‘SNL’ Season 51’s Kam Patterson has strong feelings about Upstate NY

After experiencing multiple departures, “Saturday Night Live” has finally unveiled its new cast members for Season 51.

On Tuesday, the late-night sketch comedy series shared the news in an Instagram post. Veronika Slowikowska, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Tommy Brennan will all join the cast as featured players. Meanwhile, writer Ben Marshall has also been promoted to a featured player.

If the name Kam Patterson sounds familiar, that’s because he previously vocalized his strong feelings about Rochester, New York, earlier this year.

Patterson, who hails from Orlando, Florida, appeared on an episode of the live comedy podcast “Kill Tony” this January, where he made some disparaging remarks about the “Flour City” and Upstate NY as a whole.

In a clip from the podcast, Patterson says, “I’m going to look into the camera when I say this, too. F— Rochester, NY.”

Host Tony Hinchcliffe, who hails from Youngstown, Ohio, felt the same, saying, “I fully endorse Kam’s statements about anywhere in Upstate, New York. It is incredible for anyone to stay there after being born and raised there.”

Patterson added, “Yeah, that place [is] terrible.”

Hinchcliffe made a blanket statement that people in Upstate, New York, settle down “with the first person that said they like you,” get pregnant, and then become “stuck there, forever in eternal hell, while literally the rest of America laughs at you.”

Patterson cut in again, “F— Rochester, a garbage place.” He then appeared to try to name the population, claiming he looked it up, and ending with, “F— all two hundred something thousand.”

It’s unclear why Patterson and Hinchcliffe have such a negative opinion of Upstate New York. However, during a stand-up show last December, Patterson made some comments about the food in Rochester, showing a photo of the famed “Garbage Plate” at Nick Tahou Hots.

The signature plate typically includes a base of home fries or macaroni salad, topped with meat (like hamburgers or hot dogs), and finished with a spicy, meat-infused “hot sauce,” mustard, and onions. Patterson called the meal “pig slop.”

Patterson began performing stand-up comedy in 2021. He moved to Austin, Texas, where he frequently performed on “Kill Tony” and even toured with the group.

In June, he joined the cast of the upcoming Netflix comedy film “72 Hours,” starring Kevin Hart as a businessman who joins a bachelor party of wild guys who added him to the group chat. The cast includes fellow “SNL” cast members Marcello Hernandez and writer-turned-featured-featured-player Ben Marshall.

Season 51 is set to premiere on Saturday, Oct. 4. You can watch the upcoming season of “SNL” as well as stream all 50 seasons of “SNL” anytime on Peacock.