Kevin Hart and Tim Robinson Are a Hilarious Duo in SNL's 2-Part "Z-Shirt" Sketch
A '90s-style fashion promo goes awry — and goes right again in an unexpected place.
This ain't no T-shirt — it's a Z-Shirt! Pretty self explanatory, right?
When Kevin Hart hosted Saturday Night Live on March 2, 2013, he joined then-cast member Tim Robinson in a classic '90s-style commercial called "Z-Shirt" to promote the the latest streetwear trend from Zappys. Hart's character is either genuinely unclear of the product's name or is trying to have fun with his co-star, but either way, he drives Robinson's character crazy.
"I'm confused, is that an A-shirt?" he asks.
"Um, absolutely not!" says Robinson's character.
"Is it a B-shirt?" asks Hart.
"Not even close," says Robinson, still playing into the bit.
But when it appears Hart is going to ask about every letter of the alphabet, Robinson's character starts to lose it.
"Why do we have to do all of 'em?! I don't see what you're getting out of this!" he grumbles as Hart continues to riff through the letters. "You're DEAD behind those eyes!"
After L, Robinson's character gives up and walks away in anger, leaving Hart on set still wondering what kind of shirt it is. You might think he'll simply never find out, except...
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SNL's "Z-Shirt" saga continued in "'90s Funeral" with Kevin Hart
Later Hart's SNL episode, the "90's Funeral" sketch stars Tim Robinson as Cal, a grieving son delivering his mother's eulogy. But Hart's character interrupts the eulogy to get an answer on a certain debate, once and for all. Is it a W-Shirt? Is it a X-Shirt? Is it a Y-Shirt?
Finally, he asks, "Is it a Z-Shirt?"
"Nope. Wait ... yeah!" says an exasperated yet visibly relieved Cal. "Yeah, it's a Z-shirt!"
How many times has Kevin Hart been on SNL?
Hart has hosted Saturday Night Live three times. His debut was the 2013 episode with Musical Guests Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. His second stint came in Season 40 with Musical Guest Sia, and the third in Season 43 with Musical Guest Foo Fighters.
Like many funny celebrities, Kevin Hart also famously auditioned for SNL in his pre-fame days. "If you had seen this tape, you'd understand why I didn't get it," he joked to Conan O'Brien in a 2015 interview.
Parts of Hart's audition appear "Five Minutes," Episode 1 in the four-part docuseries Beyond Saturday Night now streaming on Peacock. You can also catch a snippet of Hart's SNL audition in the below compilation from SNL's 40th anniversary special:
Robinson, meanwhile, went on to promote even more colorful shirts on his own sketch show, I Think You Should Leave. Luckily, he learned to focus on complicated patterns instead of letters.
Watch "Z-Shirt" and "90's Funeral" from Season 38, Episode 15 of Saturday Night Live above, and watch any episode anytime on Peacock.
