Jim Carrey helped "Saturday Night Live" kick off 2011 with a boatload of laughs.
The veteran comedian busted out his guffaw-inducing skills from his sketch-comedy past to punch up a slew of skits, churning out laughs as he played everything from a questionable tantric-sex guru to a randy failed soul singer.
Carrey's opening monologue started things off on an optimistic note, as the actor affably joked about staying upbeat as the end of the world nears. "When everyone around you bursts into flames, it's time for s'mores," Carrey cheerily quipped. Then he gleefully proposed to an audience member, reminding her that "First of all, I'm Jim Carrey. You know what that means: Mucho dinero." When the proposal was denied, Carrey pulled a male audience member on stage who he quickly announced as his life partner and went on with the show.
Carrey also parodied the dancefloor drama "Black Swan," playing gawky, hissing, squawking ballet dancer Lily to Nasim Pedrad's icily insecure Nina. Carrey strutted into the studio in a stiff, black tutu, saying, "Sorry I'm late. I had to go numbers 3 and 4." After shedding his jacket to reveal chicken-wing-like tattoos on his shoulder blades and putting his fellow dancers on alert, announcing, "Get ready to rock, bitches," Carrey began to clumsily flail about, looking much more like a fowl in distress than a graceful swan.
Sporting long stringy locks and boasting a dubious résumé as a sex expert, Carrey later teamed up with Kenan Thompson to hawk a DVD of intimate positions titled "Tantric and Tasty." The pair tag-teamed for moves like "Two Lumberjacks" and "The Endless Clown Car."
Carrey also turned up with a Color Me Badd-esque gelled pompadour and skinny mustache as D'versity, a lost R&B crooner as part of the "Worst of Soul Train" DVD collection. Carrey earnestly belted the sleazy hit "I Just Need One," crooning, "Can I see one t-----?!"
The "I Love Phillip Morris" star kept the tunes coming as a member of an unsettling animatronic singing trio on a theme-park ride with a murderous streak. He also spooked out some unsuspecting tourists in a sketch about a band of homeless people called A Taste of New York that strum hopeless ditties about getting robbed by junkies and seeing rats nest in baby cribs.
Bluesy duo the Black Keys rocked the show as musical guests, first hitting the stage for "Howlin' For You," from their latest album Brothers. Staying true to their straightforward, dive-bar-friendly vibe, the pair kept the setup simple, sporting all-black ensembles with Patrick Carney and two back-up musicians pounding away on circular platforms as Dan Auerbach belted the lyrics. The duo returned for their gritty torch song "Tighten Up," with Auerbach pumping heaping amounts of soul into his raspy vocals.
What did you think of Jim Carrey and the Black Keys on 'SNL'? Let us know in the comments!