fred Armisen as Giuseppe appeared in the monologue of the April 17, 2010, episode hosted by Ryan Phillippe, in which various SNL characters question why MacGruber has a movie yet they do not.