Tag: SNL

SNL 50

February 18, 2025 / DB

Saturday Night Live is one of the core pop cultural tentpoles that helped mold the person I am. From when I was first able to watch its prime time specials in the late Seventies, to when I started watching the show live in the early Eighties (along with the Seventies re-runs that played after midnight in Kansas City) it help establish my sense of humor and gave me a base to form friendships with like-minded classmates and neighbors.[1]

One of the SNL moments that had the biggest impact and stuck with me the longest was the 15th anniversary show, which aired on September 24, 1989. This was about a month into my freshman year of college, and several of us crowded around the small TV in my dorm room to watch. As we laughed, we could hear the laughs of other fools echoing up-and-down our hallway. We were not alone.

The key, though, was that I had my mom record the special for me. Eventually that show became one of the most watched tapes in my collection. And the same for so many other young SNL fans. Soon we were quoting not just Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey from the current cast, or Eddie Murphy who had the biggest impact on our part of our generation, but Dan Aykroyd saying “His name is spelled T-I-T, I-A-N, Titian, honest to God!” and Steve Martin’s, “Hey, who’s the barber here?” and countless other SNL cast members and hosts that our parents had watched live but we had just discovered. Those references almost became passwords to enter certain friend groups. You’d be hanging out with kids from another town or school and someone would mention how the Pope just waived – he just waived it – the fourth miracle for Mother Seton and it would be on.

That 15th anniversary was primarily a clip show, because there was a lot less material to work through. Sunday’s 50th anniversary show was basically a riff on the standard format of the show, with live sketches, musical acts, and pre-recorded bits with only a few classic clips sprinkled into the 200 or so minutes the show ran.

I thought it was very good. But fitting for SNL, every high point had an almost immediate downer to balance it. I think that was mostly because they were trying to squeeze so much in. There were awkward transitions in almost each live piece where one comedian, or set of them, would be hustled off the stage and replaced with others.

(Also, I should admit before I break things down that I had to leave the house to pick up L when Weekend Update started.[2] I was gone for about an hour and decided to finish the show Monday. So I may have ruined some of the momentum of the program.)

That was most notable, and damaging, in the Black Jeopardy sketch. This should have been the absolute high point of the night. Eddie Murphy doing a spot-on Tracy Morgan impersonation with the real Morgan standing right next to him was unbelievable! “I REFUSE TO INGEST THREE CHEESES!” is one of the funniest things ever said on the program.

Then Eddie snuck off and was replaced by Tom Hanks, repeating his outrageous MAGA voter from 2016. Only the transition was rough, the joke written for the moment fell completely flat, and a wonderful moment collapsed. If they had let Eddie riff for another three minutes, we’re talking about one of the great sketches ever, in a live anniversary show that had no dress rehearsal, no less!

But, again, I get it. There was a lot to cram in even with over three hours allotted to the program. There was no good way to pull this show off, and had they not done this in-sketch replacements, a lot of classic performers wouldn’t have been on air.

Many elements of the show were predictable. Paul Simon as the opening act was a no brainer. Pairing him with Sabrina Carpenter was a wonderful way to tie the shows roots to its most current version. Her line about not being born – nor were her parents – when Simon first hosted the show was fantastic. She’s a gem.

Like a later performer, Simon clearly doesn’t have his vocal fastball anymore, but he had to be there and Carpenter’s voice is nice enough to compliment his yet not so big she overpowered him. Plus she’s one of the few singers shorter than him, so it made for a nice visual.

Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard covering “Nothing Compares 2 U” did not work for me at all. Both are incredibly powerful singers, but there was zero magic in their performance. And it was, again, a sign of Lorne Michaels the politician. Where he turned his back on Sínead O’Connor after she tore the photo of the Pope on the show in 1992, he has in recent years acted like he supported her. I thought the selection of this song, no matter who sang it, was a bit cynical.

Lil Wayne? I fast forwarded through that. It seemed like he was rapping over a recorded vocal track in the few seconds I watched. That, more than the song, put me off. Especially after watching what Kendrick did a week ago.

