Mango (Saturday Night Live)
Encyclopedia
Mango was a character performed by Chris Kattan
on the American
sketch comedy
show Saturday Night Live
. The character was co-created and developed by Kattan and SNL writer Scott Wainio along with initial creative contributions by Roy Jenkins. Mango is a male exotic dancer who performed in a strip club. He would always wear tight lamé
shorts
and often a spangled beret
. Mango spoke with a Hispanic
accent, and though his nationality
was never identified, he was said to be born on "Mango Island". He appeared on 16 SNL episodes between 1997 and 2002.
. His high school sweetheart was played by Gwyneth Paltrow
, and his normal suburban wife was portrayed by Molly Shannon
. The sketches would usually revolve around Mango's being backstage at one of his "shows" (which appeared burlesque
in nature). The host would then become obsessed with Mango, wanting to woo and make love to him, but Mango would resist until the host was driven insane. Part of this resisting usually involved Mango stretching out his arm towards the host in pose of acceptance as the host turned away, only to pull it away a second later when the host turned back around. A common joke involved Mango describing himself in ethereal terms, for example: "Can you know the mighty ocean? Can you lasso a star from the sky? Can you say to a rainbow... 'Hey, stop being a rainbow for a second'? No! Such is Mango!" Mango was also shown in one skit to have a wife and child, and always ended his skits by telling his admirer, "You can't-a have-a de Mango!" and slapping his own buttocks
. Usually Mango would appear depressed at the end of episodes and say something similar to: "Oh, to be Mango! Why to be me?!" Though effeminate, Mango was adamant that he was not homosexual, claiming that he stripped to support his children as well as that he was "not the homo-gay." Mango's taunting of the hosts, and his often shattered spirit at the ends of sketches, was part of Mango's mystique regarding his true gender preference. He did, however, have a crush on Chris Gaines
as revealed on an episode hosted by Garth Brooks
, only to have his dreams crushed when Gaines revealed himself as Brooks. He said he had a similar admiration for Matt Damon
, but it was unclear if it was a crush or just that he was a big fan; but it prompted Ben Affleck
to wear a blond wig in an effort to disguise himself as Damon. Mango is also suspected to have dated Saturday Night Live
's own Jimmy Fallon
. In one episode where he spends Christmas with his family, his entire family is shown to be wearing gold hot pants, although with more common outfits covering their torsos.
During several of his fans' obsessive daydream sequences, Mango would commonly appear in a thought cloud
over the person's head, dancing provocatively in front of a mango
to "Missing
" by Everything But the Girl
. This song came to be synonymous with the character.
Though the character was so popular that there was a public demand for a feature film based on his adventures, "The Mango Movie" was never filmed, though a script of the film is rumored to exist.
Chris Kattan
Christopher Lee "Chris" Kattan is an American actor/comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Kattan was born in Sherman Oaks, California. His father, Kip King, was an actor and voice actor who appeared on the series Reno 911! as Larrie Plum. His mother, Hajnalka E....
on the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. The character was co-created and developed by Kattan and SNL writer Scott Wainio along with initial creative contributions by Roy Jenkins. Mango is a male exotic dancer who performed in a strip club. He would always wear tight lamé
Lamé (fabric)
Lamé is a type of fabric woven or knit with thin ribbons of metallic yarns, as opposed to guimpé, where the ribbons are wrapped around a fibre yarn. It is usually gold or silver in color; sometimes copper lamé is seen. Lamé comes in different varieties, depending on the composition of the other...
shorts
Shorts
Shorts are a bifurcated garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area, circling the waist, and covering the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to or even below the knee, but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they are a shortened...
and often a spangled beret
Beret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
. Mango spoke with a Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
accent, and though his nationality
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
was never identified, he was said to be born on "Mango Island". He appeared on 16 SNL episodes between 1997 and 2002.
History
The concept was that Mango's sexual appeal was irresistible to anyone of either gender, though his admirer was typically a man, played by the episode's guest host (the celebrity on the show for that week). Neither Mango nor his male admirers were homosexual, the concept being that Mango's love was magical, pure, powerful, and located in his butt. One of the women attracted to Mango was Ellen DeGeneresEllen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....
. His high school sweetheart was played by Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
, and his normal suburban wife was portrayed by Molly Shannon
Molly Shannon
Molly Helen Shannon is an American comic actress best known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995–2001 and for starring in the films Superstar and Year of the Dog. More recently, she starred in NBC's Kath & Kim from 2008–2009 and on the TBS animated series Neighbors from...
. The sketches would usually revolve around Mango's being backstage at one of his "shows" (which appeared burlesque
American burlesque
American Burlesque is a genre of variety show. Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows, burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy and female striptease...
in nature). The host would then become obsessed with Mango, wanting to woo and make love to him, but Mango would resist until the host was driven insane. Part of this resisting usually involved Mango stretching out his arm towards the host in pose of acceptance as the host turned away, only to pull it away a second later when the host turned back around. A common joke involved Mango describing himself in ethereal terms, for example: "Can you know the mighty ocean? Can you lasso a star from the sky? Can you say to a rainbow... 'Hey, stop being a rainbow for a second'? No! Such is Mango!" Mango was also shown in one skit to have a wife and child, and always ended his skits by telling his admirer, "You can't-a have-a de Mango!" and slapping his own buttocks
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
. Usually Mango would appear depressed at the end of episodes and say something similar to: "Oh, to be Mango! Why to be me?!" Though effeminate, Mango was adamant that he was not homosexual, claiming that he stripped to support his children as well as that he was "not the homo-gay." Mango's taunting of the hosts, and his often shattered spirit at the ends of sketches, was part of Mango's mystique regarding his true gender preference. He did, however, have a crush on Chris Gaines
Chris Gaines
Chris Gaines is a fictional alternative rock persona created as an alter ego for Garth Brooks to explore rock and roll styles far removed from his success as a country singer....
as revealed on an episode hosted by Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
, only to have his dreams crushed when Gaines revealed himself as Brooks. He said he had a similar admiration for Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
, but it was unclear if it was a crush or just that he was a big fan; but it prompted Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
to wear a blond wig in an effort to disguise himself as Damon. Mango is also suspected to have dated Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
's own Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
. In one episode where he spends Christmas with his family, his entire family is shown to be wearing gold hot pants, although with more common outfits covering their torsos.
During several of his fans' obsessive daydream sequences, Mango would commonly appear in a thought cloud
Speech balloon
Speech balloons are a graphic convention used most commonly in comic books, comic strips and cartoons to allow words to be understood as representing the speech or thoughts of a given character in the comic...
over the person's head, dancing provocatively in front of a mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
to "Missing
Missing (Everything but the Girl song)
"Missing" is a song written and recorded by British pop music duo Everything but the Girl. The song was released as a single from the band's 1994 album Amplified Heart...
" by Everything But the Girl
Everything but the Girl
Everything but the Girl was a two-person English band, formed in Hull during 1981, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, and singer Ben Watt . They are currently inactive although vocalist Tracey Thorn hinted that they may reform someday...
. This song came to be synonymous with the character.
Though the character was so popular that there was a public demand for a feature film based on his adventures, "The Mango Movie" was never filmed, though a script of the film is rumored to exist.