Each month when we have our Uproxx writer meetings on Fire Island, we always remember to go over the cardinal rules of blogging. Clearly, our first rule is “Thou shalt be handsome” and after that it’s sort of a crapshoot. But somewhere in the list of rules is our vow to not talk about politics, mainly because we’re all registered members of the United States Pirate Party, but also because it’s just more of a hassle than it’s worth. And yet, as we steer clear of incessant and arrogant debates, I am here today with a far more polarizing topic than any stupid political ideology… Saturday Night Live.
As far back as I can remember, I have been addicted to SNL. The show has had its great years, its terrible years, and flat out fiasco years (I’m looking at you, 1994!), but it has somehow maintained its stranglehold on the world of network sketch comedy. Calling it an addiction for me is an understatement. I’m utterly obsessed with the show, having seen every episode at least twice, and possessing a ridiculous knowledge of the show’s most obsolete details, dating back to the first season. And despite all of this, I think the show is regularly… less than quality, to be polite, and that of course breaks my heart.
1994 was by far SNL's worst season.
I’ve often told my celebrity girlfriend Rachel Bilson that my dream job is to be a writer for SNL. I would drop everything in a heartbeat to move to New York City and become a member of the show’s creative process. I would probably slap my own mom if Lorne Michaels asked me to. I’ve read plenty about how the show operates, how stressful it is and how taxing the creative process is on the staff, but let’s face it – it ain’t working. I think Michaels is a brilliant man. After all, he gave us Kids in the Hall, which is the greatest sketch comedy show of all-time and I dare you to argue that. To Michaels’s testament, SNL became so terrible after he left before season six that he had to come back and save it after season 10, because it was as close as it ever would be to cancellation. So many people still believe that the show should be killed, and I ask, Why?
By itself the show is a brilliant idea. It’s a rescue from weekday monotony, and it’s an incredible way for us to deal with the problems of politics and the insanity of pop culture. It has become so relevant that it has played an enormous role in presidential elections. It has given us superstars like Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler and the greatest man who has ever lived, Bill Murray. So why destroy it? So a show like MAD TV can take its place? Please, I’d rather have my genitals electrocuted while I listen to Justin Bieber. SNL is an institution, but like many institutions it needs to be preserved and maintained by capable people. Right now, the lunatics are running the asylum, and the show suffers for it.
This past Saturday, the show kicked off its 36th season with cast alum Amy Poehler as the host and the boobtastic Katy Perry as the musical guest. The show was formulaic, in that it started off strong, peaked at Weekend Update and then fizzled out with a few dud sketches. Using the season premiere, I am going to outline 10 ways in which SNL could return to glory and once again capture the essence of American sketch comedy brilliance.
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“Please, call me Mr. Steve Martin.”
Is there any picture where adding lobster dog isn’t an improvement? (no)
You are wrong about the bands. You get Kanye on the Radio 6 hours a day. Big acts wouldn’t be a draw. No one would care either way. Plus it would be too expensive. And the fact that you didn’t know who the Tragically Hip were in 1995 means that just means you didn’t know anything about music at the time.
All valid points. Well done, sir.
Especially about Chris Parnell. I don’t understand why he has no career, aside from playing the awesome Dr. Spaceman.
And that skit with Dr. Poop is one of the best things ever.
Big acts wouldn’t be a draw? How does that logic work?
The fact that he didn’t know who The Tragically Hip were means he’s not Canadian.
Sorry, I didn’t get on MySpace or Ping until 1996.
“After all, he gave us Kids in the Hall, which is the greatest sketch comedy show of all-time and I dare you to argue that.”
I accept the dare. Monty Python’s Flying Circus did it first and did it better. Not that KitH wasn’t funny (I still crack up when I think about the guy crushing heads with his fingers), but MPFC was consistently funnier. Also, British > Canadians.
I disagree with the idea that SNL can be saved, honestly, the show died years ago, some would even say decades ago, even With Tina Fey doing the writing and the weekend update (although, the weekend update was great when she was on it). I would like to say this though, when discussing hosts, I think you’re forgetting Christopher Walken. The only reason I bring it up is that with all of the not-funny that runs through that show, he makes every skit hillarious.
