S47.E09: Paul Rudd / Clip Show

[ebk57]

I thought the closing monologue was lovely.  It was definitely a weird show, but overall fun.

 

Happy holidays everyone!  I really appreciate this little community and I hope everyone stays well and happy!!

[vb68]

That Hanks stare at the end while Paul Rudd mangled the line from Forrest Gump was fantastic. Hee.

Merry Christmas and happy Holidays! And everyone please stay safe!

Quote

I really appreciate this little community 

Same here.

Edited December 19, 2021 by vb68

[MarquisDeCarabas]

4 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

It is.  It's about a boy buying his dying mom shoes for Christmas.  Enjoy.

 

I have a tradition where if I hear Christmas shoes on the radio. As soon as I can I have to play Patton Oswalt’s perfect take down of the song as a palate cleanser

[freddi]

I liked that they closed with the sax player and pianist -- on that beautiful stage.    

Hanks was on the East Coast for the Bob Dole funeral, and spoke at the special commemoration for family and staff at the WWII memorial.  

[Gemma Violet]

 

Loved seeing Tom Hanks.  He just makes me happy.

 

Quote

I have a tradition where if I hear Christmas shoes on the radio.

I'm 65 years old and consider myself pretty up-to-date on pop culture, but I've never in my life heard the song Christmas Shoes.  (If it's a country song, that explains it, as I never listen to country music.)

[Mediocre Gatsby]

I had a show on Tivo that said it was the SNL Thanksgiving special, but it turned out to be a Christmas special. I happened to watch it today and half the clips were ones they showed tonight, so this wasn't a lot of fun for me. As someone above said, the stage did look like it had some beautiful sets ready to go. 

I hope that the SNL cast and crew and families stay safe, and everyone here, too. 

Re: "American Auto" -- here on the west coast it's scheduled to show at 1:02 am. 

[opus]

31 minutes ago, MerBearStare said:

Patton Oswalt has my favorite Christmas Shoes takedown. I was hoping this sketch would be more like Patton's bit, but alas, it was not.

 

I’m quite familiar with the song. That was great. (Also liked Christmas Socks tonight)

[Peace 47]

Paul Rudd is so charming and funny.  When he told the “story” there at the end of the show of what Tom Hanks said in a movie once, I thought it also would have been funny if he said, “And that movie was Apollo 13,” just as a nice capper to the mangling of the quote, but it was very cute just the way it was.

Paul’s #1 One Direction Fan sketch may be the funniest thing he’s ever done on SNL.  It’s right in his comedic wheelhouse and just so, so funny.  And showing it tonight once again illustrates his ageless-ness.

I liked how during Update, Tina asked if she could call Tom “Hanks” and he immediately said, “I’d rather you didn’t.” 

I missed the picture of Tina’s baby’s Christmas outfit because I stepped into the other room.  I need to see that!

Edited December 19, 2021 by Peace 47

[gatopretoNYC]

I have happily never heard, and never plan to hear Christmas Shoes. 😁

I almost didn't watch tonight, because when I saw prerecorded, and Tom Hanks, I thought it was a rerun. They made the best of it; having Tina & Tom there definitely helped. 

Stay safe, everyone. 

[Jody]

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

I didn't get that at all. Do I need to rewatch?  But I did like the "I want grandkids" pre-tape.

They just advertised American Auto after SNL which makes me think that this show is going to run 30 minutes short because I'm pretty sure that wasn't planned. 

 

       No, Saturday Night LIVE WAS Not Thirty Minutes Short ! Saturday Night Live Got Through AT MIDNIGHT ! Week End Update Was Shorter Though ! I Think Week End Update Was Around SEVEN MINUTES Long ! I Liked That Dean Martin Special The Best ! I Also OF Course Liked D In A Box And Steve Martin's Wishes ! I LOVED Christmas Time For The Jews ! I Wasn't Thrilled With Paul Rudd With Those Children ! 

[Kleav]

3 hours ago, JZL said:

Fey to sub = lie and speculation.

But she did sub for Colin Jost.

[Jody]

9 hours ago, JZL said:

If I read that right, Keenan was the only one staying on.  Unless they have a ton of clips in the can, I can't see how they can do a show.  Maybe if Fallon drops by they can do a half hour of WU and call it a night. 

