Television October 14, 2023
Pete Davidson Talks About Dad Who Died on 9/11 in War-Themed 'SNL' Cold Open
NBC
Pete Davidson kicked off "SNL's" new season with a surprisingly somber cold open, addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while remembering the death of his dad on 9/11.
"This week, we saw the horrible story and images from Israel and Gaza," he began, "and I know what you're thinking — 'Who better to comment on it than Pete Davidson?'"
He went on, "Well, in a lot of ways, I am a good person to talk about it, because when I was 7 years old, my dad was killed in a terrorist attack, so I know something about what that's like."
Saying the imagery he saw this week of Israeli and Palestinian children suffering affected him deeply, he admitted, "It took me back to a really horrible, horrible place. No one in this world deserves to suffer like that, especially not kids."
The comic went on to say he remembered his mom trying to cheer him up the year after his father's death, accidentally getting the grieving 8-year-old Eddie Murphy's raunchy "Delirious" video instead of a wholesome Disney movie.
"She tried to take it away," he said, "but then she noticed something — for the first time in a long time, I was laughing again... Sometimes, comedy is really the only way forward through tragedy."
He wrapped up with, "My heart is with everyone whose lives have been destroyed this week, but tonight, I'm gonna do what I've always done in the face of tragedy, and that's try to be funny. Remember — I said try."
Watch his full speech:
