It’s not every day you see a fictional character crashing a political soirée, but when it comes to the Catholics, anything is possible. After all, they’ve got a knack for bringing things back from the dead, whether it’s Jesus or a beloved SNL character.
Mary Katherine Gallagher, the awkward, armpit-sniffing creation of comedian Molly Shannon, with her iconic plaid skirt and a penchant for causing chaos, made a surprise appearance at the annual Alfred E. Smith Foundation Dinner in New York City. The Al Smith Dinner is typically a magnet for heavyweight political figures, but few could have anticipated the whirlwind of nostalgic comedy that Shannon’s character would bring to the evening.
Yet, this year, while the seats at the dinner were filled with the expected roster of dignitaries, Vice President Kamala Harris chose a virtual appearance — a move that, while physically distant, packed its own punchline in response to former President Trump’s notorious no-shows, like, um, say how he canceled that time-honored tradition of a 60 Minutes interview because he wanted a “sorry” and probably a bucket of Filet-O-Fish from Leslie Stahl?
Others could argue that Harris was simply sending in her quirky sidekick to save the day.
During Harris’s virtual speech, the scene was unexpectedly hijacked by Gallagher’s antics. Caught on camera dashing back and forth, she injected a chaotic yet humorous energy. When finally centered in the frame, a confused Harris asks the woman in school uniform: “Hey, what’s going on?” Gallagher proceeds to introduce herself, saying, “I just want to say that I’m Catholic and tonight is one of the biggest dinners next to the Last Supper.” This sets the stage for her next act of comedic bravery: sticking her fingers under her arms and, well, taking an exaggerated hearty sniff.
Harris, trying to stay on track, asks Gallagher if she has any thoughts on what she might say during her speech. “My feelings about what you should say tonight would be best expressed in a monologue from one of my favorite made-for-TV series,” says Gallagher.
“Don’t you see, man? We need a woman to represent us. A woman brings more heart, more compassion, and think how smart she must be to become a top contender in a field dominated by men. It’s time for a woman, bro, and with this woman, we can flyyyyyyyyy.”
And there she goes, striking her iconic “Superstar” pose, ready to take on the world!
Of course, no political comedy sketch would be complete without a few jabs at the opposition. When Gallagher asks Harris if she’s bothered by Trump’s constant insults, the VP responds with a message of self-empowerment: “You tell them who you are.” Gallagher, not to be outdone, chimes in with a Taylor Swift-inspired truth bomb: “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, shake it off.”
As the video comes to a close, Gallagher imparts one final piece of wisdom: “Thou shall not bear false witness to thy neighbor.” Harris quips back, “Well, indeed, especially thy neighbor’s election results,” taking a clear dig at Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud. If a beloved character resurfaces to sniff her armpits and predict Trump’s downfall, we might as well place some bets on it. At this point, Donald is doing his dementia dance, and even his running mate JD Vance is facepalming so hard he might pull a House of Cards plot.