I also hate clickbait false headlines like that.  Talks for her to host = true.  Fey to sub = lie and speculation.  It's the  NYP so no surprise I reckon.

        PAUL RUDD WAS THE HOST, BUT TINA WAS A BIG PART OF THE SHOW ! TINA DID SUB FOR COLIN WITH MICHAEL CHE DOING WEEK END UPDATE ! ! ALSO, I THINK IT IS BETTER NOT TO SAY THEY THEY LIED ! I THINK IT IS BETTER TO SAY WHAT EVER HAPPENS THAT YOU DID Not KNOW At THE TIME WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ! !

7 hours ago, ebk57 said:

I was wondering if that was a local thing, but I guess not.  I was confused about a show after SNL that's not First Look. 

      I Don't Know, But, Maybe They Wanted To Promote That Show Especially Since That Has Ana Gasteyer In That Show ! 

[freddi]

2 hours ago, Peace 47 said:

I missed the picture of Tina’s baby’s Christmas outfit because I stepped into the other room.  I need to see that!

Here you are:
                                                          

Edited December 19, 2021 by freddi

[nickp1991]

At least it gave us a chance to see Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks in a sketch

[Pete Martell]

I can understand why some would feel the episode should have just been scrapped entirely. I'm glad they continued on, partly because I needed some type of Christmas spirits these days, partly because, similar to what happened soon after COVID hit here, I wanted to see how they would adapt. 

Lorne rarely lets these types of moments involve serious changes (as shown with the At Home episodes gradually becoming more like regular SNL episodes each week), but, much as I wanted to see a few more changes (more interaction with the five people there, more "new" sketches  (things cut from dress rehearsal), I think they generally did about what they could. 

Much as I didn't have a great deal of interest in old clips (well-chosen as some were), I did appreciate how the intros let us see different sides to some of the cameos/host - I think this episode served Tina and Paul much better than many of their other episodes (this was the most I've enjoyed Tina on SNL in a long time). When Paul Rudd hosts, he's always capable and likeable and easy to watch, but getting to hear him talk about doing a Steve Martin routine at school made me feel like I genuinely knew him, even as, of course, we never will. 

It was interesting to see Rudd and Tom Hanks in the same episode because I feel like Rudd now represents some of the amiable everyman qualities Hanks is known for, while Hanks, still amiable, represents a bit more of the sorrow of where we are now. Not just his returning to talk about COVID, but his intro where he talked about how little we have done regarding climate change. Hyperbole, I know, but it felt like we as a nation were on our sickbed (or worse) and he was holding our hand.

I think  Che and Jost  Update is one of the stronger editions SNL has had over the decades, but, while I hope Colin is well, I didn't mind having a change for a week. I was not that  fond of Tina as Update anchor but she was good here -  she and Che were a good balance and she reminded me of how she was early in her Update run. I  laughed the  most at Che's joke to  Kenan asking why they were the only two cast members who stayed. I liked the use of Tom, Paul and Kenan as  an audience for the jokes - it felt natural and like we were watching friends interacting.

I don't have a problem with large casts, but there was something fascinating about seeing just five people on the stage,  laughing and joking around in dark times. I think this is the first time I've even seen Michael Che in the goodnights. Closing on the long sax solo from Lenny Pickett, leading us out of 2021, no idea what is ahead in the world (or when SNL will even be back, or in what form) was poignant, beautiful, haunting, in the way SNL  is at its best. I don't think I've loved a goodnights as much in a long time.

As for the new material - I had no real interest  in Kate and Aidy doing their Kate and Aidy (but I know many do and I respect that). I was fine with Christmas Socks, even if I think it was too long (I know that was part of the joke...) - Aidy stole it for me when she was weirded out by Paul being friends with her son. My favorite piece, one of my favorite pre-tapes of recent seasons  probably, was the Pete pre-tape, which had the stylish and aching melancholy of thoughtful films long from SNL's past, many of them by Tom Schiller. I want to see pieces like this more often that aren't just going for the easy laughs and let viewers appreciate some subtlety. 

I have enjoyed this season and I've had plenty of thoughts on it, but this episode probably made me think than any in a while,  partly because it just  showed again how SNL is so  many different pieces, never quite put together, and partly because right now the world is about the same. I don't know where we're heading, and as much as SNL can seem out of touch, for once the atmosphere of an episode was right in line with how I was feeling and what I was thinking. 

