I can only speak for myself but I didn't take the Spencer impression as demeaning his masculinity at all.

Do you think the same is true of all men portraying women? That making fun of how masculine they are is baked into the cake? Because I feel like I can come up with plenty of men -> female drag performances (funny, unfunny, acceptable today and not) where that isn't part of the bit.

Maybe their agents tell them to work less to keep their high profile gigs and stature since their comedy might be outdated and new generations will not respond?


Jack Black was making tons of comedies too like those guys and then he stopped or maybe he is more choosy?

Maybe the Kung Fu Panda residuals satisfied him like Shrek did with Mike Myers.

Not just residuals, given he did 42 episodes of a KFP tv series in the last couple years, and then Bowser in Mario. But a big part was probably getting to be with his kids while they were in their teenage years.

My citation is the logic that SNL has many male cast members, so choosing a female cast member to play a male politician is a deliberate casting decision. Then, add on that they are intentionally mocking the politician with the portrayal. Not everyone gets subtext.

It's subtext.

Since that was not what I posted, I'm gonna go with no.

Comedy also seems to be a kind of generational thing that doesn't carry over across the decades. See also Robin Williams doing all of those sappy dramas.

It's like when in you're in twenties and thirties, you're cutting edge and the hottest thing on the planet. And then two decades later you're a fucking dinosaur like Bob Hope.

In the early 1980s Eddie Murphy was on the top of the world doing stand-up, SNL, and cranking out hit movies like 48 Hours, Trading Places, and Beverly Hills Cop. Twenty years later, he's Pluto Nash and Norbit.

Is it so beyond comprehension that after working and struggling to be successful that some incredibly rich guys would start to take it easier in the second half of their lives?

K and just to be clear I know that isn’t what you said. Was genuinely asking if you thought the dynamic went both ways.

Well, the counter is that for many of the years the 'beefiest' cast members were either Keenan, Aidy and Molly. So if they were mocking a chubby white man, it made more sense (at least to Lorne) to have Aidy or Molly play them in 'drag' costume than a thin white man or a heavier black man.
Same thing for a tiny white man being played by Kate McKinnon. Body size, not lack of masculinity.

Just because you read it as subtext that does not make it fact.

I was going to say all of these guys got older (Sandler probably seems the youngest but he's been cranking out Netflix stuff, Carey basically took up Sonic for fun) and probably make bank on voice acting: Kung Fu Panda, Hotel Transylvania, Shrek, etc. Ferrell was in the lastest Despicable Me movie, for instance.

If you don't think it is an extra twist of the knife for a male politician like Ted Cruz to not only be mocked on national TV, but to also be played by a woman, I don't know what to tell you. I am 100% absolutely certain it is so.

I think it is specific to the situation. The Kids in the Hall did sketches in drag, but they had no female cast members. SNL has lots of cast members, male and female, and Lorne has no reservations about recruiting outside celebrities to come on and play politicians.

Yeah, they were totally trolling them.

Michael Keaton and Stevie Nicks are pretty big gets. Too bad they're not on the same episode. Could have felt like an old '80s episode.

John Mullaney and Chappell Roan sounds like a must watch.

The return of Nate Bargatze means that his first appearance was well received. Expect a return of his George Washington bit. It also goes against the theory that the 50th Season would be all superstars.

Michael Keaton, Stevie Nicks and Jelly Roll for me.

I was off on my Chappell Roan prediction, but that looks like a list of 10 superstars to me. If anyone looks at that list and responds with a "Who's that?" they need to just give up on the show.

I know all of those people!

Great to see Bargatze and Mulaney back, and Michael Keaton?

I'm not familiar with Chappell Roan, I'm out (but I mostly have been for years anyway ).

Bargatze was polarizing last year and some liked him and some did not care.

Maybe Mulaney was on every season for the last 5 years except season 49 2023-24?

I don't know where you're getting that from. His episode was named as one of the better ones of the season on every review site that I know of, and the "Washington's Dream" sketch is universally seen as one of the year's best sketches, and people credit his performance as a big factor in that. He was a first-time host, who despite his stand-up success was not on a lot of people's radars, and they have immediately asked him to come back and host again.

I agree with all of this, but not with your previous assertion that he's a superstar now. He's better known because of his SNL guest appearance, but he's still not a household name.

Is this the first time Michael Keaton has hosted? I doubt it but I can't remember him on the show before.

Also : Do you think they will not have any former cast regulars as hosts this season, instead saving them for the 50 Anniversary Special?

But some people here were not big fans when they posted in the thread from last season.

I thought maybe Glen Powell or Hugh Jackman would host the opener since they had the biggest movies of the Summer and a lot more exciting than Jean Smart who could have been saved for later in the season.

I think I know who Stevie Nicks is - I hear he's great!



Looks like a solid first 5 shows assuming the writers are up to it. There's certainly plenty of material for them to work with.

does Keaton have another movie or will this be for the push for VOD for Beatlejuice?