And, finally, Paul McCartney comes out to close the show with the medley from Abbey Road. Paul is one of those dudes who never seemed to age. And, at first glance, he still looks remarkably young. Then you look at him longer and he genuinely looks creepy. His face reminds me of one of those zonked out kids in The Wall, with their eyes and mouths wide O’s of shock. And I hate to speak ill of one of the greatest singers ever, but there was zero power in his voice. It was a melancholy ending to the night. But maybe that’s what Lorne wanted.

Steve Martin was perfect as the monologist.

Combining Lawrence Welk/Dooneese with Robert Goulet was another odd pairing. Dooneese is one of those characters you either get or really don’t get. Kristen Wiig usually makes me laugh until I cry, and that was the case Sunday, but that whole skit was a bit strange to me.

The Scared Straight sketch that featured both Murphy and Will Ferrell might have summed up the night best. On the one hand, you had the two greatest performers in the show’s history in a scene together. That alone delighted a lot of us SNL heads. While there were some great lines in the sketch, though, there were also a lot of moments that were rough. Ferrell seemed to mess up a whole series of lines, and not in a funny way. That scene needed better writing and a lot of tightening.

I enjoyed Bronx Beat. Debbie Downer recycled too many lines from THE classic DD sketch. As did the Miss Refferty alien abduction sketch, although that one worked just because Kate McKinnon never gives less than full effort.

I honestly expected more from Weekend Update, perhaps a cycling-though of all the living hosts. No matter how awkward and cumbersome that would have been, they all needed to be at least behind the desk even if they didn’t all get a line. However, Dan Aykroyd did not attend, so perhaps that alone blew it up.

Bill Murray’s ranking of the WU hosts, though, was fantastic. His timing and side eye looks are so great. He managed to both extend an olive branch to Chevy Chase and skewer him at the same time. And his payoff at #1 was super funny.

Where was Chevy, by the way? I only saw him in the closing credits as cast members waved from the stage. There was chatter on Simmons’ pod that Chevy was poorly received at Friday’s concert, and hints that he remains difficult to deal with. Not shocking, but disappointing.

Dana Carvey and Bill Hader also being MIA was equally as disappointing.

I am not a huge Adam Sandler fan, but his song was one of the best moments of the night. Normal callbacks, some insider stuff, and then the emotional shout outs to several deceased cast members. That was good stuff.

I loved how the In Memoriam segment was not for cast members who have passed, but for sketches that, for one reason or another, became problematic over the years. Listen, it’s ok to laugh at stuff that we thought was funny 20, 30, 40, and now 50 years ago but which you can’t say today. Well, most of it. There’s some shit you should never say. I thought this segment was a good way of showing how tastes change as the times do.

In the end, the show was about perfect. Not because every joke hit, but because it reflected the flaws that have always been present in the show. On even the best episodes, there was a clunker of a sketch somewhere along the way, or a musical guest who did not deliver. Or an ambitious sketch that should have run for 2:30 that stretched out over 5:00 and you just wanted it to end. Despite the weaknesses in Sunday’s show, I still mostly laughed through the entire thing.

I don’t watch SNL anymore. I tried to get into it a few years back but it just didn’t stick. I’ll still check out sketches that people talk about the next week when they hit YouTube, which seems like the way a lot of people consume the show these days. I’m glad it’s still around, though. It’s not really aimed at me any more, which is fine. Whether I get what they are doing these days doesn’t matter. Because, like the music of your teen years you can never escape, I’ll always have the connection to the Eddie years and the late 80s/early 90s cast.

I have not watched the other stuff that popped up over the weekend on Peacock. I’m currently boycotting Peacock and, as much as I wanted to see these pieces, decided I would put them off until my war with Peacock ends.[3]

Here are a bunch of pieces I worked through over the weekend, though.

THE 50 BEST ‘SNL’ COMMERCIAL PARODIES OF ALL TIME

The Best Saturday Night Live Sketches According To The People Who Made Them

After 50 years, Ars staffers pick their favorite Saturday Night Live sketches

The Lorne Michaels Book-Event Thread Is the Reply-All Disaster We Need

A few of them are in this site’s audience. What up? ↩
She went to birthday party about 30 minutes away and the roads were slick, so I thought it best that we drive her rather than turn her loose in snow for the first time. ↩
Long story short, we are supposed to get Peacock for free after our last cable package upgrade, but it has never worked properly. One day I spent literally two hours working with the support chat feature and eventually I was told they couldn’t help me and I needed to use Google to find someone who could. THEY LITERALLY TOLD ME TO GOOGLE FOR AN ANSWER! I’m done with those fools for a while. ↩

On SNL Legends

September 26, 2018 / DB

A couple links related to two of the greatest SNL talents of all time.

