"WHAT THE F*** WAS THAT, STEVE?!" - JOSHUA GRIMMIE'S SNL BANNON JIBE BRINGS HOUSE DOWNCONTROVERSIAL POP STAR REDEEMS & MOCKS HIMSELF FOLLOWING FCA BLUNDER
Joshua Grimmie may very well be the gift that just keeps on giving. He is the name on the tip of everyone's lips at the moment and for the most part, it's usually followed by a roll of the eyes or a spike in stress levels. If he's not savagely tearing into other pretty boy pop stars, he is ferociously cussing out poor drummers on live TV or generally pissing everyone off just by breathing. A walking meme, Joshua always has a tendency to put his foot in it and provides us with glorious snapshot moments which will be referenced and belly-laughed over for years to come. From openly stating that he's a better musician than Kato to being torn limb from limb on Twitter for simply offering a homeless fan some money so they had a place to stay, the giggles keep on coming. It was his recent FCA performance in Glasgow that provided his golden moment, however. Following a mishap on behalf of his drummer, after the performance Joshua was heard yelling "What the f*** was that, Steve?!" without noticing that his microphone was still live and broadcasting to more or less the entire globe. It was those six words which stuck with people after the night, leading to many memes, reaction pictures and parodies. Joshua himself, however, did not reference the incident until last night on his debut SNL appearance.
Joshua appeared on the finale of the season last night and was joined by multiple series regulars to celebrated the conclusion of the show. The show received rave reviews and Joshua was lauded for his performance after an initial backlash when the youngster was first announced as host and musical guest. Only a few select people have had the privilege of hosting and performing on the show during the same night over the series' 43 year run. Many were sceptical when Joshua was revealed as the next guest to join the elite few due to his divisive media persona and the fact that he is not a very "seasoned" performer. Hosting the iconic show is a huge feat in itself let alone performing music numbers. Many speculated as to why Grimmie was selected as host taking into account his latest controversies and for proving unpopular in the court of public opinion. Rumours of payola by Five Pesky Kids in order to push Grimmie into the limelight have been circulating, however, it is believed that his strong political stances and hatred for the GOP are the reasons he bagged the gig.
Grimmie's opening monologue ran for almost nine minutes as he owned the stage with a coy smile upon his face. Right from the off, he referred to Trump's distaste for him and how he is relishing in the fact that he is hosting the show on a very tumultuous week in The White House. From the potential impeachment, to the Russia scandal, to the firing of Comey, nothing was left off the table. The star also wore an LGBTQ flag which was tied around his waist and he dedicated a moment to those suffering in "anti-gay camps" in Chechnya. Grimmie was praised for finding the right combination of humour and seriousness in his opening monologue, often mocking himself too:
"You know, I've been called a narcissist before and I get it. I ramble on and on to people, put myself out there for the world and it must seem like I love the sound of my own voice. Even right now, I'm making most of this up as I go along and if I keep going, keep spewing things out, it begins to look like I know what I'm actually doing. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I sound like a presidential candidate. Wow, OK...that's scary. I think that I'd make a fairly decent President, though. You'd be safe with me. I'm pansexual so I'm aaallll for everyone. I don't have any bones to pick with any gender, race or orientation. I'm greedy like that...apparently. Oh and don't worry, the only thing that Putin and I would have in common is the crazy eyes." Another poignant segment of the opening followed later on in the speech, in which he lambasted those who claim that opponents of the Trump Administration are "equally as bad" and that they should be respectful because "Trump won". It was compared to Aziz Ansari's acclaimed segment earlier in the year, although in true Grimmie style he took a more "intense" approach.
"I get a lot of comments comparing me to those I criticize. Apparently, I'm a hypocrite. I hate this administration, they hate and discriminate against people for the way they were born. We're even right? Uh...no! You see, guys, hate is not the problem. You are allowed to hate. It's a natural response. It's IRRATIONAL hate this is the issue here. You can hate a RACIST for their actions. They are the ones causing the harm, the upset, the war. Hating them is totally justifiable. Hating an entire RACE on the other hand is just ludicrous. An entire race didn't do anything wrong. Although, us Whites did inflict this socks and sandals trend upon the world and on behalf of us, I am sorry."Grimmie continued with the theme of rational versus irrational hatred and it seemed to go down a treat, with the audience applauding and cheering multiple times throughout his speech.
