On This Week's "SNL," an Infamous Iceberg Has a Story to Tell

Has history given the iceberg that sank the Titanic a raw deal? The iceberg certainly thinks so. That, at least, was the premise of a Weekend Update segment on this week’s Saturday Night Live. The premise itself was solid, but Bowen Yang’s performance as the iceberg was where things reached a higher comic level.

As Colin Jost volleyed question after question to Yang’s iceberg, a few things became apparent. One is that Yang managed to avoid breaking character even when wearing a giant iceberg model on his head. Another is that the iceberg was portrayed as a celebrity in crisis-management mode, there to promote his “hyperpop EDM nu-disco fantasia” album.

“You said you would be my Oprah, Colin!” Yang shouted at one point. The sketch also involved a Riverdance reference and a moment when an actual iceberg compares himself to a metaphorical iceberg. The sketch is a fine showcase for Yang, who’s been one of the show’s standouts this season. It’s also a wonderfully bizarre moment in an episode that abounded with similar forays into the surreal and hilarious.