John Belushi is dressed as a bee for a good bit of Saturday Night, and here is why that is. The Saturday Night movie is full of all kinds of weird elements and story beats that aren’t fully explained, as it is a representation of the wacky world that surrounded the first ever episode of Saturday Night Live. John Belushi’s bee costume is undoubtedly one of the oddest elements that can be found in Saturday Night, and while the film doesn’t fully explain it, fans of Saturday Night Live may recognize why he is wearing the iconic suit.
Jason Reitman’s 2024 film Saturday Night transports viewers back to October 11, 1975, the night of the first ever broadcast of Saturday Night Live. The film follows Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) as he attempts to reign in the chaos of the first episode’s production. Lorne Michaels is surrounded by many of the beloved skits from the first episode as well as many of the iconic Saturday Night Live cast members and guest stars, with the film featuring actors playing Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Jim Henson, Andy Kaufman, and of course, John Belushi.
John Belushi’s Bee Costume Was For The SNL Pilot’s “Killer Bees” Sketch
The Bee Hospital Sketch
Throughout Saturday Night, John Belushi can be seen wearing a bee costume, with this being part of one of the pilot episode’s most iconic sketches. The pilot episode of Saturday Night Live featured a sketch known as “Bee Hospital,” with it starring John Belushi and several other actors, all of whom are dressed in bee costumes. The sketch sees the bees waiting in a hospital delivery room, with them speculating about what kind of bee the child will be. The bees list several options, naming things like drones, workers, or a queen.
Although the sketch isn’t shown during the events of Saturday Night, it is referenced several times throughout the film. John Belushi’s big story in Saturday Night has to do with him refusing to sign his contract, with him making the production of the show more difficult. Eventually, Belushi agrees to sign it, with Michaels and Gilda Radner tracking him down to an ice skating rink. While there, Belushi can be seen ice skating while still wearing his Killer Bee costume, with this being one of the most memorable visuals from Saturday Night.
The Killer Bees Became SNL’s First Recurring Characters (Even Though The Network Wanted Them Cut)
They Appeared In 11 Sketches In Season 1
The Bee Hospital sketch from the Saturday Night Live pilot episode was clearly memorable, as the Killer Bees became the sketch comedy show’s first recurring characters. The Killer Bees were constantly appearing throughout Saturday Night Live season 1, with them being the center of 11 sketches throughout the first season. The Killer Bees quickly became fan-favorite characters, with them being a staple of the early days of SNL. Here is “The Killer Bees: Home Invasion,” one of the most memorable sketches to feature the Killer Bees:
Despite the Killer Bees going on to become popular parts of Saturday Night Live season 1, the network wanted them cut. In the book Live From New York, Lorne Michaels explains that the only note that NBC gave them was to “Cut the bees.” In retaliation, Michaels decided to put the Killer Bees in again in the next episode. After their 11 appearances throughout Saturday Night Live season 1, the cast members got tired of them. The Killer Bees only appeared five more times throughout the original cast’s five years, although they are now a part of SNL history.
How John Belushi Really Felt About Saturday Night Live’s Killer Bees Sketches
Did He Really Hate The Costume?
John Belushi wasn’t known for revisiting his Saturday Night Live characters in interviews, and while Saturday Night was fairly accurate in its representation of Belushi, it isn’t known how he felt about the Killer Bees specifically. In a Rolling Stone interview from 1978, John Belushi tells a story about how he got to meet One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest author Ken Kesey while filming Animal House. Belushi says that Kesey was a fan of the Killer Bees, so he made sure to do them on the show that week.
“I’m thinking, ‘At last, I’m meeting the great Ken Kesey,’ and what is the only thing he wants to hear about? Killer bees. So we did them on the show that week.”
It is known that the cast members of Saturday Night Live eventually got tired of the Killer Bees, with them being featured far less frequently after the end of season 1. However, this anecdote shows that Belushi was willing to pull out the fan-favorite character, with it being nice that the iconic Killer Bees got some representation in Saturday Night.
