THE SNL SKETCH THAT MADE A COMPLETELY NORMAL WORD IMPOSSIBLE TO HEAR When Alec Baldwin walked onto SNL's “Delicious Dish” as Pete Schweddy, the joke wasn't supposed to be complicated. He was simply a man talking about his holiday food. That's it. The hosts were Margaret Jo McCullen and Teri Rialto, played by Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon. They spoke in the calm, measured style of public-radio hosts. No screaming. No exaggerated reactions. No obvious comedy. Then Pete Schweddy arrived. He owned a bakery. And he had brought some of his special holiday treats. Including his famous... Schweddy Balls. The entire sketch was built around the fact that the hosts could discuss these completely innocent food items without ever acknowledging the obvious double meaning. Pete could describe them. The hosts could praise them. They could ask about their size, texture and smell. And everyone remained completely serious. That restraint was the joke. The sketch originally aired December 12, 1998. And it became one of those SNL sketches where the audience understands the joke almost immediately, but the performers refuse to acknowledge that they understand it. That's what made it work. Nobody had to shout the punchline. The audience supplied it themselves. And the longer the characters continued speaking seriously about Pete Schweddy's balls, the more ridiculous the entire conversation became.