Last week the Washington Post published this feature on Chevy Chase. There aren’t really any surprises in it for anyone who has followed his career. At age 74, you wonder how many more disappointing pieces about him are left to write.

Chevy Chase Can’t Change

After reading this, I noticed a link at the bottom to a feature on Eddie Murphy from about three years ago and immediately read it.

The contrast is stark. Chevy is a perpetual bomb of inappropriate comments and actions waiting to go off, a sad remnant of what was once one of the biggest stars in comedy. He always seems confused at why people have taken offense at his behavior, and moments later says or does something else that makes you shake your head. Eddie, on the other hand, was even bigger than Chevy, saw a decline in the quality of his output, and made a decision to step away briefly before reclaiming his career on his own terms, and in the process making some of the best work of his life. Eddie seems utterly confident and secure in who he is. And where Chevy is bitter about modern comedy, constantly disparaging modern practitioners, Eddie is still held in awe as one of the funniest performers ever. I love Chris Rock’s quote:

Comics usually talk about how much they need the spotlight, to be loved, to fill an emotional crater left by a terrible childhood. They are misfits and outsiders. Not Murphy.
“Comedy is not music,” says Chris Rock. “It’s a nerd’s game. And he’s got to be the only non-nerd I’ve seen be that funny. He’s like the quarterback on the football team. The quarterback on the football team is never funny, but this guy is.”

The Real King of Comedy

SNL 40

February 18, 2015 / DB

I would imagine a few of my loyal readers, who share my pop culture obsessions, pulled the site up the last couple days anticipating a break down of the SNL 40 special.

My apologies for the delay. I was unable to watch live, and basketball viewing obligations got in the way Monday. But I was finally able to watch most of it Tuesday night and then finish up this morning. So, thoughts!

Overall, I really enjoyed the show. It was a tough balance to strike, and I think Lorne Michaels, et. al. did a decent job getting it right. They couldn’t show clips for 210 minutes (minus commercials). Nor could they just have extended monologues or group discussions. So, they went with the traditional format of the show and blew it up to giant size. A cold open. A super monologue. Live sketches. Four live musical performances. Several live sketches. Celebrity cameos. And clips. Lots of clips.

It wasn’t perfect, but I laughed a lot – at both the old and new stuff – and was often at least smiling if not laughing.

The thing that stuck me about the show was how did they manage the celebrity logistics of the evening. Who gets to actually perform vs. who just gets to stand on stage? Who gets extended camera time vs. a brief moment to introduce the next segment? And how did they choose which of the non-cast members in the crowd got TV time as well? The simple act of planning out a 3 1/2 hour show must have been a nightmare, between writing the live pieces and picking the taped segments from 40 years of material. But managing the egos and expectations of everyone invited must have been the toughest part of the evening.

I’ve saved several articles written after the special to Instapaper that I have not read yet. So if I’m repeating things others have said, it is because we are of like minds rather than me copying them.

On to the bullet points:

