Going back to school is so EW!
With the help of guests Sabrina Carpenter and Zoë Kravitz, Jimmy Fallon resurrected fan-favorite segment “Ew!” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In the Aug. 22 sketch, Sara (with no H ’cause H’s are “Ew!”), Lucy Garret (Kravitz) and Hailee Robinson (Carpenter) show off their friendship bracelets, dance to “Espresso” and rebuff a stepdad offering panini sandwiches.
The talk show host introduced the bit by saying he “came across a show … [where] a lot of people say I look like the main character.” “Ew!” has since stopped airing and previously included a lineup featuring the likes of Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. As the clip opens to uproarious fan applause, Kravitz and Carpenter’s characters descend down the stairs to gab with their summer camp bunkmate, Sara.
While discussing the dread of returning back to school and if the two have completed their shopping, Hailee remarks in a sing-song manner, “My dad keeps trying to take me to Target, but I don’t like being seen with him in public.” (Notably, Carpenter’s character is the sole person to speak regularly, while both Fallon and Kravitz adopt Sara’s signature gum-chewing, lip-smacking, raspy-voiced and ah-extended inflection.)
The trio then proceed to show off their friendship bracelets (pronounced BRAHS-lets), echoing the popular “Very demure“ TikTok trend: “See how we designed our bracelets?” Sara begins, as Lucy responds, “Very mindful,” with Hailee adding, “Very cutesy.” Sara then concludes, “Very demure.”
While attempting to recreate their (arrhythmic) camp talent show dance to “Espresso” — complete with the awkward hip rotations of middle schoolers and bobbing of Hailee and Lucy’s maximalist stuffed animal accessories — the trio is interrupted by Sara’s stepfather, Gary, who kills the vibe by singing “Kumbaya, My Lord” (Ew!) and naively offering the girls lunch. He sings, “You take fresh basil and a nice fresh tomato / And then you sprinkle on just a little mozzarella / You give it a press until you melt the cheese / And suddenly everybody’s ‘Please Please Please,’” referencing Carpenter’s hit single.
Closing off the sketch after Gary’s been kicked out by Sara, the trio embark on a lightning round of “Ew!” The conclusion? While mullets, pop sockets, Hoka shoes and Love Island USA (a Peacock series that shares parent network NBC with The Tonight Show) are decidedly “ew,” Stanley Tucci is deemed “cute.” And don’t even get the girls started on pink drink!
