NEW YORK, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Michael R. Bloomberg, whose 12-year tenure as New York City mayor ends Jan. 1, made his debut on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" with jokes about his future.
Asked by Seth Myers in the television program's satirical news segment "Weekend Update" about his plans, Bloomberg said he will fulfill a "lifelong dream of enjoying a small soda on a non-smoking beach," a reference to his efforts to reduce smoking and the size of drinking cups in the city.
In a joke about his halting Spanish, he said, "I've applied to teach Spanish at a few universities. I'm told my accent isn't 'bueno' enough."
His three-minute surprise cameo marked the first time Bloomberg appeared on the durable comedy show during his three terms as mayor, although he has been a regular guest on talk shows hosted in New York by David Letterman and "Saturday Night live" guest host Jimmy Fallon. The program, a staple of late-night television, welcomed Edward Koch, David Dinkins and Rudolph Giuliani during their tenures as mayor of New York.
The mayor's office said Bloomberg was frequently asked if he would be a guest on the show, but discussions never progressed until recently.
Bloomberg had a hand in the creative process for his remarks on the show, the New York Times reported Sunday. Several of the jokes he proposed made it into the dress rehearsal and the televised script.
