GoldenJCJ

Jost and Che “trading jokes” is the best thing the show has done in years.

Josh-da-man

They also did "Colonel Angus" and "Sofa King."

At least getting away with constantly saying "cocksuckers," "cunnilingus," and "so fucking" on network tv is funny.

jpcamb

Do "Schweddy Balls" or a dick in a box count?

beavis69

I started watching SNL in the mid 90s as I started to hit my teens. I remember watching reruns of the 70s and 80s episodes on E! (I believe) and thinking they sucked for the most part. Recently went back and watched them and my opinion hasn't changed. Way more miss than hit, but it was a different comedy style and it didn't work for me (to be fair I hate most every 80s comedy and think its generally one of the weaker decades in entertainment period).

I tend to like at least 2-3 sketches each episode currently which I think is about average. I've started watching some of the cut for time sketches on SNL's Youtube channel and I'm surprised at the quality of a few that got cut.

Paff

Without even going to dicks, it doesn't take much to remember a lot of sketches that are one note.

"Cheeburger cheeburger cheeburger"
"I'm from Jersey. Are you from Jersey?"
"No way!" "Way!"
"Get off the shed!"
"I live in a van, down by the river"
"More cowbell!"

Now, don't get me wrong, some of those sketches are absolute classics (and some are just 6 minutes of agony), and yes the Africa sketch was indeed one of those. Would it have been funny had Adele stayed in character? That we'll never know, unfortunately.

Count Dooku

"One note" is a synonym for monotonous, which on this context would mean making the same joke over and over, running it into the ground.

Repetition is not the same thing as monotony, unless you're the kind of person who goes to see Springsteen and rolls his eyes when he performing Born to Run because he plays it every time you see him in concert

kd5

Call me old school but IMHO, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, and Jane Curtain are the best of SNL.

Count Dooku

Does "old school" mean excluding the black guy?

GoldenJCJ

I know it’s considered offensive now but Garrett Morris doing the news for the hearing impaired was the funniest thing “old school” SNL did.

Maybe this belongs in the “Unpopular Opinion” thread in Other but I’ll add that as much as I like most of the original SNL cast, John Belushi was never funny. Dressing up as a bee or doing spastic Blues Brothers dances does not equal funny…to add more to this unpopular opinion, I’ll even extend that to Belushi’s film career as well…

Count Dooku

You can call it an unpopular opinion, but it is moreso an uninformed one.

The appearances of "The Bees" after the first Bee Hospital sketch was a statement from Lorne to NBC that he would do as he pleased (they told him stop doing the bees) so their repeated appearances were an FU to the network. The Bees were also used as a a meta-joke about the show's production: Rob Reiner complaining about the bees, the Bees sketch with Elliott Gould falling apart and Lorne interceding, the cast feeling disrespected when the Bees sketch is cut on the Paul Simon show.


The Blues Brothers' musical performances on SNL were not supposed to be funny. Belushi and Ackroyd were serious about the music. And you'll have to tell me how Belushi's dancing qualifies as spastic. The man is doing cartwheels (he was a trained gymnast) and performing athletic, rhythmic dance moves.

GoldenJCJ

Hilarious!

I’m not sure I need to qualify what spastic dancing means. The still image on that video explains it well enough. For further proof, hit ‘play’ on that video.


I will concede that the Blues Brothers weren’t meant to be funny (at least Landis stayed consistent for the movie). It was a bad example. My opinion remains the same, however.

Count Dooku

I did watch the video, and I invite anyone in the thread to do so. He's dancing. And I think he is showing a lot of natural talent. Belushi had a lot of athleticism for a "fat" comedian.

You don't need to "qualify" what spastic means. There are dictionaries for that. Spastic dancing would be (by definition) dancing consisting of uncontrolled body movements. It would be arrhythmic, which I say is the exact opposite of what Belushi is doing.

Regarding the Bees. your criticism was that Belushi dressed up as a bee wasn't funny. I guess you have to be able to understand the context of how innovative it was for a show in 1975-6 to draw attention to its own production, and its supposed flaws, and in turn, create a bond with its audience by making them feel as though they are in on the joke. The joke was that it wasn't a joke in the conventional sense. It was more ironic, and "straight" TV was not into irony at that time.

And I guess if you don't think The Blues Brothers movie Is great, then you are beyond saving.

Paff

I always thought Dan Aykroyd was the most consistently funny cast member of the original Not Ready For Primetime Players. He could be snarky and sarcastic ("Consumer Probe"), and just as easily morph into physical comedy. The repairman with his ass crack hanging out pre-dated Will Ferrell's style by 20 years.

I loved Gilda Radner's WU characters like Emily Litella and Roseanne Roseannadanna. I was still pretty young when those episodes were airing new, and I specifically tuned in hoping for a RR appearance. But when she played the little girl with the overactive imagination, or her and Bill Murray as the nerds? That was a chore to watch.

Count Dooku

Watch what happens when Rob Reiner calls out the Bees in their third appearance:


And then this one with Elliott Gould:

https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-l...r-bees/3505932

Paff

I was more intrigued by seeing a pre-Laverne Penny Marshall in that clip. She was married to Rob Reiner at the time, but had not achieved fame yet. And the two would arguably be more famous as Hollywood directors than actors.

Paff

C'mon Lorne. Put in that call to Dana Carvey for the 2021-22 season. No more Harrelson, Carrey, or Sudeikis.

cultshock

I started watching the show in the late 70's as a pre-teen, love the original cast and a lot of their sketches, but I've never liked the Blues Brothers, including the movie. I tried watching it again recently for the first time in years to see if my opinion has changed. Nope, it was a complete chore and I only got halfway through it. Just not for me I guess, but humor is subjective after all.

Goldberg74

Not trying to hate, but what?!

Count Dooku

I don't hate, or even have a strong dislike for, Bowen Yang, but I am 100% certain that this nomination has more to do with him being a gay Chinese-American, than it does with his talent.

JeffTheAlpaca

Maybe they have a rule they can't go back to a guy from a cast 4 decades ago.

It was easier maybe to go to Fey for Palin since she was off the show for 4 years when she got the call to do Palin in 2008.

AaronHernandez

Then where are the other asian nominations in other categories?Not to say being a gaysian dude during the political environment of 2021 wouldn't have given him a leg up if he was a borderline contender to get nominated. He is a high profile breakout star of a show that always does well at the Emmy's,it would been shocking if he missed and SNl didn't beastmode the supporting categories with so many other high profile comedies delaying filming of seasons in the covid era.

chowderhead

He is a staff writer since 2018 and has won emmys as part of the SNL writing staff. He has written or cowritten many sketches like the checks one with sandra Oh and the Sara Lee sketch with Harry Styles that went viral.

Paff

I don't think time off the show has anything to do with it. I don't know where Carvey lives, but if it ain't NY I'm doubting he wants to travel to Manhattan several Saturdays during the season. And I'm also betting he wants more money than Lorne or NBC is willing to shell out.

Count Dooku

He could be the greatest writer in SNL history and that wouldn't have fuck one to do with whether he is one of the best actors on television. So, great point, dude!

Count Dooku

How much you wanna bet this was part of his submission package?

Hilarious! Listen to that audience roar!!

I think Beck Bennett is more talented as an actor, and he contributes more to the show in sketches. In my opinion, Yang is the weakest contributor to SNL of all the people nominated this year.