In a feature I’ve been meaning to link to for days, NY Mag’s Vulture blog slideshowed “The Michaela Watkins Club,” a gallery of other not yet ready for prime time players who had blink and you missed it stints on SNL. When researching for my post analyzing the dismissal of Watkins and Casey Wilson, I noted these brief tenures, and it’s a fun piece. It’s also interesting (And encouraging. And simultaneously defeating.) that the roster of comedians who quickly got the hook varies from stars like Ben Stiller, Damon Wayans and Janeane Garafalo to others who faded into obscurity like Patrick Weathers, Dan Vitale and Emily Prager (who never actually appeared in a sketch, so I guess she also started in obscurity). And I also enjoy that Paul Schaffer moved over from the SNL band and had a brief turn as a featured cast member,
One gripe, however: the inclusion on this list of veteran SNL writers Jim Downey (James to you), Alan Zweibel and Tom Schiller. Sure, their appearances as cast members might have been relative failures, but between the three of them they amass writing credits for 742 SNL episodes, not including specials. Citing Downey seems particularly egregious considering that by himself he boasts 488 SNL writing credits (and counting) and is one of if not the main voice for political humor at SNL . The feature also notes that Downey, “might be best known for penning the majority of Norm MacDonald’s jokes during his controversial reign as anchor of Weekend Update.” While he did he did receive some attention for this, I would argue that after 22 years of working on the show (with a few gaps in there) he had his most visible and acclaimed run last season, penning the Democratic Presidential Debates sketches that received so much press. There’s no denying that the show was lauded last season for its election year sketches, and with Downey at the heart of the political commentary it seems silly to include him on a list of all-time SNL casting miscues. And, at the very least, he might be better known as Andy Samberg’s Dad (and Jonah Hill’s boyfriend).
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Quick Jim Downey trivia:
Appeared in There Will be Blood as theproprietor of a real estate office (with a heck of a beard).
I returned home late last night after absorbing a brutal pub trivia loss, compounded (or alleviated) by the fact that the winning team included Thom Yorke. Yes, that Thom Yorke. I mean, I don’t see how we could have won when out of three categories one was a music round and we were competing against a team with Thom Yorke. Yes, that Thom Yorke. From Radiohead. And another round centered on world geography, and everyone knows Americans have no concept of the world outside of the US (and not much within it). And Thom Yorke has probably been to more countries than I can name. So yeah, it was unfair. Cause they had Thom Yorke. You know. Kid A. OK Computer. Hail to the Thief. In Rainbows. The Eraser. Yes! That Thom Yorke (not to be confused with Theodoric of York).
ANYWAY, I came among to find the blogosphere aflutter with talk of Kanye West and his villainous deeds. I had remembered that the NFL started yesterday, but totally forgot about the VMAs. But, apparently, by ripping the microphone from a frozen Taylor Swift, Kanye made the show relevant again. After reading the litany of comments on Facebook and Twitter, I decided to turn on MTV to see if I could catch the replay. Luckily I tuned in just in time to see Lada Gaga’s brilliant?/tramautizing/bloody/WTF? performance.
However, it was after the next commercial break when my favorite moment arrived. Coming out to introduce Taylor Swift’s defiant musical performance were Miranda Cosgrove and a previously unknown to me adolescent Canadian singer named Justin Bieber (Dylan and/or Cole Sprouse must have been busy). What I didn’t know was that Bieber, with the sleeves of his Members Only jacket pushed up past his elbows, was about to defend the honor of Miss Swift:
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Got to give the kid credit, he demonstrated some courage, calling out Kanye like that. I just fear that this will start a beef, and it’s only a matter of time before Kanye strikes back in rap form, backed by fellow stage crasher Lil’ Mama (then again, maybe they’ll bond over the way they both like to wear their circa 1980s jackets). Something tells me that young Master Bieber is hoping his chivalry will pay off with a kiss from the damsel in distress. Or at least an opening slot on her sold out next tour.
