Martin Short and Melissa McCarthy Unleash Their Parking Lot Frustrations on ‘SNL’
“Saturday Night Live” revisited a beloved sketch, adding a seasonal flair.
On December 21, Martin Short hosted the late-night comedy show, featuring musical guest Hozier. The episode highlighted the sketch “Parking Lot Altercation,” a nostalgic nod to Quinta Brunson’s hosting back in April 2023.
Brunson, the star and creator of “Abbott Elementary,” participated in a similar segment titled “Traffic Altercation,” where she and Mikey Day indulged in exaggerated and sometimes inappropriate gestures while stuck in a traffic jam on the highway.
This time around, Short and Day famously battled for a parking space at a mall on the busy afternoon of Christmas Eve.
Initially, the two men attempted to communicate civilly about their claim to the spot, with Day insisting it was his through some simple gestures, while Short argued that his blinker was on, wildly gesturing to emphasize his point.
As tensions rose, Day claimed he arrived at the space first, leading Short to accuse him of being visually impaired. The sketch took increasingly dark and inappropriate turns as their contentious exchange over the parking spot continued with no resolution in sight. At one point, Day’s daughter, played by Chloe Fineman, got embroiled in the chaos, also resorting to some NSFW gestures.
Day accused Short of dishonesty after stating he had a disability caused by high blood pressure, mimicking Pinocchio with a hand gesture indicating his nose growing. In response, Short declared he would never lie, positioning himself in a “super Christian” pose, complete with arms outstretched as if on a cross.
Eventually, Short suggested that if Day wouldn’t heed his words, perhaps he should listen to his wife, portrayed by Melissa McCarthy. Though Day couldn’t initially spot Short’s wife, McCarthy burst onto the scene, banging on the passenger window.
“Drive away right now or I will kill you, now,” she threatened the father-daughter duo. “And I’ll make your dumb daughter watch.”
As the threats escalated, McCarthy paused for a sip of iced coffee, only to immediately spit it back onto the window.
Day and Fineman struggled to contain their laughter as McCarthy wiped the window with her chest, glaring at them intermittently before pressing herself against the glass again. At one point, she even licked a streak clean off the window to get a better view of them before slinking away.
This was the ultimatum that led Day to concede the spot, much to Short’s delight.
McCarthy was not the only surprise guest during the episode.
The show commenced with a star-studded cold open, where Short was inducted into the Five-Timers Club.
The sketch featured several club members, including Tom Hanks, Paul Rudd, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Wiig, Emma Stone, and John Mulaney.
While not a club member, Jimmy Fallon presented Short with his honorary purple velvet jacket, only for Colin Jost to attempt entry with his wife, Johansson—she promptly ditched him for the festivities, shutting the door in his face.
Rudd made several appearances throughout the night, including a role in the “Sábado Gigante Christmas Special” alongside Marcello Hernández and as himself during the “Christmas Airport Parade.” McCarthy took on the role of a gate agent in that sketch, while Hanks portrayed Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, a tribute to the 2016 film “Sully.”
