Paul Mescal used his “Saturday Night Live” hosting gig to debunk several “ugly” stereotypes about those from his native Ireland in the show’s opening monologue.
The “Gladiator II” star declared that he takes “great pride in being Irish” and noted that they’ve been through “a lot.”
“Centuries of British occupation, the Great Famine, mass emigration, that U2 album that automatically got downloaded on everyone’s phones,” Mescal quipped.
He proceeded to clear up a number of “nasty” rumors about the Irish, including the “offensive” and “ridiculous” claim that they have sex with their cousins.
“We have sex with our second cousins,” he joked.
“People also think the Irish hate British people,” he added. “That’s not true, we just don’t consider them people.”
Mescal then turned his attention to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot and people who ask him whether he finds it “offensive.”
“Not at all, we do the same thing with the Americans. In fact, my high school’s mascot was the ‘Fighting Fat-Asses,’” Mescal said.
He also used the bit to make light of his fashion choices while dismissing questions over whether Irish people wear kilts.
“No, that’s the Scottish. Traditionally, the Irish wear short shorts,” Mescal, a self-described “big advocate” of the look, said as he cracked a smile while a photo of him in tiny shorts appeared on screen.
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Check out more of the opening monologue, which features a cameo by “SNL” cast member Marcello Hernandez in short shorts, below.
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