And then Swift, still no doubt trying to figure out what the hell happened earlier in the show, belted out her VMA winning song in an F line subway car. After riding that train to and from Manhattan for 3 years I can tell you that never happens. To be honest, it was kind of a cool performance, but you just know there was some guy at the 57th Street Station wondering where the F was the F train.
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Oh, and Lady Gaga and Kermit the Frog on the red carpet. I honestly don’t know what to make of this.
In yesterday’s Washington Post columnist Tom Shales previews the trepidation that is coming with the soon to arrive 35th season of Saturday Night Live. He is right on when he asserts that SNL
“…has been up and down in ratings and quality (never falling as low as it has risen high) over the decades…”
It does seem that every year there is the traditional “Saturday Night Dead” headline, but then SNL rises from the ashes and continues to the be preeminent sketch comedy in our popular culture. Where Shales I think missteps is suggesting that Lorne Michaels is nervous about the upcoming season, since they will no longer have the election to exploit. Shales writes,
“Still, for Michaels, the good news can barely hide a world of worry. ‘It comes and goes like everything else,’ he says, with his usual nonchalance, of the show’s success. But this season seems predestined to be worrisome. There’s no election, for one thing.”
To me, that doesn’t sound like someone who is worried. Shales, himself, seems to indicate this, noting Lorne’s signature “nonchalance.” No, despite the fact that the cast and writers can no longer mine the cultural and political zeitgeist that was the 2008 electoral drama, I don’t think Lorne Michaels is worried. SNL goes through this cycle every four years; it has sourced material from nine presidential elections and it’s always managed to survive, even if it sorta treads water for three seasons until the next round of primaries. But the truth is Saturday Night Live is now an institution, a fabric of our culture and just as permanent a television fixture as 60 Minutes. The cast will change, and so will the targets and the comedic sensibilities, but as long as there is TV (or semblance of it. Hello Hulu.), there will be SNL.
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Shales also attributes concerns over the news season to Tina Fey’s commitments to 30 Rock and in effect her inability to reprise her defining (and campaign derailing) Sarah Palin impression. Well, despite the fact that Tina Fey is the nexus of 30 Rock, and that appearing on SNL last seasonexhausted her, and the added responsibility of being a mother, her show shoots at Silvercup Studios in Queens, and I think if Lorne asks really nicely she can manage an appearance or two. But you know what? Sarah Palin was so 2008. If SNL wants to repeat a fraction of its success of last year it needs to stay relevant. And to do that it needs to forget last season, no matter how acclaimed it was. Because if they try to imitate 2008 it’ll be just that, an imitation, a poor, disappointing copy of the original.
However, that being said, here is my favorite politically themed sketch from S34:
This past week’s Entertainment Weekly included a Q&A with U2’s The Edge about the new documentary It Might Get Loud, in which he appears with Jack Black and Jimmy Page. When asked if he has a favorite White Stripes song he responds,
“…I wrote this sketch of a song, which I was really excited about. I went over to my brother’s house and told him, ‘Dik, I gotta play you this new tune!’ After about 16 bars he says, ‘Edge, that is ‘Seven Nation Army.’ I said, ‘What? Get out of here. Is not!’ I went back and listened, and it wasn’t exactly, but it was way too close. I played it for Jack, and he was like, ‘Mmm, it’s a bit close, isn’t it?'”
Okay, so The Edge wrote a “Seven Nation Army” ripoff, no big deal. But more importantly, The Edge makes his brother call him, “Edge?!” You’d think between brothers “David” or “Dave” would be fine. But I guess not. Not only that, but The Edge gets to be The Edge while his brother remains “Dik.” Doesn’t seem fair.
I wonder what Bono’s brother Sheldon* calls his bro.
*This name is made up. I don’t know if Bono even has a brother.**
**Oh, he does, and his name is Norman.***
***And according to Wikipedia Bono’s family has been referring to him as his stage name since adolescence. Well, there you have it.
