saturday night live

[Pubrick]

You two know each other?

Did you two meet off xixax?

well, now we know why u removed the ball from ur name. cos u are clearly not on it.

[El Duderino]

tonight's episode was decent at best. i did not like either one of Modest Mouse's performances. I liked Liam as Sean Connery. I also was laughing my ass off at Fred Armisen in that giant bird suit. There were obvious parts of all the sketches where Liam was reading cue cards (it wasnt nearly as bad as De Niro, though)

[cine]

Just watched the tape of this show.

I enjoyed it.. I'll wait for Ono's full review since it's fun to read and he's a lot more in depth than I am (unless I'm at the show   ).

I also was laughing my ass off at Fred Armisen in that giant bird suit.

I was crying. I could not stop laughing. If that isn't a recurring character, there is no god. Also, Armisen as the deaf comic. That man can do NO WRONG.

There were obvious parts of all the sketches where Liam was reading cue cards

Not something you critique the show on. Let Lorne do that. He's an actor that people are talking about and that's why he's hosting. Whether he can skillfully do sketch comedy without reading cue cards is not in his job description.

Anyway, funny show. WU was pretty funny stuff. Probably the best one Fey and Poehler have had together. The Hilton/Reid thing was the best thing they've done on that segment.

I'll comment further after Ono is done. But I'm looking forward to Luke Wilson and U2 next week. I'm sure all 3 of you are too.

[ono]

My delay in commenting on the episode is pretty much indicative of my overall opinion of it.  Still, I enjoy doing it, only because it's fun, no one else I know of does it, and now I know at least one person appreciates it.

Cold opening - decent, nothing earth-shattering.  "Switch with me, I can find you votes in Ohio, I know where to look."  *sigh*

Monologue - interesting approach with the stereotypes.  Best part was Maya's with the "people of mixed race are addicted to porn and smell like marshmallows" and Finesse's "this is the only time you'll see me tonight."  "I guess I owe a big apology to Tiger Woods."  Hah.  "Many of us whites are also lawyers and bankers."  And then the whole parade of stereotypes in the audience was a nice touch too.

Starr Jones' night before wedding.  My first thoughts: Wake me when it's over.  Liza: "I remember my mama used to say to me, Liza, call an ambulance."  Nice.  And, on the bright side, Rachel Dratch almost makes me forget Cheri Oteri ever did Barbara Walters.  Her delivery is just exquisite.  She's made that role her own.  Neeson as Connery was a nice touch.  I liked the last line, the whole biggest surprise in reality TV.  I just could've done without this whole thing.

As soon as I saw RTE2 come on the screen, I smiled.  Fallon and Meyers' Top o' the Morning sketches were one of the best things about these last few years.  I was hoping it'd be another one of those with a Fallon cameo, but this "You call this a house do ya?" sketch was good too.  The layout of the house (solarium, gym), the fast motion, the aftermath was all great.  My second fave of the night.  The first being the last sketch, oddly enough.

Boner juice again?  Anything to eat up time, right?

Next sketch, Fred Armisen as the African parrot wasn't too great either.  Seems like another off-the-wall throwaway, if that makes any sense.  High-concept, on the backburner, let me do this one day, please.  Good line, "before we start necking."  I admire the voice modulation on Armisen's part, and how he BECAME the bird, but it's a sketch I could do without.  The ending where he craps all over Neeson pretty much sums it up.  Funny, but feh.

Wake Up, San Diego - "This music makes me want to move my junk."  Cute how they had to start dancing during the slow, sad music.  "I'm going in, going into myself."  The humor on this episode is much more subtle than usual, and it's impressive in a thoughtful way, but not when you're looking to break out in tears from the usual hilarity.

Modest Mouse - Float On.  Had me floating.  The song's been praised enough, I'm sure, but I just wanted to add that it just makes you reminisce about things that have happened, haven't happened, could happen, and really makes you feel that everything is going to be okay, no matter what.  That's a powerful song.  That's one of the reasons I was looking forward to this episode so much - I wanted to see the song performed.  I wasn't let down there.

