‘SNL’ Takes On ‘Brat’ Summer With Charli XCX-Themed Talk Show as Bowen Yang Plays ‘Brat or Nat’
by Ethan Shanfeld · Variety“Brat” summer might be over, but nothing is truly dead until “Saturday Night Live” gets its hands on it.
On Saturday’s season opener of the NBC sketch comedy series, Bowen Yang transformed into Charli XCX to host a fictional series called “The Talk Talk Show,” in a nod to one of the British pop star’s song titles.
In the segment, Yang welcomed “Australian dingo twink Troye Sivan,” with whom Charli XCX is currently on the Sweat Tour. Playing the “Rush” singer was Sarah Sherman, who lifted up her shirt to reveal fake washboard abs.
“Troye, are you happy to be here?” asked Yang, to which Sherman responded, “Naur!”
Related Stories
How Celebrity Reps Are Fighting the Flood of Unauthorized AI Content
Netflix, Lionsgate Action Film ‘War Machine’ Firing up in Australia With 'Reacher' Star Alan Ritchson
Yang then ran through recent events and deemed them either “brat or nat.” The verdict: Hunter Biden’s laptop is “brat,” and Mark Robinson’s search history is “nat.” Barron Trump going to NYU is “brat,” but NYU itself is “nat.” Amy Adams in “Nightbitch”? “Brat.” Eric Adams’ indictment? “Nat.”
Yang then brought on the guests of “The Talk Talk Show”: “queer nightlife icon Susanne Bartsch and hetero CNN icon Kaitlan Collins,” played by “SNL” host Jean Smart and Chloe Fineman, respectively.
Yang then proceeded to direct political questions to Smart’s Susanne Bartsch and questions like, “Have you ever done ketamine?” to Fineman’s CNN anchor.
Next introduced was the “bad girl of C-SPAN,” aka U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Texas, played by Ego Nwodim. The congresswoman then gave her unfiltered thoughts on everything from JD Vance (“smoky-eyed sofa-sexual can’t order donuts but has donut body”) to gerrymandering (“crazy-shaped crooked bitch”).
“Brat,” Charli XCX’s sixth studio album, was released on June 7 and quickly captured the cultural (and, in some ways, the political) zeitgeist. With its hyperpop-influenced club bangers and slime-green aesthetic, it became the album of the summer. It also became fodder for TikTok dances and memes, which went as far as the Kamala Harris campaign briefly adopting the “brat” moniker.
Charli XCX brought “Brat” to New York a week before “SNL,” performing at Madison Square Garden with Troye Sivan and special guests Lorde and Addison Rae. She is set to release a “Brat” remix album on Oct. 11.
“Saturday Night Live” kicked off its 50th season on Sept. 28 with host Jean Smart and musical guest Jelly Roll. The iconic sketch comedy series will celebrate its big anniversary with a live primetime special on Feb. 16. The series airs on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET and streams on Peacock.