I was just about to write a post expressing my disappointment with the news/rumors that Kristen Wiig would be taking Amy Poehler’s place at the Weekend Update desk alongside Seth Meyers. To me, that’s a mistake. The idea is to alleviate Wiig’s workload, not increase it. And it doesn’t make sense to award her the anchor job at the expense of her presence in sketches, which would have surely suffered given the time commitment needed for Update. Even though they definitely need to pepper the sketches with the new female cast members the show still requires healthy dose of Wiig, just not record setting levels. Which is why I was happy to hear that the rumor was debunked.
However, in addition to not joining Update, they should also cut back on Wiig’s appearances on Update segments, like her frequent turns as travel writer Judy Grimes and film critic Aunt Linda. The bits are amusing, but too similar to some of her other characters (although her personification of Barbie was inspired).Vodpod videos no longer available.
The Weekend Update guest segments have traditionally been a place where those cast members who don’t get much attention in the regular sketches can present their own material and grab some airtime, which is why you so often saw Tracey Morgan and Colin Quinn visiting the desk, and even Adam Sandler and his song stylings before that. So this season they should cede Kristen Wiig’s spots on Update to others in the cast, specifically the trio of young ladies who will be defining their role in the show.
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But what of the vacant Update chair? Should someone besides Wiig be the next chosen one? Well, Amy Poehler is going to return for at least the first two episodes of Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday (premiering September 17), so it would probably be foolish to install another anchor for the regular weekend Weekend edition at the same time. But after that, who knows? Many consider the Poehler-Tina Fey partnership the recent high point for Update, and certainly Poehler and Seth Meyers had its shining moments, but in his nights alone last season I think Meyers proved that he has the chops to handle the anchor duties solo, at least for the foreseeable future. Let us not forget that the segment was hosted by a single anchor since its return in 1985 with Dennis Miller until Lorne Michaels paired Fey with Jimmy Fallon in 2000. So let Meyers continue to do a fine job by himself, frequently invite on the new ladies, and maybe one of them will excel and join the pantheon of Weekend Update anchors. However, if that doesn’t happen and we’re treated to Seth Meyers all by his lonesome every week I think we’ll be fine. Really.
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Oh. And one more recommendation. More Nicolas Fehn. Please.
The news broke late on Friday that Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson were not asked back for Saturday Night Live’s 35th season. This development came on the heels of the announcement earlier in the week that comediennes Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad had been chosen as the newest not yet ready for prime time players. The addition of these two was to the relief of many who thought that SNL needed a greater female presence, especially to spell Kristen Wiig, whose MVP performance last season has been well documented. In light of the two new cast members, the news Watkins’ and Wilson’s departures has been met with surprise, but a closer look indicates that the selection of new blood was a portent of things to come.
Full disclosure, I had heard a rumor a couple weeks ago that Wilson would not be back, and since that time I had scoured the web for articles supporting the claim. When I heard of the selection of Slate and Pedrad I immediately thought it led credence to Wilson’s departure. Still, there was no news on that, and I was surprised that none of the reports I read introducing the new cast members speculated on what it meant for the future of the current cast. I last searched for stories relating possible SNL exits late Thursday night, the evening before we learned that Casey Wilson, along with Michaela Watkins, had been let go. So yes, it seemed like a shock. But while the timing might have seemed like a blindside, SNL history proves we should have seen this coming.
