Strumming her guitar to a tune called “The Monologue Song (La La La),” Swift sang lines like, “You might think I’d bring up Joe, that guy who broke up with me on the phone/ Hey, Joe, I’m doing real well, tonight I’m hosting ‘SNL’ ” (a reference, of course, to her former boyfriend, Joe Jonas). She also made light of the prevailing rumor that she’s dating “New Moon” star Taylor Lautner with the verse, “If you’re wondering if I might/ Be dating the werewolf from ‘Twilight’/ I’m not gonna comment on that/ In my monologue,” which she interrupted with a wink, then mouthed, “Hi, Taylor,” to the camera.

As the crowd whistled their approval, Swift shifted the song into a jokey, mopey dirge, made a sad face, and sang, “You might be expecting me to say/ Something bad about Kanye/ And how he ran up on the stage/ But there’s nothing more to say/ ‘Cause everything’s OK/ I’ve got security lining the stage.”

Swift, who also gamely made fun of the VMA interruption in a promo for the episode, ended her monologue with another dig at West. “We’ve got a great show, ” she laughed. “Kanye West is not here”

In later sketches, Swift showed off her acting chops, impersonating Kate Gosselin in a send-up of “The View,” then donning a dark wig to spoof “Twilight” in the Digital Short “Firelight,” which replaced vampires with Frankenstein monsters.

She also threw on a goatee and cornrows to play a wild-eyed convict in a “Scared Straight” skit, some pajamas in a turn as an over-affectionate roommate and, in the night’s final sketch, a long blond wig for a jittery, hip-shaking impersonation of Shakira.

Pulling double duty as both host and musical performer, Swift also took the stage for a pair songs: a spirited version of “You Belong With Me” and a stripped-down “Untouchable.”