Whenever we  see the  cast and crew again, I hope they have a good Christmas/holiday season/New Year, and  I hope all of you have the same. And I  hope somehow we find our way  in 2022, if possible. That global warming sketch, overlong as it was and distracted as I was by seeing old favorites like Phil and Jan one  more time, reminded me how it feels like we never go anywhere, except downhill - but maybe this will be the year that turns things around. Whatever happens, I'm glad I have  SNL to talk about, and I'm glad I can talk about it with all of you.

[Spartan Girl]

While it’s disappointing we didn’t get the show they planned on, we still got some cameos and they played some of the best holiday skits. So all and all, they did the best with what they could on such short notice.

Wished that Tina and Michael did the joke swapping for the holidays. Oh well.

Hopefully we can get back to regular shows soon.

[EtheltoTillie]

8 hours ago, freddi said:

    

Hanks was on the East Coast for the Bob Dole funeral, and spoke at the special commemoration for family and staff at the WWII memorial.  

I just don’t get why Tom Hanks is now an elder statesman.  I can’t buy into his elevated status. He’s become pretentious with his short story writing and typewriter collecting.  I love some of his old SNL sketches, such as the Israeli electronics salesman. 

[theredhead77]

I'm so glad SNL went on last night, as it did. I live in a world where I'm still trying to the right thing but everyone around me is "what COVID?" and it's very isolating. Watching last night made me feel less alone and seeing Lenny Pickett in the background, like usual, made it better. All the older sketches were great and hopefully the younger crowd that may have been watching will go watch some of those earlier shows.

[MrWhyt]

11 hours ago, vb68 said:

Aww, Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman.🥰

I forgot how funny Hanks was as Dean Martin.

that sketch went on forever. 

 

Pretty much the best they could with the last minute decision to not have a full show. Really like the WU joke about Che and Keenan being the only cast members there,

Edited December 19, 2021 by MrWhyt

[Irlandesa]

38 minutes ago, MrWhyt said:

Really like the WU joke about Che and Keenan being the only cast members there,

That was funny. 

I do think they showed some old "classics" that don't typically make their holiday composite shows so that was an unexpected bonus. 

 

[cambridgeguy]

2 hours ago, GussieK said:

I just don’t get why Tom Hanks is now an elder statesman.  I can’t buy into his elevated status. He’s become pretentious with his short story writing and typewriter collecting.  I love some of his old SNL sketches, such as the Israeli electronics salesman. 

Because the "I hate Tom Hanks" club is very, very small?  In any case, the guy who should have had a cameo in a 5 timers sketch is Alec Baldwin, but that's obviously a non-starter right now.

[StatisticalOutlier]

11 hours ago, Gemma Violet said:

I'm 65 years old and consider myself pretty up-to-date on pop culture, but I've never in my life heard the song Christmas Shoes.  (If it's a country song, that explains it, as I never listen to country music.)

I'd never heard of it (64 and most definitely not up-to-date on pop culture), but I watched the Patton Oswalt thing posted upthread, and he said it's by a Christian group called New Song (which led into his saying they'll forever be living in an Abbot and Costello routine:  "We have a new song." "By who?" "New Song."  "Exactly."  "What?"  "Oh, fuck this.").

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

12 hours ago, Peace 47 said:

Paul’s #1 One Direction Fan sketch may be the funniest thing he’s ever done on SNL.  It’s right in his comedic wheelhouse and just so, so funny.  And showing it tonight once again illustrates his ageless-ness.

That was really good.

Dick in a Box is good, but I'm going to have that song stuck in my head forever now.  I'm not a big Timberlake fan but I love when he wails "Every single holiday a dick in a boooooooox".  Lonely Island music production is always good.

Edited December 19, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[theredhead77]

13 hours ago, freddi said:

 

Hanks was on the East Coast for the Bob Dole funeral, and spoke at the special commemoration for family and staff at the WWII memorial.  

Not that I follow celeb friendships but this one was a bit surprising. It probably shouldn't be due to all of the work Hanks has done to preserve the memory and legacy of the Greatest Generation and bring WWII to the screen for the current generation.

4 hours ago, GussieK said:

I just don’t get why Tom Hanks is now an elder statesman.

He wasn't there as a "statesman", he was friends with Dole. 

