S47.E01: Owen Wilson / Kasey Musgraves

[possibilities]

I didn't realize, either. 

[proserpina65]

The new guy playing Joe Biden was not good.

Overall this was pretty meh.

I like Kacey Musgraves' first song but don't get the point of her being naked other than to say "Wow, I was naked".

On 10/2/2021 at 11:34 PM, vb68 said:

At least they got the memo to end Update with Norm. That was classy and well deserved  R.I.P.

Eh, I never found him funny, and he was a pretty crap person in real life.

Star Trek: Ego Quest was pretty good, and Alex was funny as Richard Branson.  That was about it, imo.

On 10/4/2021 at 7:12 AM, Milburn Stone said:

James Austin Johnson's Biden was good in terms of accuracy, but it needs to be taken farther for satire.

I thought it was terrible.  If I hadn't realized it was supposed to be Biden from the context, I'd never have know from the impression.

22 hours ago, Jody said:

 I Don't Like Donald Trump, BUT, I Think Donald Trump IS More Hilarious Than Joe Biden Is ! 

Yep.  Biden has his moments, but he isn't inherently ridiculous like Trump, which makes for lackluster comedy.

On 10/4/2021 at 6:07 AM, Pete Martell said:

Apparently that was supposed to be a homage to a scene with Robin Wright in Forrest Gump.

Oooooookay.  Can't stand that movie, so I didn't get it.  Or care, actually.

On 10/4/2021 at 10:34 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

It was one of the biggest movies of our adolescence.

Not mine.

On 10/4/2021 at 4:09 PM, possibilities said:

Colbert does him by leaning into the aviator sunglasses and "folksy" language (malarky, etc). It doesn't make him seem senile, because he gives it a lot of energy. It doesn't make him seem like he's being deified, either. I think anyone can be satirized. It took SNL a long time to figure out how to do Obama, but Key and Peele were doing it with huge success for a long time, and finally someone at SNL thought of "The Rock Obama" and it just shows that if you hire decent writers, your show is better. 

Colbert's impression is about the only good one.  Although I did like Woody Harrelson's.

[heatherchandler]

11 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

 

Colbert's impression is about the only good one.  Although I did like Woody Harrelson's.

Woody's was so good!  "I see you, I hear you, I sniff you... and I hug you from behind."

[the eskimo]

4 hours ago, Night Cheese said:

 

 

My husband and I watched the episode together and neither of us realized that she was naked. I don't know what that says about us. We both grew up with Forrest Gump (I had it on VHS as a kid), but I didn't think the Bobbie Dylan scene was so iconic that it should be honored 30ish years later on SNL. But that might be an unpopular opinion.

I'm not sure exactly what Kacey Musgraves was going for, but that scene was quite sad because Jenny just wanted to sing and perform and the only job she could get to get by was singing naked in front of a bunch of drunk guys who started harassing her while she sang a war protest song. So maybe Musgraves was making a statement about how her art is overlooked because of how she looks? That she feels exploited by the industry? That she wishes she had a Forrest Gump to stand up for her? Could be a number of things, I suppose...

[LennieBriscoe]

17 hours ago, Jody said:

 

          How Is Any Thing Joe Biden Has Done Is Funnier Than W Saying Fool Me Once, Shame On You ! Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me ! 

 

 

What W. said was, "Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me....you can't get fooled again." Yep, as psychologically weird as that. 

[Pete Martell]

On 10/4/2021 at 10:12 PM, rmontro said:

I just don't see Biden as being a hard impersonation, it seems obvious to me, I don't know why they can't seem to find someone who can nail it.  His cadence doesn't seem that difficult, throw in a little goofy whispering, and some bizarre references, and you should have something.

"The Rock Obama" was a perfect example of how they treat Democrat presidents with kid gloves.  They don't want to criticize him, so they turn him into The Rock, no one is cooler than The Rock.  I also remember that To Sir With Love parody they did about him, with some of the female cast members singing Obama a song and getting him a present, parodying the end of that movie.  Compare that to the mallet to the head approach they took with Trump.  I don't expect them to be fair or unbiased, but it wouldn't hurt them to ridicule Biden at least a little bit.

The Rock Obama was fun, but it was only a few appearances in 8 years. Most of the appearances were from Fred Armisen (I just checked and he appeared 38 times), often in droning cold opens that ran up to ten minutes, with writing that often ridiculed him as distant, out of touch,  arrogant, running up the debt, etc. Those just aren't as remembered because they were incredibly boring and  Armisen did a poor job in the role  (the most memorable thing about his  work was people questioning whether he even should have been cast). By the time Jay Pharoah, who was a well-regarded impressionist, took over the role, the show had  lost interest.

