Original artwork, not a still
Could it be... Satan?
— Saturday Night Live · 1975
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The joke is the character's answer is always the same: whatever a guest did, the culprit is the Devil, and the guest is guilty for listening. Dana Carvey plays the prim host so convincingly that the line became shorthand for any busybody who blames temptation for everyone else's behaviour. It is still delivered in the same drawn-out, eyebrow-raised voice at office gossip and in comedy sketches.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Saturday Night LiveShow the scene
The Church Lady is Enid Strict, the pious, smug host of the fake talk show Church Chat on Saturday Night Live, played by Dana Carvey from 11 October 1986 (his own cast period, season 12). Each sketch has her interview a guest, often a celebrity of the day, who is drawn into confessing a sin or scandal. Whenever the conversation turns to a wrongdoing, she asks who could be behind it, pauses, then leans in on the answer with the line, usually followed by an echoing sting of organ music. She follows it with her smug victory strut, the Superior Dance.
Sources (1)
- SNL Wiki: The Church LadyCharacter infobox and About the characterReference checked
Context reviewed