SNL has always been a boys club, and, despite the Wiigs and Poehlers and Feys, will likely continue to be so. A look at the math demonstrates it highly unlikely that Lorne Michaels would have started the season with the two female additions without cutting one or two incumbents from the squad. Slate and Petrad are joining current members Wiig and SNL legacy Abbie Elliott, and had Wilson and Watkins been retained that would have totaled six female cast members to begin season 35. No SNL season has ever started a season with six females in the cast. The closest they have come was 1991-1992 season in which Beth Cahill became the sixth female in mid-November (joining Victoria Jackson, Julia Sweeney, Ellen Cleghorne, Siobhan Fallon and Melanie Hutsell). In addition the the half dozen mark not being reached until mid-season, one must recall that this came during the over-capacity casts of the early 90s when Lorne Michaels was admittedly building a JV team of comics (Farley, Sandler, Spade, etc) to succeed the the old guard (Carvey, Myers, Hartman, etc). So the high volume of estrogen was more a biproduct of a bulging cast, not a real movement to emphasize the talents of budding comediennes. This was also the season that employed so many cast members that the opening credits contained two sets of Featured Player introductions, the first being “spontaneous” moments of
the cast in various situations (Rob Schneider buying a movie ticket!) and then a second round of featured players shown only through head shots. Beyond this six female aberration, the show has mostly subsisted with 3 -4 female members. Indeed the first five seasons brought us only three women, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtain and Lorraine Newman, and from 95-99 we were treated to another funny female threesome (Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon, and Ana Gasteyer). Later the number did reach five, but this included Tina Fey who only appeared on Weekend Update, and seasons when several of the women missed significant time on maternity leave (including Amy Poehler last season, followed by her exit to star in Parks and Recreation). So while I in no way intend to imply that it would be wrong to present a cast with six women, the SNL’s past shows that there is no precedent for this.
So six was too many. However, could they have settled for five? Most reaction has indicated little surprise that Lorne Michaels waved goodbye to Casey Wilson. Indeed, in one and a half seasons she had yet to make her mark, and despite earnest efforts it did not seem that she was embraced by the audience in the studio or at home. To her credit, she did poke fun at her standing with fan in a recent Funny Or Die video, so at least she’s a good sport, and I think this Tango and Cash re-creation she did with Janeanne Garafalo served her better than anything she ever did at SNL. And you don’t get on SNL by accident, so I have no doubt that she’s talented; however the annals of SNL are filled with Yvonne Hudsons and Jeff Richardses and broken dreams, and now she’s another victim (but lest we not forget Wilson’s web video co-star Garafalo once upon a time had a miserable experience on the show and she turned out okay. Likewise Sarah Silverman).
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But if you understand (or agree with) the firing of Wilson, what of Michaela Watkins? Couldn’t they have kept her on. There seems to be some moderate outrage at her dismissal, much being made of the in-roads Watkins had already established in less than a season as a featured player. Indeed, EW’s Michael Ausiello writes,
“Watkins gave birth to a slew of memorable characters and impersonations, most notably bitchpleeze.com blogger Angie Tempura and Today’s Hoda Kotb.”
However, while those two specific personas did gain some traction, I don’t think she birthed a “slew” of memorable characters and impersonations. Beyond bitchpleeze and Hoda, I’d be hard pressed to name another memorable performance outside of her well regarded Ariana Huffington impression (which is admittedly excellent, but something she had perfected before joining the cast). Also, I don’t understand the appeal of the bitchpleeze Weekend Update segments or the perspective of the character, nor why SNL would want to mock much of its fan base (all bloggers are snotty teenagers?). As for The Today Show sketches, they had some enjoyable moments but never quite felt like they flew as high as they could, and all Watkins could do was react to Wiig’s Kathy Lee Gifford (which is effective, but one-note).
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However, this is not to say that Watkins is not talented, but that the outcry over her dismissal is a bit unfounded. Moreso, additional analysis argues that it is precicely because of her talent that she was let go. Before joining the cast, Watkins, a veteran of the Groundlings, most recently supported former SNL player Julia Louis-Dreyfus on The New Adventures of old Christine. So she had taken a step back from prime time to not yet ready for prime time. But the truth is she is polished and ready to make that leap into a sitcom, and Lorne Michaels told her that much (via Watkins interview with Ausiello):
“The only explanation I got from him — and he’s not known to say things just to make people feel better — was that he felt deep down that I should have my own show. And I agreed.”
