You can’t yada yada this. Below, watch “real” New Yorkers Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Seinfeld) and Rachel Green (Vanessa Bayer as Jennifer Aniston’s Friends‘ character) question Hillary Clinton (Kate McKinnon) and Senator Bernie Sanders (Larry David) at the Brooklyn debate. The sketch is from the April 16, 2017 episode of Saturday Night Live, on NBC. Louis-Dreyfus hosted with Nick Jonas as musical guest.
SNL’s most recent cold open begins as a political debate between Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders. After Hilary makes Bernie “feel the ‘Bern’,” Wolf Blitzer (Beck Bennet) tosses to Kenan Thompson for the “black question.” Blitzer then turns the mic over to the audience. Elaine is not having it, when Bernie tries to “yada yada” the details.
Aside from the “yada yada” and “George is getting upset” callbacks, the sketch is also a meta-Seinfeld reunion, since David co-created the show about nothing and was the inspiration for Jason Alexander’s George Costanza. Elaine also pointedly asks Hillary about being the only woman in a group of guys.
Taking a page out of Jennifer Aniston’s book, Vanessa Bayer plays Friends‘ Rachel Green. After her not-a-question question, Wolf Blitzer introduces OB/GYN Dr. Cliff Huxtable (unseen), and both candidates make it clear they don’t want to talk to him. Elaine asks Bernie a follow-up about how his planned tax increases for the rich would affect the creator of a long-running, successful sitcom.
Watch Saturday Night Live‘s April 16th cold open.
Before now, the Seinfeld actors haven’t truly reprised their characters since the sitcom ended. The closest they’ve come is their work on David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm TV show. In that case, they played themselves working on a Seinfeld reunion.
Watch this “George Is Getting Upset,” clip, from Seinfeld.
Here’s Seinfeld‘s “The Yada Yada.”
What do you think? How did you like Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Seinfeld‘s Elaine Benes on Saturday Night Live? Which referenced sitcom was your favorite: Seinfeld, Friends, or The Cosby Show?