2 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Because the "I hate Tom Hanks" club is very, very small?  

Also: this. Love me some Hanks. He seems to spread joy and happiness everywhere he goes and he is the equivelent of Carrie Fisher being our space mom. He's America's dad. There is just something so comforting about seeing him.

I hope Paul Rudd gets to hos in 2022. Hell, I hope we have live SNL in 2022.

[possibilities]

Safety first. I hope everybody comes out okay. 

I know I'm the only person on the planet with this reaction, but I honestly don't get why Dick in a Box is funny. If the women receiving the gifts were grossed out or resentful, I'd find it funny, as a comment on how some guys think they're awesome when they aren't? But the recipients actually liking it? Shudder. To me, it's like the ultimate creepy guy fantasy that we really want to see dick pics more than anything in the world... and yeah, no. But I'm not a straight woman or a gay man, so I'm not the target audience, I guess. Though I do usually get straight people humor.

AAAAnyway... it was a sad show overall, because of what it says about where we are in the world. Not the show's fault, just how things are. Like with climate change, the pandemic is where it is, even when we might have thought it would be somewhere different after all this time.

Tina saying "Am I allowed to say Jews?" really annoyed me. Can you say "Christians"? Can you say "Buddhists"? Can you say "Muslims"? Can you say "Hindus"? If you aren't sure, you should find out before you air the sketch. But mostly it just gives credibility to anti-Semites who erroneously use the word as a slur for their own reasons.

[Kristi800]

17 hours ago, Peace 47 said:

I don’t think I had ever seen that Global Warming Special sketch from 1990.  Prescient and super dark, but Tom Hanks as Dean Martin and Victoria Jackson as Sally Struthers are especially funny.

 

I don't remember this at all, but not sure how much I was watching at the time.  It was super dark and it was funny to have the Paul McCartney impression from Dana Carvey right before the clip of the real Paul McCartney with Martin Short. 

Dick in a Box never gets old!

It's funny how Pete Davidson always talks about being from Staten Island when Jost is from there, too. 

I do hope Paul Rudd gets another show when things "return to semi-normal"...whatever that even is. Thank goodness for years of reruns.

I tried watching the real "Christmas Shoes" video, but after Patton Oswalt's version, I just couldn't!

Edited December 19, 2021 by Kristi800
"or" to "of"

[theredhead77]

29 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I know I'm the only person on the planet with this reaction, but I honestly don't get why Dick in a Box is funny. If the women receiving the gifts were grossed out or resentful, I'd find it funny, as a comment on how some guys think they're awesome when they aren't? But the recipients actually liking it? Shudder. To me, it's like the ultimate creepy guy fantasy that we really want to see dick pics more than anything in the world... and yeah, no. But I'm not a straight woman or a gay man, so I'm not the target audience, I guess. Though I do usually get straight people humor.

Humor is subjective but I think it's hillarious becaue of the style of video. It's so 1990s (IMHO) and so, so random.

[JeanJean]

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

Safety first. I hope everybody comes out okay. 

I know I'm the only person on the planet with this reaction, but I honestly don't get why Dick in a Box is funny. If the women receiving the gifts were grossed out or resentful, I'd find it funny, as a comment on how some guys think they're awesome when they aren't? But the recipients actually liking it? Shudder. To me, it's like the ultimate creepy guy fantasy that we really want to see dick pics more than anything in the world... and yeah, no. But I'm not a straight woman or a gay man, so I'm not the target audience, I guess. Though I do usually get straight people humor.

AAAAnyway... it was a sad show overall, because of what it says about where we are in the world. Not the show's fault, just how things are. Like with climate change, the pandemic is where it is, even when we might have thought it would be somewhere different after all this time.

Tina saying "Am I allowed to say Jews?" really annoyed me. Can you say "Christians"? Can you say "Buddhists"? Can you say "Muslims"? Can you say "Hindus"? If you aren't sure, you should find out before you air the sketch. But mostly it just gives credibility to anti-Semites who erroneously use the word as a slur for their own reasons.

I thought her saying that was weird and off-putting, too. May have just been a poor-choice ad lib.

I think "Dick in a Box" is a take-off on those super-smooth, hypersexual songs that were in style. SNL still does them, but I think now they do have the women react like "Yech!" Ego in particular is wonderful at reacting like that in them.  Until "Christmastime for the Jews" that was the best SNL comedy song, IMO.