Thinking in that context, I think the move makes sense. Looking back even further, it’s not a stretch to think that Michaels brought her on last season because he needed someone talented, experienced and ready with a arsenal of characters and impressions. Much was made about the workload heaped on Kristen Wiig, and recognizing this, maybe Lorne brought Watkins in as a ringer of sorts, slightly akin to the 1985-1986 seasonin which then-producer Dick Ebersole enlisted comic mercenaries Billy Crystal, Martin Short and Harry Shearer.
So perhaps all along Lorne Michaels only thought of Watkins, 37, as a temporary solution. As for Wiig, with roles in this year’s Adventureland and the just-released Extract, not to mention her previous scene stealing turn in Knocked Up, her film career has already started taking off, so it can’t be long before she moves onto greener pastures. However, with Jenny Slate, 27, and Nasim Petrad joining the 22 year-old Abby Elliot, the show has now formed a stable of young, smart, female comedians. So, maybe, in Lorne’s eyes he’s put together a new dream team of funny young ladies, a group that can grow together and entertain us for years to come.
So after writing yesterday’s post about waiting for days for Guitar Hero 5 to arrive, I realized that I had made an oversight. At the bottom of the email confirming shipment, basically the fine print, it noted that the game was due to arrive on September 4.
So at least I had some answer. Not the one I wanted, but it accounted for the delay, and why I spent 3 days waiting with bated breath.
I woke up today excited for D-Day (delivery day, of course). Eager and perhaps a tad greedy, I checked the tracking #, expecting to see that the package was en route. And to my extreme dismay I found this:
If you can’t read the text, it says “Electronic Shipping Info Received.” So it might not have even shipped yet, let alone arriving today. Amazon, quit playing games with my heart. My Guitar Hero anticipating heart.
The sad thing is I know that next time I pre-order something it’ll be from Amazon. And the cycle will start all over again. Well, the devil you know.
Amazon, c’mon! Where are you? You’re usually right on top of these things. When I ordered The State the DVDs arrived a day early. So when I plunked down my $60 three weeks ago for Guitar Hero 5 I naturally expected it to arrive on September 1st, the release date, if not before. I considered ordering the title from GameStop, who guaranteed that it would arrive on September One. But I went with Amazon, because they’ve been good to me in the past and I’m loyal. They have all my debit card info on file, it just made more sense. So you can imagine my frustration when September the first rolled around and the game did not arrive. Let down.
But late that night I did receive an email. It had shipped!
So naturally the next morning, I check out the tracking #, and there’s no record of the shipment. Okay, that happens, but it’s still probably going to come that day, right? Wrong. Wednesday came and went and still no tracking updates. And here we are now, Thursday, and still:
C’mon, Amazon! Deliver! I feel like you’ve lied to me. By now I was planning on wasting my afternoon playing “Why Bother.” Now I’m almost being productive. Thanks a lot.
For some reason, despite the fact that this season has been an absolute disaster, I’m still fascinated by the NY Mets, and lately I have been spending a lot of time listening to the stream from their radio network, WFAN 660AM. However, I was quite surprised yesterday when I opened up their homepage and noticed in the Podcasts for the Joe Beningo and Evan Roberts Show an entry titled “Rue McClanahan.” And I thought, not Rue “Blanche Devereaux” McClanhan, the Southern Belle with a voracious sexual appetite from The Golden Girls. So I clicked “listen” and, sure enough, it was the very same Rue McClanahan. Mostly they just discussed the origin of The Golden Girls, the immense talent of the cast, and how Estelle Getty played twenty years older than her actual age. In addition, Evan Roberts, the 26-year old co-host, spent most of his professing his love for Ms. McClanahan. But she didn’t seem to mind; apparently she gets a lot of that.
