When it was announced that Kim Kardashian West would host this season of Saturday Night Live, it is fair to assume that many had fairly low expectations. After all, the family's long-running show featured eye-poppingly clichéd line readings, and that, we are told, was the reality. But the thing to remember about Kim is that she is used to people's low expectations of her and has become a true professional when it comes to turning those expectations upside down. Don't underestimate Kim, that's the lesson here.

So with that in mind, you won't be surprised to hear that her SNL monologue was genuinely funny and surprisingly revealing for someone like Kim who carefully directs her public image! She really went there (opens in new tab), joking about her late father, Robert Kardashian's defense of O.J. Simpson, her mother's helicopter mother style, and her relationship with Kanye, whom she divorced earlier this year. (They remain close, however, and he reportedly visited her on set as she was preparing for her SNL debut and offered advice (opens in new tab).)

"I married the greatest rapper of all time," Kim said of her ex-husband in her monologue. 'He was talented, a legitimate genius, and gave me four amazing children. So when I divorced him, I want you to know that the only reason I did it was because of his character." (The line was applauded, but she admitted that it sounded "mean.")

Other jokes that struck me as a bit harsh were Kim's praise of her mother, Chris, for having the foresight to avoid a certain disgraceful name." It's really amazing that my mother didn't choose "Karen" when there are so many "K" names out there. Somehow, she knew," Kim says. 'Why did she choose Karen instead of Caitlin? Yo

Caitlin and Kanye took the brunt of the jokes Kim made. At one point, she even caught them both at the same time under the guise of announcing her candidacy for politics, saying it was a joke because "we can't have three failed politicians in one family," but the sisters did not escape completely unscathed. After introducing that by hosting the sketch show, she wanted to show that she was more than just "a pretty face, pretty hair, good makeup, great boobs, and a perfect ass," she added, "Basically, I'm more than just a reference photo my sisters showed their plastic surgeon. It's barbaric. Well done Kim, who understood the challenge.

The entire monologue is from:

Anyone else petitioning to have Kim back as moderator again?