The cold open made a ton of sense, to the point of being predictable. But like so much of the night, it was amazing to think about the process of picking what characters, sketches, and catch phrases would get name checks in the opening act of the night. Lorne Michaels famously has a large board on his office wall where they organize each week’s show. How did they track things over the course of this one, making sure they didn’t skip anyone or reference a particular sketch too many times? Was there a wall on a warehouse somewhere where each reference was carefully noted and cross-referenced?
While watching the cold open, I realized that Jimmy Fallon is, arguably, one of the biggest, most successful SNL alums. Which amazes me. When he first showed up on SNL, he seemed like he was just ripping off much of what Adam Sandler did, going on Weekend Update and playing his guitar. Over time it became apparent that he had more range than Sandler did, but he never seemed like he was the guy poised to break out. He couldn’t stay in character, he generally was a supporting element of sketches, and even when he moved to co-host of Weekend Update, he seemed like an outlet for Tina Fey’s writing. Yet here he is, host of The Tonight Show, getting great ratings. I never watched his old show, nor have I watched The Tonight Show since he took it over. But I’ve almost always enjoyed the clips that turn up on YouTube. You never know, I guess.
Like the cold open, I really enjoyed the monologue. Well, up to a point. It seemed a little long and a little big. And I think the focus waned as it went on. But I enjoyed the point being made.
I skipped through most of the musical performances, watching just the first 30 seconds or so of each. The contrast in performers was interesting. Paul McCartney and Paul Simon have been favorites of and friends to Michaels since the show began. It was no surprise that they were on. Being countered by Miley Cyrus and Kanye West seemed odd at first. Two exceptionally conservative choices with two rather daring choices. But McCartney and Simon were forces that changed music in their heydays. They weren’t shocking in the same way that Miley and Kanye are, but still they altered the structure of the music, and pop culture, worlds. Whether Miley and Kanye stand up the passing of time remains to be seen. But I think they embody the idea of challenging the status quo that Lorne Michaels always wanted the show to put forward. You could argue that Taylor Swift, who was on stage but did not sing, is more in line with the mainstream pop that McCartney and Simon represent. But, as good as her music is, she’s not challenging anything. She’s safe where Miley and Kanye are daring and controversial.
Speaking of McCartney, man, age has finally hit him hard. There’s a sad, tired, old man’s face hidden behind all the tucks and injections. And that hair. Positively Trump-esque. How far back on his head does that comb-over begin? And his voice is notably weaker than it was just a few years ago. But, still, when he walks on stage, you can’t help but get a jolt. That’s Paul Fucking McCartney!
I enjoyed the live sketches that were new much more than the rehashes of old stuff. Dan Aykroyd clearly had a lot less stimulants in his system than he did when he first did the Super Bass-o-matic commercial. And I did not like the bits on weekend update where actors did their favorite characters from the past at all.
But Jeopardy was pretty great. It pretty much always has been, in every form, but its highest moments were when Will Farrell was Alex Trebek. The way he struggles to hide his rage at the contestants was always fantastic.
It cracked me up that one of the first commercial breaks was from the current State Farm campaign with Hans and Franz. Throw in a commercial for an upcoming Ferrell flick and a Parks and Recreation promo and there were at least three commercials featuring SNL alums.
As I was fast-forwarding through commercials, I had to go back and watch the one with Jon Hamm for Red Nose Day. I wasn’t sure if that was a real commercial or some new, fake commercial. Interesting timing, as I bet it got a lot more attention from people who were thinking like me than it normally would have received.
The reaction to Chevy Chase’s introduction was noticeably muted. Is there anyone he hasn’t pissed off over the past 40 years? He looked kind of terrible, too.
Robert DeNiro was awful. Jack Nicholson and Christopher Walken were wasted. Amazingly, Keith Richards had the best moment of the night from the “very old guys who Lorne loves and get 30 seconds on stage” category.
I was a little surprised when Martin Short came out to host a segment. He was a cast member for only one year, although that was a pretty great year. When he hosted, many years later, he was great. But still, it seemed odd for him to get a long stretch in front of the camera. AND THEN HE FUCKING STOLE THE SHOW. He was phenomenal. He and Maya Rudolph destroyed in their segment about musical acts. Great writing, better performances.
“We’re about to flip you the funk bird.” The argument for Will Ferrell as greatest ever cast member largely stems on his longevity. You forget how many great characters he had.
So we knew Eddie was coming back. All us who grew up on his era could not wait to see what happened when he got on stage again. That said, I figured, in the back of my mind, that it would be a disappointment. Children of the 80s wanted Buckwheat and James Brown Hot Tub Party and Velvet Jones and Mr. White all wrapped up into an epic, five-minute performance. That was not fair or realistic. Instead we got a fawning introduction by Chris Rock, and then an awkward moment on stage by Eddie. My first thought, when it was over, was, “They must have promised him a Sinatra-sque introduction and no requirement to perform to get him to finally come back.” What a shame.
Eddie’s appearance became even more awkward when Jerry Seinfeld killed it moments later. He didn’t quite reach the highs that Martin Short hit, but he was still great. And the back-and-forth with Larry David was just terrific.
It’s not an official media event if Peyton Manning isn’t involved. And props to him for getting seated next to Catherine Zeta Jones, who still has it going on.
Very nice shout out to the still-recovering Tracy Morgan by Mr. and Mrs. Alec Baldwin, errrr, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. Perfectly toned and presented.
I didn’t put a clock on it, but it seemed like “White Like Me” got one of the longest clips of the night. Which makes sense. It was such a great piece, easily one of the best in the history of the show.
The obligatory salute to cast and crew members who have died was excellent. Including people who were (mostly) behind the camera was a very nice touch, especially since their faces elicited such noticeable reactions from the people in the studio who had worked with them. And the Jon Lovitz thing was the perfect final touch. It said “We’re serious, but we’re not that serious.”
Closing out the night was Wayne’s World, which also hit all the right notes. The look of mock terror on Mike Myers face when Kanye acted like he was coming on stage the second time was brilliant. Myers has been involved in some Kanye shenanigans before. The Lorne Michaels entry in the top ten was another moment where they both honored the show, and Michaels, while making fun of the pageantry of the night at the same time. There was a lot of inside baseball in Myers’ and Carvey’s lines during that bit, but it was still all great.
Finally, the closing credits with the cast crammed onto the stage. I wondered how much jockeying there was for spots near the front, and near Lorne. Did the director or a producer place everyone, or was it a free-for-all? Lot of egos and Lorne/daddy issues in that moment. And I paused and looked, but I could not find Eddie anywhere. Maybe I just missed him in the crush.

