In between musical acts and other performances, D.C.’s Howard University got an unexpected shout-out on NBC’s Saturday Night Live last night in a skit about soul food and cultural assumptions.
In a skit imitating competitive culinary shows like “Top Chef,” two chefs — one a Black female, the other a white male — are asked to create an authentic soul food dish for two Black judges. When the dishes are revealed, one of them is a spot on southern combo, while the other is a laughable “deconstructed” fusion concoction, including “okra foam” and “impossible catfish made from soy protein.”
The twist comes when it’s revealed that it was the white chef, played by SNL host Nate Bargatze, who created the winning, authentic soul food plate. On his win, and to the confounded judges, he repeatedly says, “I’m sorry.”
At the end, celebrity Padma Lakshmi makes a cameo to award the winner a guest spot on a series called “The Black Kitchen,” as well as making him a cultural ambassador for D.C.’s Howard University, one of the oldest HBCU’s in the U.S.
The winner’s response? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
The D.C. Council wasted no time hailing the shoutout, even as the show was still airing.
Happily surprised to hear @HowardU’s name dropped in a sketch on #snl (plus a cameo from @PadmaLakshmi) pic.twitter.com/gwR45Tn2u9
— Council of DC (@councilofdc) October 29, 2023
And if Howard University wasn’t enough, D.C. area rock icon Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighters were also featured musical guests on last night’s show, prompting the council to hail last night’s episode “a very DC SNL.”