On July 14th, 2009 my life officially changed with the release of The State for the first time ever on DVD (after years of promises and rumors). If you’re not familiar with The State, shame on you, but you can check out their official website, or read up on the troupe here. Since receiving the complete series (thank you, Amazon) I have watched (listened to) all the episode commentaries and viewed all the unaired sketches (with and without commentary). However, it was after watching (listening to) the Role Models DVD commentary (by director and State member David Wain) last night that I was inspired to create my own list of the Top Ten State Sketches. Then after trying to narrow it down to a top ten, I decided those that didn’t make the cut deserved honorable mention. But on to those that placed! In a particular order, based solely on my opinion, here they are:
1. The Race
As far as I know, not widely regarded as one of their best, but I’ve always had a special place in my heart for this one. A friendly race between father and son soon turns into a scene from Deathproof. Includes one of my favorite exchanges:
– “See you in hell!”
– “How ’bout I meet you there.” – as Michael Showalter spouts saliva in every which direction.
2. Prison Break
For some reason I always link this sketch with “Race,” and I have a hard time deciding which one I prefer One of the most well produced and slick looking of the film pieces, this bit finds Tom Lennon’s convict Jimmy Mulligan escaping from Lowell Maximum Security Prison. It’s absurd, but played so seriously it works. Also, any sketch that can includes as a plot device Yom Kippur is bound to make my list. To this day I still inform others that an area is “off-limits” as a favor to me.
*sorry, this sketch doesn’t seem to be available online and all I could find was this tiny, tiny jpeg.
3. Porcupine Racetrack
The State’s magnum opus, a full on song and dance number about, well, a Porcupine Racetrack. It has some yuks, like David Wain break dancing and a singing porcupine, but what really makes this one stand out as their masterwork is that it’s not a joke. It’s an earnest and entertaining musical performance that succeeds because it’s good, not because it’s funny.
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4. Balogna Foot
Probably the sketch that made me fall in love with The State. Again, crazy premise, a kid with meat for feet, but it’s played straight. What makes it so funny is how real it is, as if he were any run of the mill outcast. When Michael Showalter says “Sometimes I wonder, if I was stranded on a desert island, would I eat my feet? You know what, I don’t think I would,” you really believe it. Bonus points to Tom Lennon for corner kicking a soccer ball right into Todd Holoubeck’s groin.
*Showalter, it seems, has an affinity for abnormal feet, as seen in this recent Michael and Michael Have Issues sketch.
5. Taco Man
I didn’t have tacos growing up, and one time refused to get anything from Taco Bell except for a Pepsi. But this sketch made tacos look good, even before I knew how good they were. One of their most off-beat sketches, filled with awkward silences, twisted even further by the closing line “That was the longest conversation I have ever had.” We should all be so lucky to have such delightful conversation.
6. Blueberry Johnson
Michael Showalter’s character is like the Joker crossed with Violet Beauregarde and strong editing skills. A wannabee children’s show host, Blueberry demonstrates he (she?) has the passion and the looks, but maybe not the gentle touch. Also, I’m convinced Molly Shannon stole her SNL character Helen Madden’s catchphrase, “I love it, I love it, I love it,” from Blueberry. If only “Blueberry Muffins in the Morning with Richard Dreyfuss” was real.
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7. The Jew, The Italian and the Red Head Gay
Perhaps as memorable as “Porcupine Racetrack,” maybe because it ends with another stirring full cast musical number. Extremely simple, and extremely short, it really is nothing more than the title personified, the characters speaking only in stereotypes, like tomato sauce, bagels, and pretty curtain patterns. But it’s only we confront these stereotypes that we can move beyond them. Special mention must also be made for David Wain’s subtle portrayal of the Jew. Instead of going for the obvious, like payos of a Hasidic Jew, he chooses runner’s attire, with the added detail of the dangling headphones. Clearly, he knows the material.
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8. Muppets
Normally I object to any sketch that portrays the Muppets in a negative light (a stoned Kermit, gay Bert and Ernie, easy jokes that are disrespectful and cheap). However, despite the fact that they do kill, cook and eat Muppets in this sketch, I do feel like they honor the Muppet legacy. I think this is the kind of Muppet joke Jim Henson would have appreciated. Just don’t ask for someone (or thing) to come show you “near.”