I agree about To Sir With Love, but I'd guess that was partly done from some who felt guilty about having  Trump on the show...not that  such dirge ever needed to get on.

They have at least hired another well-respected impressionist as Biden, early in his Presidency, so they  are showing signs of possibly doing more with the role. The problem is going to be the writing, which, for me, was  bad for 90% of GWB, 90% of Obama, 90% of Trump, and, if the show makes it to the end of Biden's time in office, likely 90% of Biden's as well. The political writing is always going to be in a bind because many on both sides will hate it, but that doesn't excuse  how aimless and tedious and sloppy it has been for so long now.

Edited October 6, 2021 by Pete Martell

[LennieBriscoe]

SNL has done Biden as old, cranky, cool, forgetful, too familiar with women (Woody H.), affable, and feisty.

What's left to satirize, regarding the man, that wouldn't be anti-Biden propaganda?  

As to the issues post-January 20, they've done Fauci and Covid. They just did the school board session rantings (weak sauce, IMO). 

You know who satirized politics and politicians the best and most equitable? MAD. Maybe, now that the print magazine is no more, SNL could hire those writers. 😁

 

 

[LennieBriscoe]

On 10/3/2021 at 9:34 PM, JAYJAY1979 said:

I'll be here when AOC is spoofed.

And the Biden dude is probably unprepared to spoof of Biden since he's known for spoofing Trump.

So so premiere 

I never heard of the guy before, never mind his Trump! But I highly doubt that anyone hired by SNL is "probably unprepared" for any role assigned. This ain't "Ted Mack's Amateur Hour."

 

 

[formerlyfreedom]

Posts have been removed - please return to discussing the episode itself, and not how SNL has handled politics in the past. Thank you.

[LuvMyShows]

On 10/3/2021 at 1:33 AM, Peace 47 said:

I’m a pretty big Star Trek nerd so I wanted to love the Jeff Bezos sketch, but it didn’t entirely hit, although Bezos sparring with Branson was a mildly amusing riff.

More Alex as Branson, please!

On 10/3/2021 at 1:37 AM, madpsych78 said:

Sarah did stand out here, but it's pretty similar to what she has already done in her acts so far. She reminds me a bit of Melissa Villasenor.

She reminded me a lot of Melissa, with a touch of Rachel Dratch thrown in.

On 10/3/2021 at 2:47 AM, possibilities said:

I thought the new Biden impression was quite terrible. He doesn't have the mannerisms at all, and if you didn't tell me it was Biden, I would not have known. I'm also tired of "he's old!" being such a big part of the hook with all these characterizations. It's lazy, and it's boring. The man has lots of quirks and makes lots of news and deals with a lot of stuff that is made for satire. I get the impression no one at SNL even knows who he is or what is going on. I don't get why he'd be so hard to work with. There's lots of material.

Well said.

On 10/3/2021 at 10:34 AM, Fostersmom said:

Honestly, I'm going with body shape and size. They can't exactly have Kyle play Ted Cruz. LOL! She does do an amazing Cruz though! I don't know who Aidy was playing this week, but my guess is he's a bit on the heavier side. All the male cast members are pretty thin this season and I do find the women to be the stronger than the men. 

On 10/3/2021 at 11:06 AM, Blakeston said:

Not especially. 

I think Lorne believes it's inherently hilarious for a woman to play a man. I'm fine with it when they can do a uniquely good impression (like Kate as Giuliani or Aidy as Ted Cruz), both there was no reason for Aidy to play Manchin.

On 10/3/2021 at 12:40 PM, vb68 said:

He's Senator Joe Manchin, who is in the middle of all the infrastructure mess. He's not too heavy, but he's certainly not overly thin, either. The thing is he's pretty tall. That was the thing about Aidy playing him that was off for me. Manchin looms over other people. I think Pete wouldn't had been a terrible choice for that, especially as they were shoehorning him into the sketch anyway.

Wow, now knowing more about Manchin, that choice to have Aidy play him was very, very baffling.  All it looked like to me was Aidy dressed up like a man, acting like Aidy...which come to think of it, is sort of like her Ted Cruz, but she looks so much more like Ted, which makes it funny.

[Milburn Stone]

On 10/3/2021 at 10:06 AM, Blakeston said:

I think Lorne believes it's inherently hilarious for a woman to play a man.

That could be it. I've been assuming they do it because "Oooh, so-and-so is really going to hate being portrayed by a woman! This will make him get into line!" Which...how has that worked out so far?

[LennieBriscoe]

Re: Women playing men and vice-versa: It's a gimmick to add (hoped-for) inherent humor to help a sketch.