Related Articles
Saturday Night Live‘s 49th season opened with host Pete Davidson offering brief yet poignant words on the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“This week we saw the horrible images and stories fromIsrael and Gaza, and I know whatyou’re thinking: who better tocomment on it than PeteDavidson,” the former SNL cast member began. “Well, in a lot of ways, I am agood person to talk about itbecause when I was 7 years old,my dad was killed in a terroristattack.So I know something about whatthat’s like.”
Davidson described the aftermath of his father’s death on September 11, 2001, and what ultimately helped him move through the grieving process.
“My mom triedpretty much everything she coulddo to cheer me up.I remember one day when I was 8,she got me what she thought wasa Disney movie, but it wasactually the Eddie Murphystand-up special, Delirious,” the actor and comedian recalled.
“We played it in the car on theway home, and when she heard thethings Eddie Murphy was saying,she tried to take it away.But then she noticed something: for the first time in a longtime, I was laughing. Again, I don’t understand it.I really don’t, and I neverwill, but sometimes comedy isreally the only way forwardthrough tragedy,” Davidson said.
“My heart is with everyone whoselives have been destroyed thisweek.But tonight, I’m going to dowhat I’ve always done in theface of tragedy, and that’s tryto be funny.Remember: I said try.”
In his monologue a few minutes later, Davidson lightened the mood by describing his experience trying to bond with his sister by watching the HBO series Game of Thrones. But that show, he was discouraged to find out, has “so much incest!”