So, 40 years down. I almost wondered, as I watched, if this was an ending, too. Would Lorne look at what he’s managed over four decades, think of his age and the other shows he’s producing, and perhaps think it was time to close the show down after this season? I think likely not. By all accounts, he still burns more for SNL than his other ventures. He’s in good health, as far as we know. I think those thoughts are a bit premature. But the end isn’t too far off, and from everything I’ve read the show will likely end when he decides he has had enough.

I’ve rarely watched the show since Ferrell left, although when I catch a clip show (like the recent Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day specials), I enjoy the segments that feature current/recent cast members. It’s still nice to know it’s there, though, and that as long as it continues, there will be reruns on at 10:00 pm Eastern on Saturdays with the occasional clip show in regular prime time.

SNL At 40

August 21, 2014 / DB

Somewhat odd timing, but Grantland kicked off SNL At 40 week today.¹ There are already a couple solid articles posted, and day one of the bracket to pick the greatest cast member ever is up. I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy the rest of the series.

This, along with the passing of Don Pardo earlier this week, had me thinking of SNL this morning. I believe I’ve watched one full, current episode in the last 8-9 years. Once Will Ferrell and his cohorts filtered out, I was less interested in dealing with the new folks. I preferred watching compilation shows that cut out the highlights of recent years so I could see Stefon or “What Up With That?” without staying up until 1:00.

Despite that, the SNL sensibility is still central to my comedy tastes. Those early years when I watched the show were just too powerful an influence on me.

Which is kind of funny, given when I began watching the show. I remember watching prime time specials in the late 1970s, but didn’t stay up to watch the entire show on my own until the Eddie Murphy years. An era which, to many, was just Eddie and a bunch of bit players. Other than Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who didn’t become a star until nearly a decade after her time on SNL, no one else broke out and became a mainstream star.

But, man, did I love everyone on the show.

Joe Piscopo was Eddie’s sidekick, and proof that America was coming together across racial lines. Tim Kazurinsky and Mary Gross were odd, not terribly sexy, but terrifically funny. Brad Hall was goofy, and I figured probably was probably who I would most resemble if I ended up on SNL some day. Even Gary Kroeger, Robin Duke, and Rich Hall seemed like superstars to me, even if to most historians of the show, they are buried with the rest of the Never Stars of the past 40 years.

I won’t argue that the early 80s were the best era for SNL. Or even underrated. Still, that was when I discovered the show, and when my friends and I giggled on the bus or in the back of class on Mondays reviewing our favorite parts of the previous Saturday’s show.

Saturday Night Live at 40

Why on a Thursday? ↩