Why Was This Perfect Skit Deleted From Natalie Portman’s SNL Episode?

SNL has managed to become permanently and historically relevant in the minds of comedy fans across generations. What this means for the sketch show is that it can suck – like, really suck – for long periods of time without the threat of being pulled off the air.
But, in adherence to the Buddhist teaching of impermanence, sucking inevitably turns into winning, and winning is what SNL has been doing lately.
That being said, there is no reality in which SNL is doing so well that it can afford to cut out one of the most objectively funny skits of, at the very least, the past month.
And yet.
Tuesday evening, a deleted sketch from Natalie Portman’s episode, which aired Saturday night, made its way around the Internet. Featuring Natalie Portman as the compassionate mother of a little girl with sociopathic tendencies, the sketch pokes perfect fun at a toy industry that still treats little girls like mommies in training.
Instead, the sketch teaches little girls a more important lesson: it is never your fault if your handsome prince comes with children. And you have no obligation to be nice to them.
Becky Scott is the editor of The Schmooze. Follow her on Twitter, @arr_scott
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
