Category Archives: Saturday Night Live

2009/12/07 · 1:45 pm

SNL: Blake is Lively, Astronaut ‘Tater Chips, and the Muppets are Just Killing it Lately!

Recently it has felt like that upon finishing the weekly installment of Saturday Night Live there’s a sense of emptiness.  I know I watched an hour and a half of television, but why do I feel so unfulfilled?  If a sketch comedy show is broadcast and it’s not funny does it really happen?  Well, this season the show has managed to create buzz despite a dearth of good sketches; so far we’ve learned that if the host is a trainwreck (January Jones) or possessed by flubber (Regular Joe Gordon Levitt) then the show can make waves without being funny.  Then what’s the takeaway from this latest Blake Lively hosted edition?  It’s certainly not of comic triumph (many reviewers are still citing the Taylor Swift episode for this type of euphoria, although I think that entry fell short as well).  No, it just feels like another 90 minutes of sketches, monologue, musical performances and commercials (both genuine and of the parody variety) that went by mostly unremarkably.  However, like any episode, good or bad, funny or offensive (usually the latter of both those comparisons), there are a couple moments worth noting.  Let’s start at the top and then we’ll move directly to the bottom.

More: Electric Mayhem, Me as the Swedish Chef, Forte’s forte and lady bowlers!

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2009/11/26 · 3:54 pm

Thanksgiving Cooking Tips

Here’s a handy guide to preparing for your Thanksgiving feast—

1. Roast the turkey:

2. Plump it up:
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3. Carve meticulously:

Then serve, enjoy, argue with family members, fall asleep, and promise to never eat again!

Happy Thanksgiving!  See you at the mall!

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2009/11/23 · 10:00 pm

‘SNL’ & JGL: Full of Sound and Fury Signifying…What, Exactly?

Well, there was no denying that the energy level was turned up to 11 on this weekend’s Saturday Night Live, with a burst of adrenaline that was no doubt due in great part to Joseph Gordon Levitt’s raucous enthusiasm, and, perhaps, with the scathing reviews after last weekend’s January Jones episode, the cast and crew felt they had something to prove.  And they came out and put on an entertaining, upbeat, cue card independent show.  But was it actually any funnier?

Well, yes, it was.  But was it the “best episode of the season,” the superlative that many blogs have given it, so soon after they did the same for the Taylor Swift outing?  That assertion, like the Taylor Swift platitudes, is debatable.  Certainly though, there was no arguing it was better, and, at the very least, not nearly as lazy.  But in this case, let’s not confuse enthusiasm for a good sense of humor, or entertainment for comedy.  They’re definitely related, but one does not necessarily equal the other.

Over on his EW blog Ken Tucker provided an excellent commentary that’s quite similar to my own take (so if you’re in a rush and can only read his review or ours, read his), noting that while Levitt’s frenetic monologue performance of “Make ‘Em Laugh” from Singing in the Rain was impressive (especially his two off-the wall backflips followed by a well-executed pratfall) and a crowd pleaser, it didn’t exactly make you laugh.  It was almost more like a successful awards show opening number than a sharp, funny SNL monologue.  That being said we’ll be lucky if all future hosts can provide as much talent and effort as “regular Joe”  (However, with that kind of energy, one has to wonder if JGL was on more than just regular joe).

Read on: What’s Up With Kenan Thompson, Family Dinners & Pierre Escargot? Plus, Jason Sudeikis makes 12:50am safe again…

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2009/11/16 · 5:41 pm

All the More Reason for ‘Wayne’s World 3’

An old, but still relevant article on the Huffington Post about the decline of Dana Carvey and Mike Myers, which hits on points we previously made in separate posts about Carvey (re: his Leno appearance) and Meyers (re: The Love Guru).

Better times:

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2009/11/16 · 3:15 pm

January Jones Was the Worst Host Ever On the Worst Episode of ‘SNL’ Ever

Or so it would seem.

The reaction to last week’s Taylor Swift SNL was overwhelmingly positive, with most critics/bloggers declaring it the best episode of the (mediocre) season.  While I think it was one of the stronger episodes of the season, I’m not quite sure it was the best (I’d probably have to hand that distinction to the Gerard Butler outing, in which Butler was more polished and comfortable than Swift), but certainly it’s possible to make the argument for its season supremacy.  But boy, how quickly things change.  After the buzzed about Swift edition SNL returned  this weekend with Mad Men‘s January Jones as host, and if the blogosphere is to believed it was the worst episode in the history of Saturday Night Live, featuring the most ill-prepared host in 35 years of the show.  Well, yes, it was bad, but we’re hyperbolizing just a little bit.  If anything, saying that the new episode was that bad gives too much credit to other dreadful performances from this season (basically all but Butler and Swift), and certainly episodes from past seasons (ahem, Michael Phelps).  So to get all riled up about a single terrible episode of SNL is about as useless as getting giddy about an excellent episode of SNL, because, no matter what, the show is coming back next week, sometimes it’s going to be inconceivably bad, sometimes surprisingly brilliant, and mostly very average.  That’s why teachers invented the bell curve, to bring the extremes back down to earth.  So, by all means, complain about the episode, as it was lazy, sloppy and just generally unfunny.  But, remember, they have and will do worse.

