Kim Kardashian’s “SNL” Hosting Debut Actually Boosted Ratings After The Worst-Performing Season Opener In History Despite Fans Threatening to “Boycott” The Episode
"Kim Kardashian absolutely THRIVES on being underestimated."
And to the surprise of many, she actually did a pretty good job.
Since the show on Saturday, Kim's performance has been fairly well received by audiences — which might come as a surprise given that many viewers of the show were not pleased to discover that she would be hosting.
In fact, when her hosting gig was announced last month, some fans even threatened to boycott SNL, expressing their disappointment that the beauty mogul was taking on a role typically reserved for actors and comics.
"I mean, I know she is a cultural icon, but SNL has hosts, generally, who are performers who are there to promote a film, TV show, or album launch," tweeted Will & Grace actor Debra Messing in response to the news. "Am I missing something?"
"I won't be watching SNL tonight," another fan wrote on Saturday. "Kim Kardashian doesn't deserve a second of my time."
However, being no stranger to criticism, Kim hit back with a performance that left many viewers pleasantly surprised.
"Gotta say, not a Kim fan, but the jokes were good and she was confident," someone tweeted after the show. "She pulled it off better than some I’ve seen over the years."
What's more, Kim's killer hosting debut was especially impressive given that she — by her own admission — finds any kind of performance mortifying, and was once even kicked offstage by Prince for refusing to dance.
But if there's one thing we know for sure, it's that a challenge won't stop Kim K from putting on a show.
Pleased to see the reality star stepping out of her comfort zone and onto the stage, one viewer praised her ability to poke fun of herself — and her family.
"The way Kim took shots at everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY in her family was hilarious," they wrote on Twitter. "Glad she has a sense of humor about everything. I enjoyed the show tonight. Maybe she could come back for another hosting gig later down the line."
And now, it appears that Kim has proven her critics wrong, scoring SNL a boost in its ratings after last week's episode became the sketch show's lowest-rated season opener of all time.
But a win for Kim isn't always without its share of controversy.
All in all, Kim's performances across the show's various sketches were met with an overwhelming amount of praise from fans, but it was her opening monologue that really got people talking.
The four-minute monologue — which has already amassed over 2 million views on YouTube alone — made waves with a string of cutting jokes making light of everything from her infamous sex tape scandal to her ongoing divorce from Kanye West.
But it was a number of quips about O.J. Simpson that left viewers divided, with some declaring that the jokes were "in poor taste."
In case you weren't aware, Kim is the daughter of Robert Kardashian Sr., who was a close friend of O.J.'s. But Robert is perhaps more famous for his role as O.J.'s defense attorney, ultimately helping to get him acquitted of murder charges after the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
So, after joking that it was because of her father that she met her "first Black person," Kim said to the audience: "Wanna take a stab in the dark at who it was?"
"O.J. does leave a mark — or several, or none at all; I still don’t know," she teased.
In light of her family ties to the case, it was perhaps unsurprising that the show's writers urged her to make jokes about the famous murder trial — especially given that SNL has become known for making light of the topic in previous sketches.
However, some fans were still left taken aback by the comments, especially because Kim has previously declined to speak publicly about the case out of respect for O.J.'s children.
"Imagine Nicole Brown's family after seeing this," someone wrote on Twitter. "TF were you thinking, @nbcsnl ? Joking about murder is never funny."
"Imagine how Nicole Brown's family must feel," echoed another. "Or OJ Simpson's children who lost their mother."
And while many were pleased to see Kim speak candidly about topics like plastic surgery and divorce, they ultimately felt that the OJ jokes missed the mark.
Not all viewers were on the same page, however, with many quick to point out that SNL's weekly sketches are often filled with borderline remarks, with some going on to suggest that the critics were simply seeking an opportunity to bash Kim.
Others made reference to the late Norm Macdonald — the former SNL cast member who sadly died last month — mentioning that Norm would frequently make jokes about O.J. on the show. Therefore, these fans felt that Kim's monologue was a fitting tribute to the late comedian.
But for the most part, fans of Kim — and even those who aren't — were impressed by the performance, with some even calling her monologue "one of the best."
And with a 23% boost in ratings, I guess you could say the proof is in the pudding.