The Tiny Hats was my favorite sketch of the whole night. Hader was incredible. The constantly changing restaurant name, the absurdity, it reminded me of a phil hartman-era sketch.
One thing heyday SNL and Bruno Mars have in common: doing cocaine in bathroom stalls for inspiration… in NEW JERSEY.
Good god you said everything I wanted to say about whats wrong with this show right now. Hader needs SO much more screen time! I’m absolutely over Wiig and just don’t find her funny yet they put her in every sketch and it kills the show. That’s why I tivo it and fast forward thorugh dud sketches- hers almost always are.
The hosts and musical acts kill me. Poehler was great because this is comfortable for her. Only a few guys have come out as truly good host in the past few years (some surprising to me) -Jon Hamm was fantastic and willing to do anything, Justin Timberlake is so funny as host.
And totally agree, I’m flat out done with the political sketches. They aren’t even relevant anymore. I’m sorry but for every good political sketch (Patterson, some Palin, etc) youre left with the writers pulling some bit senator here or state governor there with a mildly eccentric trait and drawing it into a 5 minute sketch. 3 sketches or so a week. no!
What a great read! I agreed with 99% of EVERYTHING you said. I still think SNL trumps all sketch comedy shows – which is why it is still around and the others don’t last. As for the Tragically Hip – I can remember thinking the same damn thing! Bwahahaha. So true.
Why does everyone always assume their own personal opinion of SNL to be factual. It’s always that way whenever the show comes up in conversation. It drives me fucking nuts. I agreed with a lot of the opinions in this article, but the FACT is you’re just plain wrong. Like any other show, the idea is to draw viewers, unfortunately those viewers are idiots and assholes that want to see Kristen Wiig and Dane Cook and fucking Charles Barkley. the American audience isn’t full of comedy nerds like this article’s author, or even myself for that matter, and they don’t tune in to appreciate Bill Hader’s comedic timing or Jason Sudekis as a flawless straight-man, they tune in to see Katy Perry’s tits, mango and those Roxbury guys.
But what really kills me are assholes like that doorstop “Bob” in the comments who say things like this, “I disagree with the idea that SNL can be saved, honestly, the show died years ago, some would even say decades ago” Oh really jackass? Is that a fact or is that when you quit watching it? Because statistically the 2008 season had the show’s highest ratings ever, with over 10 MILLION viewers. But no, you’re right. It’s been all downhill after Belushi died, I mean after Adam Sandler quit, or no wait, after Will Ferell left. Tools like you all say the same thing every four or five seasons and just replace the actor names.
Meanwhile 2 and a half men is shitting all over your flatscreen 12 times a week and no one has a problem with it. Fuck!
@Patty – Don’t forget that Parnell voices Cyril in the best animated series going right now, Archer.
angrily, but well said, paul!
I’d watch anything Tina Fey writes or acts in. She’s genius.
Thanks, Burnsy, for a well-thought out analysis of what’s wrong with SNL. You and I are about the same age and, like you, I have been a devotee of SNL since I was old enough to watch it. I’ve been through its ups and its downs and have stuck by it as a viewer through it all.
It seems fashionable to complain that SNL isn’t as good as it used to be. People say it now, people said it back when Tina Fey was the head writers, and people have been saying it about it since there was a season 2. But, I think you have very valid points. I am glad to see that Lorne isn’t shy about pulling the trigger on getting rid of unfunny cast members (Remember Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson? Me neither!), which begs the question- why is Bobby Moynihan still around?
I think my biggest issue is that SNL stopped taking many real chances. It has reverted to lazy comedy (most of its political sketches and recurring character sketches could be written by some clever high school kids- I mean, “Gillie”? C’mon. You’re not even trying.) Some of the very best sketches show up as the last one or two of the night (remember “Pageant Talk” when Zach Galifinakas was the host or “DeCicco Brothers Unicornery” with Bill Hader and Matt Dillon?). These are edgier and more inventive- and belong at the front of the show. You can put the next “Target Lady” sketch at the ass-end when fewer people tune in.