With that, it’s not worth doing a rundown of the highlights, as there weren’t that many, but a few thoughts:

More: Running out the clock, Jones vs. Hamm, Slate vs. Watkins, and cotton balls made out of clouds…

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2009/11/12 · 5:02 pm

Out of Curiosity: ‘The Love Guru’

So a couple months back I was adding some items to the Netflix queue and on a lark I decided to include The Love Guru, just out of sheer curiosity.  I never thought it’d actually come though, I assumed we’d keep bumping other more important things up to the top.  But then lo and behold one day the mail arrived and my roommate exclaimed “Guess what came?!”  Immediately I was overcome with a sense of immense guilt.  Yep, The Love Guru.  Still, even then, I was skeptical that I’d ever watch it.

But then I decided to give it a go, just to find how bad it might be.  And at a crisp 87 minutes, at least it’ll be quick and maybe not painless.  And then I thought, why not blog about it?  So here we go.

I watched it so you don’t have to! Read on….

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2009/11/10 · 8:56 pm

Taylor Swift on ‘SNL’: ‘Kanye West is Not Here.’ No?? Not Even Mike Myers?!

Taylor SwiftTaylor Swift returned to SNL this past weekend, this time as both host and musical guest, after appearing as just the latter on a Neil Patrick Harris hosted episode this past January (in which she also played Annie in the funny and topical Save Broadway sketch).  And, if you can possibly believe it, they only made one reference to the Kanye West incident, just a brief “Kanye West is not here,” at the end of Swift’s monologue (while we’re on the subject of Kanyegate, please, please, take this opportunity to view Justin Bieber’s defense of Swift on the VMAs.  If you’ve watched it before watch it again, and if you haven’t then you have my permission to watch it now and return here after).  To be honest, I was a little disappointed they didn’t mine the controversy.  Sure it would have been obvious, but that’s to be expected.  No Kanye cameo?  No Kanye impression (by Fred Armisen?)?  Not even Bobby Moynihan storming the stage to let Taylor Swift know that her monologue is good but Megan Fox’s was the best of all time (followed by Moynihan dropping the mic, of course)?  At the very least I expected an appearance from Mike Myers, himself the victim of a famed Kanyebomb.  Perhaps they could have all met backstage.

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But no, there were none of these things.  What we were given instead was a fairly decent episode with an average but enthusiastic host.

Jason Sudekis provides the best moment of the season thus far

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2009/10/22 · 8:11 pm

Other Things That Have Not Jumped the Shark: Will Ferrell

Last week Variety reported that Will Ferrell has signed on to star in a small indie comedy called Everything Must Go.  In response to this news Spout posted a round-up of blogger’s comments on Ferrell’s “retreating career move.”  The feedback seemed to indicate that Will Ferrell is at an important crossroads, that maybe his best days are behind him, and that perhaps this is a redemption project after “all of his recent crap like Land of the Lost.”

Continue reading →

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2009/10/19 · 1:39 pm

‘SNL’ Trying to Get Viewers Drunk. Can’t Hurt.

Was that an infomercial for Bud Light Golden Wheat or an episode of Saturday Night Live?  It was a little hard to tell at times, as the newest member of the Bud family served as the sponsor of the show, and also brought us “never before seen” SNL moments, aka past cast members and hosts breaking during dress rehearsal (although Will Ferrell as a fashionista cracking up Sean Hayes and Jimmy Fallon is actually available on the Best of Ferrell DVD, so not entirely new to SNL completists).  What would John Belushi have thought of this corporate shilling?  Probably wouldn’t have minded too much, as long as he got to sample the new beverage.  But the sponsorship gave the show a weird vibe that almost overshadowed what turned out to be a (if you can believe it) a decent outing. Continue reading →

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2009/10/15 · 10:05 am

Dana Carvey, I Just Don’t Know Anymore

Dana Carvey on The Jay Leno Show attempting to break the record for most impressions in a minute.  Unfortunately, this brand of humor is a perfect match for Leno’s graveyard.  I wish I could get behind this, but it seems like Carvey is just doing impressions of his impressions, and most of which we’ve been seeing for decades.  Sadder still is that he has nothing to promote so he just plugged a hair salon instead (sadder still is I’m not sure if this was a joke or it’s actually where he gets his hair cut).  I still maintain that Carvey was one of the most talented SNL cast members of all time, but lately he hasn’t been doing much to prove it.  Still waiting for your comeback, Dana.  Still waiting.

See the video. And maybe Zooey Deschanel

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