The iconic American show Saturday Night Live has entertained audiences for over five decades with sketches featuring renowned artists and comedians. In one of its most recent episodes, Puerto Rican singer Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio —better known as Bad Bunny— used the platform to reinterpret the Latin classic El Chavo del 8 in English.
Although SNL traditionally targets an English-speaking audience, the premiere of its 51st season included cultural nods to the Latino community. This wasn’t only due to Bad Bunny’s participation, but also thanks to sketches performed in Spanish or with Latin cultural elements, such as this version of El Chavo del 8.
In the segment, Bad Bunny played Quico, joined by other cast members: Marcello Hernández as El Chavo; Sarah Sherman as La Chilindrina; Andrew Dismuke as Don Ramón; Chloe Fineman as Doña Florinda; Kenan Thompson as “Mr. Stomach” (the equivalent of Señor Barriga); and Jon Hamm as Professor Jirafales.
This homage highlights how El Chavo del 8 remains a cornerstone of Latin American pop culture. Since last season, SNL has been placing more emphasis on content that resonates with Latino audiences; the growing visibility of Cuban-born Marcello Hernández is proof of this shift.
Bad Bunny’s participation also reignited political debate online. Some MAGA supporters mocked the sketch, suggesting Puerto Ricans should be deported —as if they weren’t U.S. citizens. These kinds of comments exposed widespread ignorance about Puerto Rico’s political status, while at the same time underscoring the importance of giving Latino figures more visibility in mainstream media.
For Bad Bunny, whose media presence continues to grow (as seen with his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show appearance), this stint on SNL could mark the beginning of even more collaborations of this kind.