Pete Davidson Hid A Sneaky Kanye West Joke In His Barbie-Themed SNL Sketch

It didn’t take long for Pete Davidson to return to Saturday Night Live, if only temporarily. The SNL vet hosted the late-night sketch comedy show’s Season 49 premiere on Oct. 14, and he brought back his willingness to poke fun at himself, dark humor, and musical chops. He got especially self-deprecating during a sketch inspired by the hit movie Barbie — namely, Ryan Gosling’s iconic “I’m Just Ken” number — and he managed to mock his feud with Kanye West in a sneaky, hilarious way.

Davidson’s version of the ballad is fittingly called “I’m Just Pete,” and like the official Barbie version, it centers on a man struggling with his feelings of inadequacy. The comedian’s Kenergy comes out after he hears his former castmates Punkie Johnson and Andrew Dismukes casually disparaging his work when he shows up excited to host. Deep in his feelings, it’s time for him to musically lament that only his mom streamed his show Bupkis and the kinds of decisions he makes when he’s high.

The Kanye West joke comes as the song builds and he touches on the online hate he gets. “People online still call me Skete,” he sings, “because of a guy whose name I can’t say legally.” He looks at the camera and holds a finger to his lips, but a quick flash of West’s image on the screen makes it obvious who the guy is for anyone who didn’t already know.

In a way, SNL kicked off Davidson’s drama with West, so it’s fitting that he used his return to joke about it. It was, after all, in Studio 8H during an Aladdin-themed sketch that sparks flew between Davidson and Kim Kardashian, who was then still legally married to West. Davidson and Kardashian later began dating, and the rapper was notoriously upset about it for months. “THERES [sic] A SKETE LURKING IN EVERY DIRTY ASS ALLEY WAITING TO HELP DESTROY YOUR FAMILY,” West wrote in one incensed Instagram post in February 2022, per Us Weekly.

The nickname “Skete” has outlasted Davidson’s relationship with Kardashian. He’s moved on (and on again) since their breakup last summer, and “I’m Just Pete” quips that his “dating life is not discrete.” The sketch shows fake tabloids linking him to numerous women, including Lois from Family Guy (but notably not his actual exes).

Despite the many punchlines, Davidson’s lyrics are much darker than the original song’s. He touches on his mental health struggles and going to rehab, so it’s not all “BDE” fun and games, but he and the other Petes do give us plenty of that. Watch the full sketch below.

SNL airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.