Entertainment

SNL taps into obsession with Swift-Kelce relationship in premiere

“She’s in the luxury box, hanging with Mama Kelce, knocking back cocktails with Deadpool. Folks they’re official.”

Pictured: (l-r) Kenan Thompson as Curt Menefee, Molly Kearny as Terry Bradshaw, Mikey Day as Howie Long, Devon Walker as Michael Strahan, and James Austin Johnson as Jimmy Johnson during the “Fox NFL Sunday” sketch on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Will Heath/NBC

By Gwen Egan

2 minutes to read

The season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” included a sketch on a topic of national discussion over the last few weeks — Taylor Swift’s dating life. 

In a faux Fox NFL Sunday segment — Curt Menefee played by Kenan Thompson, Howie Long played by Mikey Day, Jimmy Johnson played by James Austin Johnson, Michael Strahan played by Devon Walker, and Terry Bradshaw played by Molly Kearney — attempted to discuss an upcoming matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets without talking about Taylor Swift. 

As you might imagine, it did not go well.

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Since Taylor Swift’s appearance at Travis Kelce’s game on Sept. 24 the internet has been alight with analysis and fact-checking about the state of their budding romance.

Game? What game?

The SNL skit attempted to summarize the internet’s most popular comments, with a football-commentary-like analysis. 

A point of contention rested on the officialdom of the relationship between the pop sensation and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. 

“She’s in the luxury box, hanging with Mama Kelce, knocking back cocktails with Deadpool. Folks they’re official,” said Kearney as Terry Bradshaw. 

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The skit then delved into Swifty lore, including the surprise songs she played at certain shows across her Eras Tour, the friendship bracelets that were traded at the different shows, and references to her past boyfriends.

At the very end of the segment, a surprise cameo by Travis Kelce himself stirred up the live audience.

The beginning of some of the rumors about Swift and Kelce can be traced to a remark Kelce made in July on his podcast with his brother Jason Kelce about having gone to a night of the Eras tour with his number written on one of the friendship bracelets fans would swap at the concerts.  

“If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets, and I received a bunch of them being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it,” the athlete revealed on the show.

Later in the show, Swift made an appearance, to introduce musical guest Ice Spice.

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