Edited December 19, 2021 by JeanJean

[theredhead77]

Last night I was disappointed some of my favorite, newer, skits were left out. Skits like Back Home Baller, Your Hometown, Twin Bed and Christmas Candle but after thinking about it today, all of those skits revolve around gatherings and parties and I don't think too many of the skits last night had that "party vibe" to it. Thinking it was intentional.

[Kristi800]

26 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

Last night I was disappointed some of my favorite, newer, skits were left out. Skits like Back Home Baller, Your Hometown, Twin Bed and Christmas Candle but after thinking about it today, all of those skits revolve around gatherings and parties and I don't think too many of the skits last night had that "party vibe" to it. Thinking it was intentional.

They used "Your Hometown" during the Thanksgiving clip show, and will probably use some of the more popular Christmas clips during their regularly scheduled show and didn't want to poach from that.

[SoMuchTV]

35 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

Last night I was disappointed some of my favorite, newer, skits were left out. Skits like Back Home Baller, Your Hometown, Twin Bed and Christmas Candle but after thinking about it today, all of those skits revolve around gatherings and parties and I don't think too many of the skits last night had that "party vibe" to it. Thinking it was intentional.

 

6 minutes ago, Kristi800 said:

They used "Your Hometown" during the Thanksgiving clip show, and will probably use some of the more popular Christmas clips during their regularly scheduled show and didn't want to poach from that.

All those seem to show up in just about every Thanksgiving or Christmas special, every year.  I didn't catch it this year but I expect a lot of them just aired in the last few weeks.  (Although they still managed to air some of the "perennial" ones, like Steve Martin's Christmas wishes and "Christmastime for the Jews".)

I was actually surprised that there were a few in this show that I didn't remember ever seeing.  Not that they were the cream of the crop, but at least they were new to me.

[heatherchandler]

8 hours ago, GussieK said:

I just don’t get why Tom Hanks is now an elder statesman.  I can’t buy into his elevated status. He’s become pretentious with his short story writing and typewriter collecting.  I love some of his old SNL sketches, such as the Israeli electronics salesman. 

I’m with you on that.  Why are we holding him up like this?  Maybe I dislike his wife so much it’s rubbing off on him.  

I do love his Mr. Short Term Memory sketches from the 80s or maybe 90s.  They never show them!

[Ms Blue Jay]

10 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

Humor is subjective but I think it's hillarious becaue of the style of video. It's so 1990s (IMHO) and so, so random.

Yes, R&B of the 90s like Color Me Badd, All For One, Boyz II Men, etc.  The costumes, the hair, the style, the music, everything about it.  We lived through that era LOL.  And Andy and Justin are playing it so straight and serious, like all those musicians did then.  And the music is ALWAYS about sex.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Pete Martell]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

Tina saying "Am I allowed to say Jews?" really annoyed me. Can you say "Christians"? Can you say "Buddhists"? Can you say "Muslims"? Can you say "Hindus"? If you aren't sure, you should find out before you air the sketch. But mostly it just gives credibility to anti-Semites who erroneously use the word as a slur for their own reasons.

That's the whole "cancel  culture"  routine which tends to grate on me with comedians. I don't think she meant it as anti-Semetic, but yes, that is an  impression one could get. This is an  old bugbear for Tina because some of her work was criticized over racial/cultural elements (she had a whole episode of Kimmy Schmidt about it,  I believe). Most of her presence on the show was free of that usual type of defensiveness, at least.  

27 minutes ago, heatherchandler said:

I’m with you on that.  Why are we holding him up like this?  Maybe I dislike his wife so much it’s rubbing off on him.  

I do love his Mr. Short Term Memory sketches from the 80s or maybe 90s.  They never show them!

I think  it's mostly because of some of his roles, because he's been around a long time, and just media creation. I generally like Tom Hanks (although I enjoy his '80s movies more than anything after he became serious), but I don't think even he takes that moniker seriously. 

[JeanJean]

2 minutes ago, Pete Martell said:

That's the whole "cancel  culture"  routine which tends to grate on me with comedians. I don't think she meant it as anti-Semetic, but yes, that is an  impression one could get. This is an  old bugbear for Tina because some of her work was criticized over racial/cultural elements (she had a whole episode of Kimmy Schmidt about it,  I believe). Most of her presence on the show was free of that usual type of defensiveness, at least.  

