The SNL alum dazzled as the vibrant Mother of the House of Rockefeller during the show’s electrifying opening number, exuding confidence and charisma. However, her attempt to revive her iconic Beyoncé impression unfortunately fell short, eliciting mixed reactions from the audience
The former Saturday Night Live star returned to her old stomping grounds to host this week’s new episode — and kicked off the night with a Mother’s Day rap that paid tribute to actual moms and all the badass women gay men affectionately refer to as mother.
“It’s so good to be back and for the Mother’s Day Episode. For me, it’s extra special because I am a four-time mom,” Rudolph began her monologue, before SNL cast members Bowen Yang and Sarah Sherman came out on stage to remind her she’s “not just a mom, you’re mother.”
“You have achieved extra-terrestrial mother status,” Sherman told her, before Rudolph claimed her “Mother of the House of Rockefeller” title by changing into a Beyonce-inspired bodysuit and breaking into a must-watch rap.
“I’m your mother. I’m your mother. Oops, I made you dance, remember in that movie when I pooped my pants?” she began, referencing Bridesmaids. “When you were a baby, you pooped your pants and I changed your diaper. I’m your mother.”
After reminding viewers to clean their rooms and paying tribute to all kinds of mothers — including Dance Moms and ocotmoms — she told viewers to “bow down, children,” before cast member Punkie Johnson came out and said the gay community watching felt she was “giving body-ody-ody with her performance.”
Rudolph then honored all the amazing female characters who have really broken out on SNL through the years, including her own Donatella Versace and bits like Mary Katherine Gallagher, Debbie Downer, Baba Waba and Lisa from Temecula.
It was truly a standout intro — watch above!
Later in the show, Rudolph then brought out one of her best impressions by having a Cowboy Carter version of Beyonce once again attempt to tackle Hot Ones. Rudolph previously appeared as the singer for a skit about the same challenge back in March 2021.
With Mikey Day as host Sean Evans, Rudolph’s Beyonce explained she returned for another go-around because, “This is the only thing I attempted that I did not slay” and it really bothered her.
And, once again, she failed miserably — slamming Evans’ “Charlie Brown-looking ass” as hot wing after hot wing really started to get to her. At one point, she tossed a glass of milk into his face while exclaiming, “That’s what you get for giving the world’s baddest bitch swamp ass on YouTube!”
She also had her assistant, played by an almost-breaking Kenan Thompson, spray coco lotion directly into her mouth in an attempt to cool her down, to no avail. After clearly failing the challenge, again, Thompson brought out a neuralyzer from Men In Black and wiped Evans’ mind clean.
Watch more of Maya’s best bits below — and the Weekend Update moment where “RFK’s brain work” referred to Tom Sandoval as a “parasite.”
