Reportedly, Charles Rocket was unhappy with Joe Piscopo bringing puppeteer Marc Weiner to Weekend Update because the puppet got more of the laughs than him.
The appearance of The Funky Four Plus One More marks the first time a mainstream hip-hop group performed live on American television. Debbie Harry was a big fan of the group and demanded they appear on the show with her.
Funky 4 + 1 More were the first hip hop group to perform on a live TV show, but not the first on television. The Sugarhill Gang's performance on American Bandstand (1952) in 1979 would be the first hip hop performance on TV though they lip-synced.
This episode features a two-part segment called Newsbreak anchored by Eddie Murphy. The following season Weekend Update would be changed to SNL Newsbreak.