And I totally agree with you on Chris Parnell. When he had good writing, he was spectacular. At least he will live on in the immortal glory of online “Lazy Sunday” clips.
Way to rag on canada dude-and we’re so nice and gave you every talented comedian we’ve had for the last 40 years. Tragically Hip’s appearance was for a really great record called “Day for Night” Listen to it…Fill the whole that’s bee festering inside you since 1995. The Kids in the Hall are in my apartment right now and were having a listening party
SNL has continued to find some of the best comedians over the past 30 years. The issue people is that once a comedian hits it big, they move on to bigger and better projects. In the late ’80s and early ’90s there were brilliant new comedians like Rock, Sandler, Myers, Spade, Farley, Hartman and Carvey among others, and people just bitched that they weren’t are good as Murphy, Murray, Ackroyd, Belushi, Chase. The main issue is that audiences dont know these young comedians yet and long for more familiar faces. Not every skit is magic, all of these comedians have had duds. And this generation will have some standouts as well. I think Jay Pharoah could be a household name in a few years. His impressions of Denzel, Will Smith, and Eddie and Charlie Murphy are fantastic.
Ok, first as was previously said, “After all, he gave us Kids in the Hall, which is the greatest sketch comedy show of all-time and I dare you to argue that.” I as well agree MPFC way funnier, way earlier and way better. Second, SNL still has it’s moments just not as many
Ugh Jay Pharoah fills a much needed slot on the show, I’ll give you that (No more Fred Armisen playing Obama will be nice) but I think hes got a year maybe 2 tops. You can see he sure thinks hes the next Eddie Murphy.
They should put the show on hiatus for about a year or two. I keep watching the show out of habit hoping it’ll be good but right now that show is not funny at all.
I agree with a lot of what your saying, especially about the political sketches. That is when i really started to get annoyed with SNL – it seemed like they were just too lazy to come up with original material and instead just flipped through a newspaper and found the latest politician who put their foot in their mouth. I also agree with the comment about Christopher Walken, I mean come on – I need more cowbell? Also agree on Parnell, he is classic. One thing that i have noticed lately though, it seems as though the daily show, surprisingly, has launched more stars in the past couple of years than SNL, but only a couple so dont go crazy. Think about Steve Carell? Stephen Colbert? Rob Corddry is hilarious. Ed Helms from the hangover? Rob Riggle? Just saying its kind of interesting.
I agree Parnell is extremely underrated. I would tack on to your some sketches are too long theorem that they slack way too much on writing the endings. The sketches that are both too long and do not end well are the worse.
FACT: Bill Brasky was the best recurring sketch ever.
Let’s not give Lorne Michaels all the credit for the Kids on the Hall. He produced their show, he didn’t create them.
Incisive analysis. I am old enough to have watched Saturday Night Live since it first aired. While no one, in my view, has ever been as hilarious and daring as John Belushi, Bill Hader is the best of the current cast. He is hysterical in sketches and brilliant in impersonations. His Vincent Price is incomparable. His Al Pacino in his first show was outstanding. His Italian talk show host is so Marcello Mastroianni. While Wiig is funny in some bits, many of her characters (small hand lady) are just not funny. Lorne Michaels probably figures the cutthroat competition for screen time raises everyone’s game, but he should just make the show revolve around Hader, let him do more celeb impressions in sketches and make Chris Parnell second banana. My favorite Parnell piece was the tourist in the cork soaker sketch, in which Horatio Sanz almost cracked up.
Tou also are right about the hosts. I would be thrilled if the three you named, along with Christopher Walken, Jon Hamm and Betty White were the only six revolving hosts.
Keep the music as it is though. I bought more CDs after seeing little-known artists on SNL than I have from listening to radio or watching music videos.
And keep the political sketches, but don’t be afraid to take a side. Make them sharp and to the points. The Dan Aykroyd (Jimmy Carter)-Chevy Chase (Gerald Ford) presidential debates were among the most brilliant political satires ever on TV, make even more so by the exquisite timing of Jane Curtain as the acerbic narrator.
