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Charli XCX Becomes a Giant Bird in One of SNL's Most Bizarre Christmas Sketches
In "The Christmas Socks" sketch, Charli XCX becomes a bird in a band and Paul Rudd is a weird dude in a store.
Charli XCX is a Grammy-nominated musician who you can thank for igniting the “Brat summer” phenomenon. You can also thank Charli XCX for a truly bizarre Saturday Night Live holiday sketch featuring lots of singing, a pair of white socks, a huge bird, and a department store full of annoyed patrons.
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Over 10 years ago, Charli XCX made her Saturday Night Live debut as a Musical Guest on December 13, 2014, performing her songs “Boom Clap” and “Break the Rules” in the Season 40 episode. She was scheduled to return in December 2021, but her performance had to be delayed until March 2022 due to the pandemic. Despite that hiccup, she still appeared in the 2021 episode in a hilarious pre-taped sketch with Paul Rudd.
Read on to re-live “The Christmas Socks” from Season 47, Episode 9, starring Charli XCX, Rudd, and several SNL cast members.
Charli XCX plays a big red bird in SNL’s “The Christmas Socks” sketch
“You know, Christmas is a time of charity and giving, and that was the inspiration for this next music video,” Rudd opens the sketch, on stage at NBC Studios. “It’s a heartfelt Christmas song about a magical moment between a boy and a strange man at a department store.”
The silly holiday-themed sketch then takes us to SNL cast member Kyle Mooney playing a young boy, standing in line waiting to buy a pair of very basic socks for his “dear old mom” as a Christmas gift. “It’s been a real tough year. See, we got a bird, and it looks as if the bird has flown away,” Mooney sings as he pulls out a handful of change to pay for the socks.
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Waiting in line behind Mooney, Rudd then sings, “The boy was low on cash, so I helped him out. But then I had to ask about this bird.” The two go on to talk about whether the runaway pet was a “quiet bird” or if it said “any words” while Kenan Thompson, playing a cashier, sighs and looks at them with one of his signature exasperated expressions.
“Hey, I’m sorry guys, but there’s a big old line,” Thompson interrupts, joining them in song. “Can you please give me the money for the socks?”
To the annoyance of everyone behind them, Rudd insists on asking Mooney if this bird had a name. “Good question, sir. We had a name for our bird and that name was TJ Rocks,” Mooney sings.
Waiting in line, Heidi Gardner and Alex Moffat then abruptly cut the song before Aidy Bryant brings the melody right back. “There you are, my son, I’ve been looking for you. I have some news about TJ Rocks,” Bryant sings as Rudd awkwardly tells her he’s friends with her son.
So what’s up with TJ Rocks? That’s where Charli XCX comes in, dressed as a red parrot. “I am TJ Rocks, these are the Junkyard Boys,” she sings with a rock band behind her.
Bizarre enough for ya? Buckle up for one more zinger. At the end of the sketch, Rudd gets down on one knee, pulls out a diamond ring from his pocket, and proposes to Bryant, who immediately accepts. And she got a those pair of white crew socks.
SNL fans love the weirdness of “The Christmas Socks” sketch
Between Rudd’s hair and Mooney playing a young boy with stubble and Charli XCX as a giant bird, SNL fans loved it all, even if they were a little confused.
“I don't think I've had a fever dream more confusing than this skit but it did make me laugh,” one commented on YouTube, while another said, “This is one of those super weird, gloriously bizarre SNL moments we cherish.”
“This was already so weird in the beginning (but funny!) but then the bird started to sing, and I realized the first half of the skit wasn't weird at all, actually,” one more wrote, as another described it, “This was crazy bizarre and weirdly hilarious.”
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