Three Wise Guys

In this Christmas-themed sketch, three wise men reimagined as Jersey wise guys (played by John Goodman, Sylvester Stallone, and Robert De Niro) ride camels across the desert to Bethlehem. Along the way, they gossip, make wiseguy jokes, and discuss the nativity story with thick New York accents and mobster attitudes. The sketch plays on the phonetic similarity between "wise men" and "wise guys" while the trio travels to visit baby Jesus with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

This sketch was part of John Goodman's 13th time hosting SNL. Musical guest was Kings of Leon. The sketch appears to have been created to promote the movie "Grudge Match" starring Stallone and De Niro. Reception was extremely negative, with reviewers calling it "dreadful," "hacky," and "groanworthy." Rated 1 star by One SNL a Day reviewer who described it as "one of the nadirs of this season." Critics noted De Niro's halting delivery and squinting at cue cards. Official SNL versions have been geo-blocked or removed; most available versions are re-uploads. Video duration approximately 106 seconds.