I really think the show just needs more Cowbell. Besides Hanks, Martin & Baldwin, the next three best hosts are Christopher Walken, Justin Timberlake, and now Joseph Gordon Levitt – the latter two actually remember their lines and make sketchs more lively rather than most typical hosts that read off of cue cards.
As for musical guests, i like that SNL has up-and-coming acts – as long as it is actual real musicians – it was painful to hear katy perry attempt at carrying a tune when she had to actually sing rather than lipsync, which is one of SNL’s most painful moments – the whole ashlee simpson episode.
AS for what someone earlier said about Jay Pharoah, what is so bad about Armisen’s Obama? I think it’s actually pretty spot on.
And I said what about Breakfast at Tiffany’s? She said “I think I remember that film and as I recall, we both kind of liked it.” And I said “well that’s one thing we’ve got!”
That’s Tragically Hip, right? No? It isn’t? Well then I don’t know who the fuck the Tragically Hip are.
Addicted to SNL huh? It’s been my dream to be on that show for as long as I can remember. I’ve seen every episode at least twice (yes I’ve even subjected myself to the Ashton episode more than once). I’m officially obsessed, I even joined this group: [www.itsasickness.com]
RIGHT ON BURNSY! almost.
Most accurate criticism BY FAR = Parnell’s contribution to the show. Parnell was pure GOLD. He constantly stole skits from the rest of the cast. And I can’t remember him EVER breaking character like Jimmy Fallon, who made a career out of it.
Politics: Yes/No. Politics are incredibly subjective, so it takes a better comedian than the smarmy Seth Myers to properly satirize the news of the day WITHOUT alienating half the audience. Dennis Miller and Norm Macdonald were the kings of Weekend Update. If we’re going to recycle out the consistently unfunny, then Myers should be replaced on Weekend Update. In fact, limit ALL politics, even the dreaded pre-monologue political opening, to the news sketch. There’s a reason I didn’t give a shit about politics until my 30′s: it’s not funny.
Music: COMPLETELY disagree with your suggestion that ONLY established Billboard bands be featured. The producers seem lately to be pandering to this trend, putting dreck like Kesha on because she’s flavor of the moment. I dare ANYONE to make it through that entire clip of her above. Pay up bitches, because it’s humanly impossible. I say they start booking heavier bands. Look, the same people who change channels when Kanye is on will tune out if bands like Megadeth, or Judas Priest are on, so who cares if your mom digs it. So start getting METAL bands on the show. There must be at least ONE metalhead in that cast, and they need to step the hell up and make this happen. Metal-heads are some of the most loyal consumers I know, unlike those filthy hipsters on the “L” train who think Will Smith’s daughter is a genius. You put Iron Maiden on your show and you just signed up a million more viewers who will tune in every week religiously. Slayer or GTFO.
Finally, this blog and it’s subsequent comments are perfect examples of how SNL can stop the bleeding. Poll the viewers off the web: Who was a good host, what skits need to go away, what up and coming artists should be booked etc. If Lorne Michaels refuses to consult the web, he’s a fool who’s show deserves to die off. And don’t start with the Betty White phenomenon as proof that he HAS evolved for the internet’s sake because that was a huge prank played on all of us, albeit a sweet and cuddly one. And is there a NY State law that says every cast member MUST be a fucking Groundling for god’s sake? Jay Pharoah is a good start, because they didn’t find him at the HaHa Hole, or Second City. They scooped him off the web. THAT’S edgy, and I encourage more of that.
God speed Gilda, John, Chris, and Phil. Why is it always the good ones?
I think they should do like they did a few years ago. Put the show on Hiatus for a year then come back with an all new cast. It would give people a chance to miss the show and the writers to regroup. The new cast is just not funny. The only good thing last year was Justin Timberlake’s guest appearances.
…and yes, that IS Conan O’Brien as his classic “Sean The Doorman” character in the Tom Hanks “5-Timers Club” clip.
