Ben Pokes Fun at Himself on 'SNL'

By Stephen M. Silverman

Monday March 15, 2004 06:08 PM EST

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Ben Affleck hosted "Saturday Night Live" this past weekend and headed off any potential jokes about the delicate subjects of "Gigli" and a certain past relationship he had with Jennifer Lopez.

"The only thing that bummed me, though," Affleck, 31, told the audience during the opening monologue, "was being referred to as 'Bennifer.' " Posited Affleck: "How hard was it to say two names?"

Affleck, who was hosting the show ostensibly to promote his new movie "Jersey Girl," also noted that he and Lopez "were on the cover of every magazine in America. And I haven't seen dime one" from that exposure.

His answer to that? Out came a large carton box, and from it he pulled a light blue T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan "Bennifer." Said Affleck: "I'm selling these babies right here."

He admitted that shirts were priced to move, given the fact that took eight months to deliver them. But just so he's ready to capitalize on potential future romances, out came other T-shirts.

These said, separately: "Benyonce," "Boprah" ("She's looking good these days," Affleck quipped), "Mary-Kate and Ashfleck" ("Maybe a long shot") and "Ben-Gay " ("For the off chance I get together with Marcia Gay Harden, or in the unlikely but wonderful hope that Matt finally comes around").

That's Matt, as in Damon. Meanwhile, as PEOPLE reports in its current issue, Affleck and Lopez, though not together, are still pals.

"I'm on really good terms with Jen," he says. "We still talk."