Weekend Update - They're only perpetuating the stupidity of the fascination of a fat woman getting married - 'cause that's what it is, right?  Wish.  They'd.  Let.  It.  Go.  (Because she's fat. -- end Conan impression.)  Affleck as Peterson.  Ashcroft, blah.  Ashcroft's replacement as Speedy.  Cynthia Nixon's red carpet.  Hah.  I agree with Cine of course, the Barbie doll theatre was excellent.  Love Fey's impression of Hilton.  Who'd know Fey flicking a plastic breast would be a highlight of the night.  And later on when Fey was like "more cocaine" I, uh, raised an eyebrow.  They may get some grief about that one.

Hated Meyers little schtick as a college student.  Takes a lot for me to hate something he does, because I like him a lot.  Liked the line about that chick Becky being crazy in bed and everywhere else.  And the whole Coors Lite motif.  But everything else about it was wrong, uninformed, whatever.  The youth vote was there, and not all college students are drunken frat-boy idiots.  I know, I know, it was supposed to be funny, not taken personally.  Nothing personal, I just didn't care for it.

If I was a monkey I would still hate condoms.  And mean and yelly people who hold up short buses.  That song Fey and Poehler put out was a trip, too.  Best line of WU, Poehler as the 114-year-old grandmother: "Oh, I'm gonna be a grandma!"  *falls flat on the desk*

The deaf (and somewhat offensive) comedian was pretty funny.  *fried chicken*  Didn't get that last joke - didn't hear it that is.  The one Thompson wouldn't say.  "What do you call a black guy with a ..."  (Armisen mimes guy playing boombox).

Closing was cute.  "I'm Al Franken, and I'm Richard Dreyfuss."

Appalachian Emergency Room is a sketch I've been more annoyed by in the past than anything, but I appreciated this one.  Thing about it is it totally would be terrible if it was a one-shot deal, but because it's become a sort of serial with recurring characters it's risen above that.  Everyone in it, the whole parade of people, add to it.  Parnell's lifting his leg to activate the car lock was great, and I especially like Rudolph and Thompson's mother and son, kid constantly getting stuck, and the mother wanting her money back, and the toy or whatever given to the kid.  Then she asks to exchange her birth control.  Great.  This is such odd humor.  It's not high-brow, but it's subtle.  You won't guffaw.  The best you can do is appreciate it, and that's not what I really want.

The drug-sniffing dog concept was great.  More high-brow humor the way I look at it.  Ironic for the topic chosen.

PARNELL: "I can have an officer stop by your party."
NEESON: "No offense, but my kid hates cops -- you know, the whole Rodney King thing."
PARNELL: "I thought you said your kid was five?"
NEESON: "Well, he watches a lot of A&E.  He must have seen Bill Curtis talking about it.  You know kids."

Hah.  Also:

PARNELL: "We won't fill out a report on your son, we'll just dispose of the drugs."
NEESON: "Okay, that's not gonna work."

The final cutaway really made the sketch, with the kid wearing a Spider-man mask and running around in circles pointing his fingers in the air.

THOMPSON: "Can you tell your kid to take off that mask, it's freaking me out."
POEHLER (in a haze): "We don't know that kid."

Overall, it was my favorite sketch, and it's so odd that it appeared last.

Ocean Breathes Salty - Listening to this song, it just resonated in me what makes these guys' music work so much.  They have this unique sound that's present in all their stuff.  It's their vocals, their delivery, their pitch.  I'm reminded of 3rd Planet a lot in this, the delivery of lyrics in that song.  Striving, trying to get a point across, stressing the importance of the message.  I admit I don't know what the hell I'm talking about half the time, but I know what sounds good, and what means something.  This sounds great, and means a whole lot.

This show had a weird structure, indicated by how pushed back Weekend Update was and how the second performance closed the show.  It was curious, so I wonder why it was put together that way.

