February 9, 2013. It was a cold Saturday night in New York City. For a teenager named Justin Bieber, it was supposed to be a career-defining moment. He was the host. He was the musical guest. Only the biggest stars in the world get the "double duty" invite. But instead of a triumph, that 2013 Justin Bieber SNL sketch run became the stuff of late-night legends for all the wrong reasons. It’s the episode people still bring up at parties when they want to talk about celebrity train wrecks. Honestly? It was kind of a mess.
Everyone remembers the hair. Everyone remembers the purple hoodies. But if you actually sit down and watch the sketches today, you see a kid who was clearly out of his element. He was eighteen. He was exhausted. He was also, according to some of the cast members, a bit of a nightmare to work with.
The "Glice" Incident and Taran Killam's Rage
If there is one Justin Bieber SNL sketch that actually holds up as a piece of comedy, it’s "Angry Brother." The premise is simple. Taran Killam plays a guy who is protective of his sister. Bieber plays the new boyfriend, Michael.
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The kid flubs a line. He tries to say "glad" and "nice" at the same time. What comes out is "Glice."
In any other sketch, that’s a mistake. Here, Taran Killam turns it into a weapon. He screams. He gets inches from Bieber's face. He demands to know what "glice" means. Bieber breaks. He starts giggling. You can see the sheer panic and amusement fighting on his face. It’s one of those rare moments where the star’s inability to keep a straight face actually makes the scene better. It felt human.
But then you have the others.
The Californians and the Skateboard
"The Californians" is a sketch that people either love or want to ban from television forever. It’s just people in blonde wigs talking about the 405 freeway in exaggerated accents. Bieber shows up as a runaway teen. He’s got a skateboard. He’s wearing a bucket hat.
He basically plays a parody of himself.
"I dunno, it's like my dumb parents, like, nobody understands me bro," he says. His accent is thick. His delivery is... well, it's there. He stands in front of a mirror with Bill Hader and Fred Armisen. They all look at themselves. It’s the peak of 2013 Bieber culture. Looking back, it feels like a time capsule of a version of Justin that doesn’t exist anymore.
Why the Cast Wasn't Happy
You’ve probably heard the rumors. Years after the fact, Bill Hader and Jay Pharoah went on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. They didn't hold back. When asked who the worst-behaved guest was, they both blurted out "Bieber" almost instantly.
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Hader mentioned that Bieber showed up with a massive entourage. We’re talking 20 people. In the tiny, cramped hallways of Studio 8H, that’s a disaster. Imagine trying to change into a costume for a Justin Bieber SNL sketch while a guy is standing there holding Bieber’s Diet Coke and another guy is just... there.
- The Entourage: Too many people in a small space.
- The Attitude: Cast members felt he wasn't "present."
- The Exhaustion: He was in the middle of his Believe tour. He was burnt out.
The Sketch That Got Cut (and Why)
There is a legendary "lost" sketch called "Song for Daddy." Bill Hader has talked about it on podcasts as the greatest train wreck in the history of the show. It was a 1950s-style song where Bieber was supposed to sing to his dad.
During the dress rehearsal, everything went south. The props didn't work. The timing was off. Bieber was confused. It was so bad that they yanked it before the live airing. Usually, a bad sketch just gets a few pity laughs. This one was so chaotic it couldn't even make it to the screen.
Redemption in 2020?
Bieber didn't come back to host for seven years. When he finally returned in 2020, he stayed far away from the comedy. He was strictly the musical guest. He performed "Yummy" and "Intentions." He looked different. He had a mustache. He seemed, dare I say, adult?
He didn't do a single Justin Bieber SNL sketch during that 2020 appearance. No cameos. No "Weekend Update" bits. Just the music. It felt like a conscious choice to distance himself from the 2013 version of himself that everyone ridiculed. He sang with Quavo. He sang with Chance the Rapper. He was there to work, not to play a "nerdy teen" or a "runaway" again.
Why We Still Talk About These Sketches
People love a good "fall from grace" story. In 2013, Bieber was at his peak arrogance. He was egging houses. He was getting into trouble. The SNL episode was a window into that chaos.
When you watch the "Principal Frye" sketch, where he plays a geeky virgin advocating for abstinence, the irony is thick. He’s wearing thick glasses and a lisping voice. He says, "Don't do that thang until you get that ring." The audience is screaming because they know he’s the world's biggest heartthrob. It's meta-humor that hasn't aged particularly well, but it captures a specific moment in pop culture history.
What to Watch for Next Time
If you’re going back through the archives, don't just look for the laughs. Look at the body language.
- Watch the "Valentine's Day Message" sketch. It’s Justin talking to the camera with Bobby Moynihan playing a character named Taco. It is genuinely uncomfortable.
- Look for the breaking. In "Angry Brother," Bieber isn't "acting" happy; he is genuinely losing it.
- Check the "Miley Cyrus Show" bit. Vanessa Bayer plays Miley, and Justin plays a fan. It’s actually one of his better performances because he’s playing against someone who is doing a perfect impression of his real-life friend.
Insightful Takeaways
If you want to understand the Justin Bieber SNL sketch legacy, you have to look at it as a lesson in celebrity management. SNL is a pressure cooker. It requires humility. It requires you to be the butt of the joke. In 2013, Justin wasn't ready to be the butt of the joke. He was the center of the universe.
Actionable Next Steps:
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- Go to YouTube and search for the "Glice" sketch. It is the only one from that era that is objectively funny without needing the context of the 2013 gossip.
- Compare his 2013 performance with his 2020 musical sets. The difference in focus and professionalism is a case study in personal growth (or at least better PR).
- Read Bill Hader's interviews about that week. It provides a fascinating look at what happens when a global superstar clashes with the "workhorse" culture of SNL.
The 2013 episode isn't the best SNL ever made. It might be one of the weirdest. But it remains a fascinating look at a star who was too big for the room he was standing in.