‘DAS IT!’

‘SNL’ Accused of Stealing Catchphrase From NYC Comedian: Report

A source close to the show denied that the punchline from a recent sketch had been filched from a veteran comedian on the local comedy circuit.

Saturday Night Live is facing allegations it ripped off a veteran comedian on the New York City comedy circuit for a recent sketch featuring Olivia Rodrigo, according to Page Six. At issue is a character played by castmember Marcello Hernandez whose catchphrase—“Das it!”—served as the punchline of a sketch last Saturday. The problem, according to comic Yannis Pappas and his supporters, is that he’s been using that line for one of his characters for years. “I have been doing stand up comedy for two decades now, so I am not an up-and-coming comedian,” Pappas told Page Six. “I am surprised nobody in the writer’s room spoke up about this.” An NBC spokesperson did not comment to the outlet, but a show source denied that the bit had been lifted. “With respect to Yannis and his comedy, this sketch and [its] premise was independently created,” the insider said. “‘Dassit’ was a commonly used phrase in Marcello’s household and Latin community growing up in Miami.”