On the upside, I watched the show looking for Dude's complaint that Neeson was reading the cards.  I didn't see that to be the case at all.  He used them as cues, but was sure to direct the lines to the actor he was speaking to.  Definitely not something to complain about.  Overall, this episode was just okay.  Nothing that really made me bust out laughing, though there were a few moments here and there.  It wasn't as bad as Colin Firth, but it could've been better.

Luke Wilson and U2 should be interesting.  Comedic actors always are if they're used right.

[MacGuffin]

Ashlee Begs for Another 'SNL' Chance

Shamed pop star Ashlee Simpson is begging bosses of American satirical TV show Saturday Night Live to invite her back after her debut was marred by a lip-syncing controversy. The singer shocked fans on October 23 when a guide track she was using started without her and led to her dashing from the live show's stage in tears of embarrassment. She proved that she could perform live just days later at the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, but she wants to get a second chance to prove critics wrong on SNL. An insider says, "They're trying to work something out."

[cine]

Cold opening - decent, nothing earth-shattering.  "Switch with me, I can find you votes in Ohio, I know where to look."  *sigh*

Nice sketch. The only upside to the Bush re-election is funnier political sketches. Kerry sketches were pretty annoying.

Monologue - interesting approach with the stereotypes.

You didn't mention the Horatio Sanz joke where he got insulted and walked away. I think I liked that the most just because of how Sanz took it.

Starr Jones' night before wedding.  My first thoughts: Wake me when it's over.  Liza: "I remember my mama used to say to me, Liza, call an ambulance."

That was the only highlight for me. Kenen Thompson - way too underrated around here. Thank god he's doing the Fat Albert movie. And where's that Bill Cosby impression of his!?

As soon as I saw RTE2 come on the screen, I smiled.  Fallon and Meyers' Top o' the Morning sketches were one of the best things about these last few years.

I guess since Fallon left, Meyers is trying to pick up the pieces.. "Let's see.. what else can I do with an Irish accent.."

Boner juice again?  Anything to eat up time, right?

They keep editing the damn thing. This week they cut Riggle's Biggle Wiggle. I think they need to air that Armisen mexican hamburger meat ad.

Next sketch, Fred Armisen as the African parrot wasn't too great either.  Seems like another off-the-wall throwaway, if that makes any sense.  High-concept, on the backburner, let me do this one day, please. Funny, but feh.

Could be our largest disagreement since, like I mentioned, I was crying laughing so hard. Funny to say it but Armisen really can use those eyes to disappear into the role of a parrot. Just him jumping back and forth in the background had me in stitches. Best sketch of the night. (We're turning into the Ebert and Roeper of the SNL thread  )

Wake Up, San Diego - The humor on this episode is much more subtle than usual, and it's impressive in a thoughtful way, but not when you're looking to break out in tears from the usual hilarity.

It's how SNL has been this year. The emphasis is more on the writing and not making us laugh out loud non-stop. I appreciate the sketches for their concepts first and foremost then work my way down. Just like how Tracy Morgan and Maya Rudolph used to sing in those sketches at the end of the show. Nothing really funny, but more reflective than anything. I like that.

The deaf (and somewhat offensive) comedian was pretty funny.

Yes, as I said, Armisen can do no wrong. He is the MVP of SNL right now. Even above Will Forte. I think I can go as far as to say that..

Appalachian Emergency Room is a sketch I've been more annoyed by in the past than anything, but I appreciated this one. . . The best you can do is appreciate it, and that's not what I really want.

I must say, I've always looked forward to that sketch. The recurring characters and the situations they get into are hilarious. It's like the number one sketch where the cast/writers can just ham up whatever insane people they think up. And again, Armisen scored the touchdown in that sketch too. I noticed they've been tweaking Seth Meyers too so he also sounds like a hick. Before he used to be a normal receptionist with a mullet but now it actually makes sense.