In lieu of a quality video of the sketch, here’s a newish video from the Muppets!
9. Leonard Harris Show
Unfortunately I can’t find any video for this sketch either. It’s your typical talk show, speaking with a guest who has some sort of condition, in this case blindness. However, the audience cannot seem to comprehend the limitations of the affliction, or lack thereof, with one audience member asking, “aren’t you worried about AIDS?” To which Leonard Harris adds, “Ohhhhh, good question. And one I think you have a responsibility to answer.” It’s simple, but it works. And another line I still quote often.
10. Personal State
Michael Ian Black kind of cornered the market on writing these whole group sketches in which they would play versions of themselves and address the audience. And since he wrote them, he took center stage. In this sketch from the third season, Black tells the audience that the cast would like to express some personal facts about themselves. Except no one is willing to divulge anything private (save for Tom Lennon, who lets us know he’s on speed). We don’t actually learn about The State members besides some fictional details about Black, but it shows them at their best, willing to sacrifice their dignity for the sake of comedy.
Honorable Mention:
“Pants” – From early in the first season, one of the more well known sketches, the one that really made me take notice of the show. Misses the top ten only because the DVD version has been stripped of the original music track, the Breeders’ “Cannonball,” and the piece isn’t the same without it.
*Black and Showalter seem to share an affinity for pants comedy, considering this sketch from MMHI, as well as this one.
“Service with a Smile” – Chicken sandwich, Carl! Vodpod videos no longer available.
“The Barry Lutz Show” – Two words: Monkey Torture. Vodpod videos no longer available.
“Mr. Magina” – A slow burn, as Kevin Allison’s substitute teacher waits for the moment when his students realize that his surname rhymes with a female body part.
“The Pope-a’s Visit” – Just sheer energy and destruction. The kind of sketch you only have one chance to get right. Vodpod videos no longer available.
“Toothbrush” – “Toothbrush you’ve come back to me!” was one of the first WAV files I downloaded when my parents purchased our Compaq Presario. I think it was the Windows start-up sound.
“Terrorist Situation” – Worth including just for the line, “Can I get mine in the form of a gift certificate to Red Lobster? It’s my mom’s birthday.” Another quote I often steal .
“Hepcat” – A Footloose parody that at some points is more like a Footloose re-enactment, just replacing Rock’n’Roll with slow jazz.
“Chip’s Party” – From episode one, shot on VHS, a couple 20-somethings crash a little boy’s birthday party. Good times ensue.
“Boy in a Barn” – another sketch that was knocked down a few slots because the DVD version replaces the original music track, “Papa Don’t Preach.” Still, a story of triumph and tolerance.
“Cannonball Run Outtakes” – Not really a sketch, just a shot for shot remake of the outtakes from Cannonball Run. But still brilliant.
“Cutlery Barn” – The weirdest sketch in a series filled with weird sketches. Co-starring a sandwich.
*You might also notice that I didn’t include popular recurring characters like Doug and Louie. These personas were created to parody recurring characters, and were deliberately poorly written and one-dimensional. While these characters did catch on and in effect become what the show was mocking, the sketches still weren’t the troupe’s best or most original work.
In a feature I’ve been meaning to link to for days, NY Mag’s Vulture blog slideshowed “The Michaela Watkins Club,” a gallery of other not yet ready for prime time players who had blink and you missed it stints on SNL. When researching for my post analyzing the dismissal of Watkins and Casey Wilson, I noted these brief tenures, and it’s a fun piece. It’s also interesting (And encouraging. And simultaneously defeating.) that the roster of comedians who quickly got the hook varies from stars like Ben Stiller, Damon Wayans and Janeane Garafalo to others who faded into obscurity like Patrick Weathers, Dan Vitale and Emily Prager (who never actually appeared in a sketch, so I guess she also started in obscurity). And I also enjoy that Paul Schaffer moved over from the SNL band and had a brief turn as a featured cast member,
Jumped The Snark 
