This day in history: Betty White becomes oldest celeb to host SNL

On May 8, 2010, 88-year-old Betty White, the Golden Girls star, became the oldest person ever to host Saturday Night Live (SNL). The journey to Betty’s hosting gig actually started on social media. In late 2009, a 29-year-old fan started a Facebook group called “Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!” By March 2010, nearly half a million people had joined the cause.

Betty White’s appearance in a hilarious ad for Snickers during the Super Bowl inspired the 29-year-old fan to start that petition on Facebook. While SNL creator Lorne Michaels had tried to book White at least three times in previous decades, the timing was never right. Thanks to the viral petition and a hit Super Bowl commercial, White was booked for a Mother’s Day weekend special.

Seth Meyers, who was the show’s head writer at the time, later recalled that the dress rehearsal was the “hottest” he had ever seen. In comedy terms, a “hot” show means the audience is laughing so hard and so consistently that the atmosphere feels explosive.

Meyers noted that during the “Scared Straight” sketch, where White played a felon alongside Kenan Thompson, the audience was screaming with laughter. The reaction was so intense that Meyers actually ran to Lorne Michaels’ office to tell him he had to come down and see it for himself.

The episode was a nostalgic reunion as well, featuring appearances by beloved SNL alumnae like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, and Ana Gasteyer. One of the night’s highlights was the Delicious Dish sketch, where White played Florence Dusty, a baker famous for her dusty muffins.

Betty’s opening monologue was a masterpiece in itself. She made fun of the Facebook petition that had brought her there, joking that Facebook sounded like a huge waste of time and that in her day, seeing pictures of people’s vacations was considered a punishment.

The episode earned SNL its highest overnight ratings in 18 months. White’s performance earned her the seventh Emmy Award of her career for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Betty White passed away in late 2021, just weeks before her 100th birthday. Throughout her life, she credited her longevity to a positive outlook and a simple diet of hot dogs and vodka. 

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