I like Kristen Wiig. She’s a funny lady. When she started being the center of almost every skit since she’s been on, she wasn’t as funny anymore, due to overexposure. I started wondering if she was dating Lorne Michaels or someone as important to the show, which of course isn’t a fair judgement; I’m just saying, it’s what came to mind after a while. She gets all of these recurring characters that aren’t funny – you mentioned two. The pathological liar lady – when you have to start using crappy special effects to end a recurring character’s skits, maybe it’s time for retirement. Between her and Sudekis, also a funny guy, it’s like SNL forgot it hired any other comedians. Another good argument for characters not to recur too often is Justin Timberlake. Everytime he hosts, it’s almost always the same sketches(and to his credit, usually a great digital video).
The 2008 election campaign proved that SNL can be just as relevant and headline-making as it was in the old days. So long as it can hold onto that relevance, I see no reason why it should be cancelled. It just needs a fresh creative team, is all.
What kills me are the great hosts they don’t bring back. Like you, I’m an SNL hugefan, and my fave episode of the modern era was the Kevin Spacey hosted show. He was hilarious, adding to all the sketches he was in, and using his impersonation skills in the funny Star Wars audition sketches. Where did he go? Never to host again.
Alec Baldwin should of course be added to the list of great hosts to bring back yearly.
I like when they cameo former cast members, and I loved Amy and Maya re-creating their Jersey cable TV hosts. So where are the Spartan Cheerleaders in a cameo? The audience would explode with enthusiasm. If they can ‘afford’ to bring in Kanye and Katy, why not lure Bill Murray to do his lounge singer bit circa 2020?
Nothing wrong with re-absorbing the good past stuff while culling the best of the new stuff out there. Where is Daniel Tosh as a host? Jon Stewart? Obviously Justin Timberlake loves being on the show (and is rumored to be on every episode this season), so sign him up!
Like you, I, too, want desperately to work on the show, if but to say “HEY! Idiots, let me watch the sketch, and if I don’t like it, it’s OUT.”
Finally, they have scored huge online with dress-rehearsal outtakes, so they really should devote one full special to outtakes like that.
I still enjoy watching SNL. Sure, not all the skits are funny but this past Saturday night was a good show I thought. I loved the Bronx Beat and glad they did it another time and got a big kick out of the Bosley hair commerical they did (even though I am female and my hair is thinning). I still enjoy the show and I tape it and just fast forward if their is a boring skit.
Everything can be saved if they would only bring back Steven Segal for a few guest host appearances…
You were spot on with many of the arguments that you bring up. SNL has fallen into the “only cat in the alley” syndrome being that its prime rival, MADTv, went off the air 2 years ago.
I feel that many of the players on the MADTv roster (Bobby Lee, Kegan Michael Key, Crista Flannigan, Nicole Parker, and JOrdan Peele) should have been scooped up by SNL after that show ended, but I digress.
Many of the current SNL sketches do drag on too long and most are barely funny. Samberg is at his best in the SNL digital shorts where he is allowed to display his wacky musical talents (D*ck in a box, Are you there, Jah? It’s me Ras Trent, ect). TV Funhouse should be featured more and the talents of Hader, Armisen, Thompson, and Wiig should be utilized way better than they’re currently employed.
Very good Article!
Ok, a couple things… (1) Dan Aykroyd was the best… not Bill Murry ( no offense, he still is awesome.
(2) Jonas Brothers= NO!
I agree with almost everything else though, especially about Hader
Paul had it right…this review is a waste of time. 1,000 people have done it and 1,000 people will do it again. What aggravates me is the lack of taste this guy has. You’re telling me you didn’t like the Will Forte “Grapes” sketch? You’re an idiot.
See, it’s easy to criticize.
Brian Moynihan does suck, but his Pepper character is so goddamn fucking funny. Something about it.
@ thoughs
1. Jean Doumanian could have killed SNL. If she didn’t, its like a zombie…shambling forward…muttering More Brains….
2. Tina Fey could read the newspaper and I would watch, she is a damn genius.
Lorne Michaels should definitely read this
One thing no one has ever explained to me is why the heck is Kenan Thompson on this show? He wasn’t even funny when I was in middle school watching Nickelodeon.
