Saturday Night Live: Stefon’s Halloween tips revisited

Saturday Night Live’s Stefon offered his unique tips on enjoying Halloween in New York City

Halloween will look and feel very different this year. That is especially true in places like New York City that already dealing with some winter weather on top of restrictions put in place by the pandemic. So since the holiday can’t be celebrated the way we want, what better time to look back at the Halloween envisioned by Saturday Night Live‘s Stefon?

Bill Hader’s character was the city correspondent for “Weekend Update,” providing tips on everything from family fun to Christmas adventures in New York City. Anyone familiar with Stefon can imagine that Halloween is an ideal time of year for him.

Stefon’s Halloween tips came in 2012 during season 38. Watch below as he tells anchor Seth Meyers all about how tourists can enjoy themselves during Halloween in New York City.

At some point, watching Bill Hader break as Stefon became just as enjoyable as anything the character said. By now, every SNL fan knows the story of how writer John Mulaney (hosting the season 46 Halloween show, by the way) would slip in lines without Hader knowing what was coming next.

Here, the Jewish Dracula Sidney Applebaum seemed to especially tickle Hader. This came as Stefon was also recommending clubs featuring hobo-cops and human pinatas.

Saturday Night Live’s Stefon was made for the pandemic shows

At the end of season 45 and for the start of season 46, Saturday Night Live has had to adjust to the new normal that came with the pandemic. This started off with shows from home and has moved back to Studio 8H, albeit under strict health and safety protocols.

It has also meant that cast members have had to find different ways to be creative and make sketches work. One of the best ways to do that is at the “Weekend Update” desk, where the set is already in place and it is just one performer staring down the camera.

We have to imagine that Stefon would be thriving in the pandemic. He’d know exactly where to go, how to skirt social distancing guidelines and find the perfect New York City hotspot to enjoy life in the time of COVID-19. If we’re lucky, Bill Hader is on the list of potential hosts for season 46 and this dream could become reality.

What is your favorite edition of Stefon’s New York City tips? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.