With numerous events lined up for Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary celebration on February 16, the anniversary was nothing short of funny and memorable. One of the many highlights was when Robert De Niro and Rachel Dratch were involved in a sketch that quickly became tense.
Dratch’s character, Debbie Downer, reappeared in the evening with a comedic skit presented at a bar. It soon turned into a frustrating moment for Robert De Niro, who could not hide his annoyance. It eventually became one of the segments everybody was talking about.
Robert De Niro did not find the ‘Taxi Driver’ joke on ‘SNL 50’ funny
In the comedy sketch, De Niro was to approach Dratch, who was attending to guests at the bar. Debbie Downer, who played Dratch, initiated a conversation with De Niro’s character using the Taxi Driver line, “You talking to me?” Rather than dismissing it with laughter, De Niro was not amused and asked her if Dratch was trying to be funny.
The argument escalated as Debbie Downer deflected the topic toward environmental issues, making a dire remark regarding microplastics and their effects on the human system. De Niro was visibly upset at this point, and told her to shut up. As the altercation intensified, he jokingly pulled Dratch’s character by the neck out of frustration, causing Jimmy Fallon to step in to defuse the situation.
Rachel Dratch’s Debbie Downer made her first appearance on ‘SNL’ in 2004
Debbie Downer first appeared in 2004 on a Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Lindsay Lohan. The first sketch was at DisneyWorld, where Lohan and other cast members were trying to enjoy their vacation in stride and Debbie kept ruining the mood by bringing up negative thoughts at every opportunity.
This particular sketch became a favorite as well, with the entire company never staying in character as they battled to hold their laughter during the performance. Dratch has reprised this character many times since the first performance. Now, Debbie Downer’s ability to suck the life out of any given situation remains an iconic gag.