Thank you, next!
Congressman-elect Dan Crenshaw got payback onPete Davidsonformocking his appearance, joining the comedian onSaturday Night Liveto receive an in-person apology — only to troll Davidson withAriana Grandemusic. But what began as a hilarious Weekend Update appearance turned into a heartfelt tribute to veterans and Davidson’s father, who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“Can you imagine beingPete Davidson’s mom? It can’t be easy when everyone’s mad at your son and roommate,” cracked Davidson, who has made multiple jokes about his living arrangements in the weeks since hissplit from former fiancée Grande, 25, in mid-October.
Davidson then struck a serious tone, calling Crenshaw a “war hero” who “deserves all the respect in the world.”
“If any good came of this,” added Davidson, “maybe that it was for one day the left and the right came together to agree on something: that I’m a d—.”
“Ya think?” said Crenshaw, 34, surprising the audience while sliding up to the Weekend Update desk.
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“Lt. Com. Dan Crenshaw, everyone — thank you so much for coming!” said Davidson as the audience gave the Texas politician a warm round of applause.
“Thanks for making a Republican look good,” replied Crenshaw.
“For people that don’t know, the reason you’re wearing an eyepatch right now is that you lost your eye to an IED in Afghanistan during your third combat tour. And I’m sorry,” said Davidson.
As the audience erupted in laughter and applause, Davidson lit up with a smile. “You gonna answer that?” he said while Crenshaw kept a straight face.
“No, I’m just gonna let it ring,” he replied. “That’s rude to answer it. Let’s just let it go to voicemail.”
After Davidson said Grande’s music was “cool,” Crenshaw asked, “Oh, do you know her?”
Continuing to have fun at Davidson’s expense, Crenshaw took up theSNLstar’s offer to turn the tables and mock a photo of Davidson.
“This isPete Davidson. He looks like if the meth fromBreaking Badwas a person,” he said, adding that Davidson also looked like a “troll doll with a tapeworm.”
With the jokes behind him, Crenshaw noted the “lessons to learn here.”
“Not just that the left and the right can still agree on some things, but that also that Americans can forgive one another,” he said. “We can remember what brings us together as a country and still see the good in each other.”
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Crenshaw for Congress/Facebook
“This is Veteran’s Day weekend, which means it’s a good time for every American to connect with a veteran,” Crenshaw continued. “Maybe say, ‘Thanks for your service,’ but I would actually encourage you to say something else. Tell a veteran, ‘Never forget.'”
Crenshaw also recognized “heroes like Pete’s father,” Scott Davidson, aNew York City firefighter who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when Pete was just 7 years old.
“So I’ll just say, Pete, never forget,” said Crenshaw as the two shook hands.
“You’re a good man,” Pete told Crenshaw as the segment wrapped up. “Thank you.”
The controversy began on last week’sSNL, when Davidson joined Weekend Update to give his first impressions on a few of the candidates who ran for office in themidterms elections.
When a photo of Crenshaw came up, Davidson joked that he looked like a “hitman from a porno” due to his eyepatch.
“I’m sorry, I know he lost his eye in war or whatever,” he said as he laughed. “Whatever.”
Davidson immediately received harsh backlash for the comment. In fact, when heappeared onTodayon Monday, hisSNLcostar Kenan Thompson said Davidson crossed the line.
“I personally would never necessarily go there, but it’s tough when you’re fishing for jokes — like that’s how stand-ups feel like there’s no real filters out there in the world when they’re trying to go for a great joke or whatever, and we try to respect that but at the same time, when you miss the mark, you’re offending people so you have to really be a little more aware in my opinion,” Thompson said, adding, “He definitely missed the mark.”
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On social media, many called Davidson out for being insensitive.
“It’s not political correctness to say this joke literally belittles Dan Crenshaw’s sacrifice for our country,” wrote one Twitter user. “He deserves our thanks andPete Davidson‘s apology.”
However, Crenshaw, who won his race to represent Texas’ 2nd Congressional district in the House, said no amends were necessary.
“I want us to get away from this culture where we demand apologies every time someone misspeaks,” he toldTMZon Monday. “I think that would be very healthy for our nation to go in that direction. We don’t need to be outwardly outraged. I don’t need to demand apologies from them. They can do whatever they want, you know. They are feeling the heat from around the country right now, and that’s fine.”
source: people.com
