Gardner’s spin on the Happy’s Place star talked politics — and Pennywise? — when she stopped by SNL on November 2.
The real Reba McEntire had a busy week in New York, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, TODAY, and The Kelly Clarkson Show to promote her new comedy, Happy’s Place. But a faux Reba McEntire managed a visit to the “Weekend Update” desk on Saturday Night Live when cast member Heidi Gardner debuted an unhinged impression of the country music queen during the last episode before the 2024 presidential election.
While the real McEntire usually stays out of talking politics, “Weekend Update” co-anchor Colin Jost asked Gardner’s McEntire who she endorses in the race for the White House.
“Well, see, I come from a little town called McAlester, Oklahoma, and we don’t make up our minds quickly,” Ms. “McEntire” told Jost. “In fact, we got a saying: ‘If you think the milk is spoiled, give it another sip.”
Gardner’s McEntire — wearing a giant red wig and sparkly white pantsuit — revealing that she is still undecided on who she is voting for.
Heidi Gardner’s Reba McEntire follows Kenan Thompson’s Reba on SNL
Reba McEntire (Heidi Gardner) and anchor Colin Jost during Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live Episode 1869 on Saturday, November 2, 2024. Photo: Will Heath/NBC
The “Little Rock” singer went on to say that as a Coach on The Voice, she doesn’t care if the person singing is a Republican or Democrat — all she is concerned about is that they’re Team Reba and not Team Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé or Gwen Stefani.
“Why can’t they both be president, like our milk in McAlester? Creamy and crunchy,” asked McEntire, confusing Jost even more with her dairy drink obsession. “Because growing up, we didn’t even know what political parties were. We were Methodist atheists. Mama was a Republican, and daddy was Pennywise.”
“Pennywise the Clown?” asked Jost, as McEntire answered, “I’m a redhead, ain’t I?”
The singer continued revealing surprising tidbits about her childhood, like how her mother “worked 59 jobs just to keep us in school, and daddy only had the one: Eating kids.” But even McEntire’s mom still put on her “finest voting dress” and “crawled down to the polls.”
To settle the endorsement question once and for all, McEntire attempted to vote on her phone a la The Voice, which Jost warned her was probably a scam.
“Did you give some random website your credit card and a nude photo?” he asked her.
“It’s like we say in Oklahoma when people ask us if we drink our milk with a fork,” McEntire responded. “Yes.”
But Gardner isn’t the only Season 50 cast member to have turned in a Reba impression. Back in Season 35, Kenan Thompson memorably debuted his own surreal take on Reba in the Digital Short “Two Worlds Collide” with Andy Samberg. Well, sort of — watch below.
