Pete Davidson and John Mulaney revealed they lied to Saturday Night Live hosts whose opening monologues failed to land with the audience [1].
This admission provides a rare glimpse into the backstage management of one of television's most high-pressure environments. By fabricating a common failure rate for guests, the comedians aimed to mitigate the psychological fallout of a public bombing and maintain the production's momentum.
The two alumni shared these details during a panel conversation this month at the Netflix Is A Joke Festival in Los Angeles [1], [2]. They explained that when a host's monologue did not receive a positive reaction, they would step in to placate the guest to smooth over the embarrassment [1], [3].
According to the comedians, the specific lie involved telling the host that monologues typically tank eight times out of 10 [1]. This numerical claim was used as a tool to normalize the failure and keep the show's atmosphere positive [1], [3].
“They’d tank eight times out of 10,” Mulaney said [1].
Davidson echoed the sentiment regarding their approach to these awkward backstage moments. “We’d just tell them they bombed eight out of 10 times and move on,” Davidson said [2].
The strategy served as a social buffer for celebrities who may not be accustomed to the immediate, visceral feedback of a live comedy audience. By framing the failure as a statistical norm rather than a personal or professional lapse, Davidson and Mulaney were able to stabilize the guest's confidence before they proceeded to the rest of the episode's sketches.
““They’d tank eight times out of 10.””
The revelation highlights the performative nature of 'support' in high-stakes entertainment, where the priority is often the stability of the production over honest feedback. By creating a fictional baseline for failure, the cast managed the egos of guest stars to ensure that a poor start did not derail the rest of the live broadcast.