I’ll second the Parnell love. Watch the “Cowbell” sketch again. Yes, Ferrell and Walken get the hilarious, showy parts but he is the ANCHOR of that sketch. He is the straight man that Ferrell is playing off of. While Fallon almost ruins the sketch with his giggling, Parnell never cracks. It’s too bad Lorne had no respect for him because he’s a lot more talented than some of the assclowns he has hired.
Wow you just described what me and my friends have been talking about for years. This perfectly described whats right and wrong with snl. Also its nice to hear Chris Parnell get some credit, he was awesome and all they could come up with is Merv the Perv??? come on man
I agree with the person who said you hear Kanye’s crap on the radio constantly – why on earth does he need to be on SNL? There was a time when SNL was embracing cutting edge music and someone like Katy Perry wouldn’t have been allowed to get her nipple in the front door, now they’re falling over themselves to get her. Even if a ridiculously mainstream person has to be on, time used to be that they’d do something different – like an acapella performance. Now it’s just another stop on their tour that is identical to all the others. Being the musical guest on SNL is no longer special.
Also, the problem with recurring characters nowadays is that they’re on ALL the time, every or every other show. There have probably been 10x as many Gillie sketches as there were John Belushi Samurai sketches. It’s not hard to figure out which is going to be funnier.
I think SNL reflects what the “mainstream” society likes, hence the show sucking balls for the “rest of us” (older generation) the past few years. People who grew up with 80-90′s SNL (Where most people on here seem to sit)are a different “breed” of person who have watched it from 2000 on, just as people who watched it from the beginning might not like the decades after. It’s all about the generation and the cultural acceptance at that time. I can’t sit through the first season of the show, or any of the early ones for that matter. The show will never “get better” for folks like us because America’s youth are getting dumber with every decade. Sure there’s a few remnants of great bits on there occasionally even now, but it will never revert back to the “way it was” for us.
So I understand this article, and it all makes sense to me, but we obviously know the current SNL is shit people like or it wouldn’t continue to scoot along. So the best we’re probably going to get are watching older seasons.
Totally wrong on the music take? Think many people knew who the hell Leon Redbone was? Not knowing who the Tragically Hip shows you listen to too much billy squire.
you say kids in the hall are the best thing ever…. then you say canadians ruined sketch comedy.. you do know that kids in the hall is a canadian show… and lorne m. is a canadian… so is dan akroyd.. hence the tragically hip (also canadian)
lol.
Wow thanks for the stimulating article on how much you like SNL… heres a news flash i dont care about you.
If you ever disrespect the Tragically Hip again, I will stab you in the throat with a rusty spoon.
What is this show? When is it on? Sounds intriguing.
Your take on music is completely wrong. The bland mainstream acts on the show are part of the problem. Look back at the ’70′s. The early years of SNL were great because they weren’t going mainstream, in comedy or in guests. Tom Waits, Leon Redbone, Loudon Wainwright, Gil Scott-Heron, Patti Smith, Elvis Costello…even in the ’90′s they had Nirvana. You never knew what song they were going to play. A lot of times it was a cover song, or something new. The best thing about it all was that the musical acts used to have some nerve, like Costello playing “Radio,Radio” or Nirvana playing “Rape Me” when they were told not to, or Kate Bush doing her normal Kate Bush weirdness. How many artists over the years made a political or social statement? Now we get some unintelligent crap from pampered stars who come out and do the same 3 minute song that we have to hear a hundred times a day on tv and radio, and it’s boring. SNL NEEDS more cutting edge artists and some actual musicians to come on and do something other than collect a paycheck.
i love the Hip, but that doesnt mean everyone else has to.. solid article, all thats missing from the snl sketches these days are fonzi, a motor bike and a shark
SNL sucked this week. SO unfunny it hurt. Kayne west is horrible. Time to fire everyone and start over.
I have to agree with Jaguar. This week’s show was painful to watch. Kanye was so bad that I was offended he was even there. The sparkling apple juice skit was probably the worst andf seemed like it was on forever – what did they need? a timekiller? Seems to me it was an audience killer.
