The latest Saturday Night Live cut-for-time sketch, “Graduation Day,” features Scarlett Johansson leading a hilarious reinterpretation of the Hippocratic Oath—this time, for dentists.
SNL dubbed its version the “dentocratic” oath, which is delivered by valedictorian Penny Shannon (Johansson), who announces she will be working at Oceanside Tooth and Breath in Cleveland, Ohio. “The office right next to the Panda Express,” she said. The graduates are introduced by Dr. Tuck Methang, played by Kenan Thompson.
The oath begins traditionally, but quickly veers off course. The dental graduates, Johansson, Bowen Yang, Sarah Sherman and Michael Longfellow, recite in unison:
“I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant: I promise to break, stab, yank, crack, crunch, bust up, jack up, strike, confuse, irritate, penetrate, stab—oh wait, did I already say stab? Well, yeah, ’cause imma be stabbin’.”
They “swear to do as much harm as possible,” and joke about how they’ll reassure patients that X-rays are safe—before “covering them with a lead blanket and running out of the room as fast as I can.”
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Dentists react
NBC said the sketch aired during the SNL Season 50 finale dress rehearsal but was cut from the live broadcast. However, fans were delighted when released online. One dentist wrote on social media that they were “mad this was cut,” while another joked, “I can say that 4 out of 5 dental professionals recommend this sketch. Absolutely hilarious.” A recent dental grad even suggested SNL do a follow-up skit about a dentist and her dynamic office staff.
Johansson hosted the Season 50 finale, which aired May 17, with Bad Bunny as musical guest.
You can watch the skit here.
