‘That’s So Intense’: Ariana Grande Reveals Her SNL Game Night Sketch Was Inspired By Her Mom
Ariana Grande portrayed a fiercely competitive and somewhat demeaning woman while participating in a game during a Saturday Night Live sketch. On October 12, 2014, the Thank You, Next singer hosted an episode of SNL, impressing audiences with her comedic skills and timing. One of her sketches featured her Wicked co-star, Bowen Yang, and was titled Charades With Mom.
According to Grande, it was her who pitched the idea after surviving a brutal family game night over Labor Day weekend. It started as fun and games until her brother-in-law started getting too competitive.
“We’re playing charades and Hale’s brother, my brother-in-law’s brother… was like, ‘Haha, we’re winning’ vibes. That was the extent of it. He was like, ‘Woo-hoo! We’re ahead,’” the pop star recalled on a recent episode of the Las Culturistas podcast. That’s when her mom came up with a salty come back and said, “And my mom goes, ‘Tiny-dick syndrome, huh?’” leaving everyone in shock.
Surprised by her mother’s remark, the Positions singer told her, “Don’t say such comments that could be hurtful. Mommy, wait. That’s not funny. I felt it was intense and harmful. That was really intense!” she recalled saying.
Fortunately, everyone else found it hilarious and started laughing. But her mother kept her fiery remark intact and said.
Later, Grande started doing it for entertainment, and everyone was having tears of laughter. So she texted Yang, suggesting they must do a related sketch because it’s “so silly” yet hilarious. “My jaw dropped,” he said about his reaction. “I was like, ‘Joan.’”
In the SNL Sketch, Grande played a matriarch who started hurling insults at her son’s boyfriend while aggressively playing Charades. The boyfriend jokingly says, “In your face Diane (Grande)” after winning one round, and that’s when she takes the insults too seriously.
The singer admitted that her family can get competitive while playing games, so she feels like an alien. “I’m an alien in my family a little bit because I’m like… I don’t care. I just wanna have fun and I wanna be there and I’m here for a good time,” she added.