The drug-sniffing dog concept was great.  More high-brow humor the way I look at it.  Ironic for the topic chosen. . .Overall, it was my favorite sketch, and it's so odd that it appeared last.

I enjoyed it but it definitely wasn't a favourite for me. Since I've been to the show now, I can imagine that was the type of sketch that had a good chunk edited out. With it being condensed, they could chuck it at the end of the show. Maybe that's wrong since one could never really know for sure, but it felt like it.

Luke Wilson and U2 should be interesting.  Comedic actors always are if they're used right.

*cough*cough*EricMcCormick*cough*

[meatball]

jeez, wautatopia your incredibly in-depth review is so in-depth it takes the fun out of.. everything.

[cine]

you're not having any luck in this thread, meathead.

[ono]

jeez, wautatopia your incredibly in-depth review is so in-depth it takes the fun out of.. everything.

We've already established I take SNL too seriously.  And that Ashlee Simpson eats babies.  If you don't like it what I write, don't read it.  I guess you think movie reviews take all the fun out of movies, too?  For those seriously interested in sketch comedy, it is of value.  That is, for all two of us.

Responding to Cine, I'd say good point about Horatio in the monologue, and how underrated Kenan is.  He and Finesse both.  I keep on flashing back to the last Top o' the Morning sketch, where he and Finesse jumped in for Jimmy and Seth, and toasted each other.  Classic.

I'm glad SNL is focusing more on the writing, but it's going to continue to turn more and more people off.  They're going to continue to say it needs a "huge overhaul" and we're going to keep finding more and more reasons why these are the greatest seasons in years.  Last year especially.  Good point about the Tracy Morgan/Maya Rudolph duet.  The more I see that sketch on The Best of Tracy Morgan, the more I love it.

One other thing I appreciate about Appalachian ER is Hammond gets a chance to play a character.  Whenever Hammond or Fey gets away from their "roles" on the show, they have a chance to show why they got there in the first place.  In Fey's case, it's hard for her to really shine, though there have been moments -- "Queer Eye for the Straight Gal," any time she dances in the monologue, and maybe, big maybe, that Billy Joel sketch from the Lohan episode.  Hammond is even better because he can play anything.  AER proved that.

[RegularKarate]

Just like to note that it's not that there are only two of you seriously interested in sketch comedy.

It's just that most of us prefer GOOD sketch comedy.

now that that's cleared up... onward

[Pubrick]

thanks RK that needed to be said.

[cine]

Just like to note that it's not that there are only two of you seriously interested in sketch comedy.

Perhaps Ono was referring to the fact that I'm at Second City in Toronto... which in that case, I'm the only guy here doing that.

If he meant it as just really liking sketch comedy.. then I think the issue is moreso we appreciate a show that is truly its own that's been going 30 years now. It's irrelevent if anyone was to say "Well its no Mad TV" or whatever because SNL is a show all in its own. There's nothing like it. So people should either be cool with that or move on and say its not GOOD sketch comedy. Because I feel it is; people have too much high expectations in their comedy. A lot of what SNL is has been explained time and time again and even Ono's 60 Minutes clip enlightens people that even if a sketch isn't that funny, it might've been the host's choice to keep it in anyway since its been established that they have a lot of creative control, believe it or not. And as I've said before, SNL doesn't go for what's laugh-out-loud hilarious.. they go for what's interesting. That's been said for years.

So anyway, I hate defending SNL. It's always a lost cause yet I do it anyway. Oh well.

[RegularKarate]

You don't have to defend why you like SNL just like I don't have to defend why I find it to be about 10% good, 5% great, and the rest "a mess" to "mildly watchable".

I was just pointing out that there is other sketch comedy out there than SNL.  Better sketch comedy... and that it's not that we don't like sketch comedy, it's just that we prefer a higher grade.

[NEON MERCURY]

Ashlee Begs for Another 'SNL' Chance

She proved that she could perform live just days later at the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada...

[Bethie]

 Today was Lorne Michaels 60th Birthday.