Good insight. I hadn't thought of that. I guess it is tricky for comics to know what people might come down on them for. It might have been a little too inside-jokey.

[Gemma Violet]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

I know I'm the only person on the planet with this reaction, but I honestly don't get why Dick in a Box is funny.

You're not the only one.  I've always wondered how it got to be so popular.  

[Jody]

15 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

I can understand why some would feel the episode should have just been scrapped entirely. I'm glad they continued on, partly because I needed some type of Christmas spirits these days, partly because, similar to what happened soon after COVID hit here, I wanted to see how they would adapt. 

Lorne rarely lets these types of moments involve serious changes (as shown with the At Home episodes gradually becoming more like regular SNL episodes each week), but, much as I wanted to see a few more changes (more interaction with the five people there, more "new" sketches  (things cut from dress rehearsal), I think they generally did about what they could. 

Much as I didn't have a great deal of interest in old clips (well-chosen as some were), I did appreciate how the intros let us see different sides to some of the cameos/host - I think this episode served Tina and Paul much better than many of their other episodes (this was the most I've enjoyed Tina on SNL in a long time). When Paul Rudd hosts, he's always capable and likeable and easy to watch, but getting to hear him talk about doing a Steve Martin routine at school made me feel like I genuinely knew him, even as, of course, we never will. 

It was interesting to see Rudd and Tom Hanks in the same episode because I feel like Rudd now represents some of the amiable everyman qualities Hanks is known for, while Hanks, still amiable, represents a bit more of the sorrow of where we are now. Not just his returning to talk about COVID, but his intro where he talked about how little we have done regarding climate change. Hyperbole, I know, but it felt like we as a nation were on our sickbed (or worse) and he was holding our hand.

I think  Che and Jost  Update is one of the stronger editions SNL has had over the decades, but, while I hope Colin is well, I didn't mind having a change for a week. I was not that  fond of Tina as Update anchor but she was good here -  she and Che were a good balance and she reminded me of how she was early in her Update run. I  laughed the  most at Che's joke to  Kenan asking why they were the only two cast members who stayed. I liked the use of Tom, Paul and Kenan as  an audience for the jokes - it felt natural and like we were watching friends interacting.

I don't have a problem with large casts, but there was something fascinating about seeing just five people on the stage,  laughing and joking around in dark times. I think this is the first time I've even seen Michael Che in the goodnights. Closing on the long sax solo from Lenny Pickett, leading us out of 2021, no idea what is ahead in the world (or when SNL will even be back, or in what form) was poignant, beautiful, haunting, in the way SNL  is at its best. I don't think I've loved a goodnights as much in a long time.

As for the new material - I had no real interest  in Kate and Aidy doing their Kate and Aidy (but I know many do and I respect that). I was fine with Christmas Socks, even if I think it was too long (I know that was part of the joke...) - Aidy stole it for me when she was weirded out by Paul being friends with her son. My favorite piece, one of my favorite pre-tapes of recent seasons  probably, was the Pete pre-tape, which had the stylish and aching melancholy of thoughtful films long from SNL's past, many of them by Tom Schiller. I want to see pieces like this more often that aren't just going for the easy laughs and let viewers appreciate some subtlety. 

I have enjoyed this season and I've had plenty of thoughts on it, but this episode probably made me think than any in a while,  partly because it just  showed again how SNL is so  many different pieces, never quite put together, and partly because right now the world is about the same. I don't know where we're heading, and as much as SNL can seem out of touch, for once the atmosphere of an episode was right in line with how I was feeling and what I was thinking. 

Whenever we  see the  cast and crew again, I hope they have a good Christmas/holiday season/New Year, and  I hope all of you have the same. And I  hope somehow we find our way  in 2022, if possible. That global warming sketch, overlong as it was and distracted as I was by seeing old favorites like Phil and Jan one  more time, reminded me how it feels like we never go anywhere, except downhill - but maybe this will be the year that turns things around. Whatever happens, I'm glad I have  SNL to talk about, and I'm glad I can talk about it with all of you.