I have been watching from the beginning. A gameshow skit that centered on a host kissing a bunch of kids? It just went on and on – tasteless and not funny. I felt sorry for the host – just such awful material to work with. The only funny thing about the show lately has been weekend updates and even that runs at 75%. Amy Poehler’s show was fair – Katy Perry was well… Katy Perry. I will tune in again just to see if maybe, hopefully, they will get it right, but to be honest, if it doesn’t turn around sometime soon, they have lost me.
SNL has sucked for the past 25 years, I do know why its even still on, No one could top the original cast!!!
Only the first five, maybe ten, season’s of Saturday Night Live were woth watching. Since then, the show, if you can call it that, has continuosly gone downhill faster than a speeding bullet. SNL’s on 2 big marks were it’s return after 9/11, and Betty White as host. Other than that, the show is in pain itself, and is the reason so many of us avoid it now.Will it ever get better? Not in my lifetime, and I am 50
They need to stop being so clearly one sided when it comes to political sketches. Had I cared to know/hear Tina Feys, (etc.) political preferences I would have ask her. I know shes been gone but it seeme to have started w/her. Mad TV was funny and still addressed those issues but not nearly as bias.
Wow…I remember tuning into the Ke$sha performance when it was about 1/2 through it. I had thought it was some bad parody and laughed at how funny it was. This article made me realize it was supposed to be legit..
You seriously thought pey pey was funny? *smacks head*
It can’t be saved. DOA
First things first, STOP writting skits for Kristen Wiig! She is NOT funny. 2nd hire some women who are funny, even if that means bringing back some former SNL alum who are currently unemployed–Cheri O’teri, Ana Gastyer, Molly Shannon, etc. And 3rd, stop opening the show with an Obama skit everytime. Once in awhile is ok, but everytime is boring!!!
The problem with SNL is that it’s become a formula. Every show is formatted exactly the same way. There are no surprises. Guest hosts are there simply to plug their latest ventures. And most of the bits are simply sophomoric and unfunny, but maybe it is properly geared towards those who can’t get a date on a Saturday night. The show needs to be drastically shaken up. (I have the same complaints about most late night shows.) SNL used to lead the hip culture. Now it follows it…from way behind. IMO, it’s time for Lorne Michaels to go because he can no longer see anything but the formula he established. The show definitely needs new blood.
Back in 1980, SNL had indirect competition from both SCTV and an ABC show called “Fridays” which had Larry David and Michael Richards among its cast. Fridays was much funnier than SNL and one of the reasons is that you never knew what to expect. Sometimes it would be sketch comedy and sometimes an entire show was dedicated to one routine.
Many years ago, SNL had a prime time special featuring a selection of its musical guests and it was a phenomenal show. But that was back when they were still choosing musical guests based upon the quality of their music and not because they released a new record last week.
SNL doesn’t need less political comedy; it needs more, even though The Daily Show does a much better job of it. The only funny thing in recent years was Tina Fey doing Palin. SNL was revolutionary in its early days because it addressed aspects of the culture that no one else was addressing. When they did a phony news report that extra-terrestrial life found the recording that NASA launched into space and the response from the ETs was “send more Chuck Berry”, that was a joke that only a rock & roll generation understood. Another early show had the women as construction workers who ogled men who passed by. Another had Richard Pryor’s daughter reading poetry at the end of the show. That’s back when they still experimented. Today, they no longer experiment. It’s just the same crap over and over.
I remember when SNL used to win Emmy awards for writing. When was the last time that happened? The years with Joe Piscopo and Eddie Murphy were actually considered bad years for SNL, but in retrospect, they were phenomenal. Think about all the characters Murphy created.
As far as I’m concerned, they need to start over and build a new show. That’s the only chance to save it. There’s tons of bits on YouTube that are funnier than most of SNL. I think the only reason it’s survived is because Saturday nights has very low viewership anyway and I don’t think it’s a particularly expensive show to produce and because no exec wants to be the one that killed SNL. But when the Comcast execs take over, who knows what will happen.