"This entire "hating the hate makes you just as bad" way of thinking is just bull. The reason the KKK and these Neo-Nazis went into hiding for years was due to the fact that it was unfashionable to be racist. We pointed them out, we told them that it was not OK. They hid their faces and were on the verge of extinction. It's like they lived away in caves on the fringes of society like Ugenia until it's time for a new Big Brother. Now, they seem to be crawling out of the woodwork because Roz from Monsters Inc. was elected and they're using this "you're just as bad as us, so we're equal" mentality to justify themselves and worm their way back into existence. We've got to take a stand, guys. It's time for the racists and the homophobic morons to live in fear again. Hating bigotry does not a bigot make. I'd drop the mic but I'm not sure how well my album's going to hold up in the charts next week, so I don't know if I'll be able to afford the cost of replacing it. After all...I'm no Kato."While the monologue whipped up a frenzy, it was his Steve Bannon jibe filled skit alongside other cast members and guest stars that stole the show. Joshua played a young reporter, following President Trump (portrayed by Alec Baldwin) around The White House in order to document a day in the life of the controversial figure. Joshua's acting was commended, showing that he certainly has the chops for it. He has never shown off his acting skills prior to this. The skit saw Trump seemingly on puppet strings and wearing an earpiece, which he would hold onto after making a ludicrous statement as if being scolded by a higher power. Trump would then quickly retract his statement. As more members of the administration entered the set, also on puppet strings, the unseen puppeteer was clearly finding it difficult to jungle it all at once. Cast members lost control of their motor skills, often spontaneously smacking the person next to them, walking into objects and falling down as the puppet master fails to handle them all at once which leaves Grimmie's character spooked. Eventually, the entire set and the "puppets"
fall down and around Joshua, revealing "Steve Bannon" or "President Bannon" as he is often dubbed, as the puppet master behind all the chaos. Looking around at the mess and the literal collapsing of the government around him in total disbelief for a few seconds, Joshua looks over at the Bannon character while holding his arms out and yelling,
"What the f*** was that, Steve?!". The swear was obviously planned this time, allowing producers to censor it accordingly. The audience erupted in a roar.
Joshua also took part in a much shorter skit in which he and Kenan Thompson
(both pictured above) are acting as candidates for the 2032 Presidential Election - as Grimmie would be 35 by then and eligible to run for office. As they both debate, Thompson's character speaks in complete gibberish and often drops in political associated words, to which the crowd respond wildly too.
Joshua on the other hand is far more educated and eloquent but his answers just aren't hitting the right spot. Soon catching on that he does not need to put thought into his words, Joshua decides to recite the lyrics to Addiction by Suzie in a very passionate manner. The seductive lyrics contrasted with Joshua's serious, pleading voice which he made very nasally for his character proved hilarious.
His musical performances included Don't Let It Go To Your Head and his upcoming single Breathe Fire. It is ironic as these were the exact songs that he performed during the FCAs, leading to the TV gold moment. This time around, Grimmie performed both songs in their entirety without a hitch and received standing ovations. His performance of Breathe Fire was specifically highlighted due to the emotive delivery and the fact that this was his first televised performance of the full song, showcasing the acclaimed rap-sung bridge of the song for the first time. His infamous FCA appearance only saw a small portion of the track performed. By the end of the night, the icy atmosphere in the building had been lifted and everyone was on their feet for the entire cast but more importantly, for Joshua Grimmie, the star of the night.
While Joshua may still have many critics out there, his SNL performance won many "haters" over and definitely helped show off a far more playful, funny and much more likeable side of his personality. Although, we can't imagine it has done any favours for his popularity in The White House.
