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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →In the May 4, 2024 episode of Saturday Night Live, Marcello Hernández played a fictional dog named Cricket the Seventh on Weekend Update. The character publicly defended Kristi Noem, then admitted he feared she might kill him too—a joke built around Noem’s account in her memoir of killing a puppy named Cricket.
Who was the dog on Weekend Update?
The dog was Cricket the Seventh, played by Marcello Hernández. The official SNL clip describes him as stopping by Weekend Update to defend his owner. The character is fictional; the name and premise play on Noem’s memoir account of her puppy Cricket.
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What was the joke?
Cricket VII initially brushes off criticism of Noem as “media spin,” but the defense quickly gives way to panic: he believes he could be next. Mediaite’s account describes him using buttons on a toy to trigger a distress call and pleading, “I’m a good boy!” The contrast between his loyal public defense and private fear is the sketch’s central turn.
The “Seventh” in his name supplies the comic implication that he is one in a succession of dogs. The joke draws its premise from Noem’s published story, rather than establishing anything about other real dogs she owns.
What did Noem write about Cricket?
In No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, Noem wrote that she killed Cricket, a 14-month-old wirehaired pointer. As the Associated Press recounts Noem’s account, she took the puppy on a bird-hunting trip with older dogs; Cricket chased pheasants, attacked a family’s chickens during a stop, and “whipped around to bite me.” Noem wrote that she led the dog to a gravel pit and shot her. She also wrote about shooting a goat.
These are details from Noem’s memoir as reported by the AP, not independently established accounts of the events. The AP also reported that dog experts criticized the decision and identified training or rehoming as alternatives. Joan Payton, an American Kennel Club delegate, said Cricket was “a puppy that had no experience, obviously no training,” and argued a 14-month-old dog should not be expected to perform alongside trained adult dogs. The National German Wirehaired Pointer Rescue group also called for more humane solutions.
Rank #2
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Where to watch the segment
The segment aired on Weekend Update in the May 4, 2024 episode of Saturday Night Live. The official SNL clip is the primary source for the performance; Mediaite reported the sketch’s dialogue, while the AP provides background on the memoir story that prompted the joke.
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Rank #4
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