      I Think That Served TWO Purposes The Way They Did Week End Update ! One Was Where Even Though They Were Cast Members, Kenan And The Others Could Act like An Audience ! The Other Thing Is That Kenan And The Others Could Be Like People Doing A Commentary On Week End Update ! That Video About Pete Made Me Think OF Don't Look Back In Anger With John Belushi  Supposedly Being The Last Cast Member OF the Original Cast Was Alive When Actually John Belushi Was The First Cast Member To Die In Real Life ! I Think This Season Is Better Than Last Season After The Home Episodes ! ! I Think They Did NOT Know What To  Do When They Got Back In The Studio !

14 hours ago, GussieK said:

I just don’t get why Tom Hanks is now an elder statesman.  I can’t buy into his elevated status. He’s become pretentious with his short story writing and typewriter collecting.  I love some of his old SNL sketches, such as the Israeli electronics salesman. 

       Every Body Loves Tom Hanks On Saturday Night Live And He Is A Member OF The 5 Timers Club And He Has Hosted Eight Times ! ! !

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

t's like the ultimate creepy guy fantasy that we really want to see dick pics more than anything in the world... and yeah, no.

The concept of a certain type of egotistical guy considering his mere penis enough of a gift to the woman in question predates dick pics by at least a few decades. What Lonely Island did was visualize it in a way that was memorably presentable on broadcast TV (and radio because the song did hit the airwaves for a short while).

Quote

Tina saying "Am I allowed to say Jews?" really annoyed me. Can you say "Christians"? Can you say "Buddhists"? Can you say "Muslims"? Can you say "Hindus"? If you aren't sure, you should find out before you air the sketch. But mostly it just gives credibility to anti-Semites who erroneously use the word as a slur for their own reasons.

I don't think saying "Jews" is necessarily problematic or anti-Semitic; it depends on the context. But references "the Jews" are almost always surrounded by some stereotypical if not bigoted notions, the same way as "the Blacks" or "the gays" usually are. It's prefixing a "the" that often creates a problem. IMO, Tina is likely aware such usage pitfalls but she was perhaps trying to head off the people who now think just saying "Jews" is automatically wrong.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Joimiaroxeu

[xaxat]

"The Show must go on."

I have never seen a better example of this entertainment aphorism. Was it a great episode?  No. Where there things (including old clips) that I did not think were that funny? Yes.

But under truly extraordinary circumstance, they got the show done. Performers, writers, camera operators etc. And I appreciate the fact that they apparently worked their asses off to entertain me in the midst of a pandemic. 

 

[Irlandesa]

5 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

I think  it's mostly because of some of his roles, because he's been around a long time, and just media creation. I generally like Tom Hanks (although I enjoy his '80s movies more than anything after he became serious), but I don't think even he takes that moniker seriously. 

People like him as an actor.  He always brings it at as an SNL host.  His peers or people who meet him just seem to love him. And people who interview him like him because he gives a good interview. He's curious, listens and seems to be well versed on numerous topics so that he can have a conversation about whatever the person interviewing him wants to talk about.  I've seen enough interviews at this point where he actively engages with the local reporter and does the opposite of phoning it in. I imagine that's something he can pull off in real life as well.

People who can make people feel good tend to be beloved.  So I think the Hanks worship is pretty simple and straight forward.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Irlandesa

[JZL]

21 hours ago, Kleav said:

But she did sub for Colin Jost.

When they wrote the headline, they reported it as fact but they did not know.  The story itself said only that she was in talks to do it.  It's clickbait BS and it's a lie.  If someone represents something to be true when they know it's merely a possibility, that is a falsehood, also known as a lie.  Whether the event later occurs or not is immaterial.

Websites do this all the time anymore.

Jebus, I don't see how this is confusing.  If this needs further explanation, go read about Schrodinger's Cat.

[formerlyfreedom]

Hey, all - just a friendly reminder, the site's rule is to Be Civil to your fellow posters. You can disagree about what you like or dislike, who you love or hate, or how you conjugate verbs, but you do need to be respectful in your disagreement. Nothing has been removed, but sanctions (including notes, warnings, or more) may be issued for future violations. Thank you!

 

[wknt3]

On 12/19/2021 at 9:17 AM, GussieK said:

I just don’t get why Tom Hanks is now an elder statesman. 

Because he's gotten older and most people people still like and respect him? That's basically all there is to it. It's worked for other SNL related folks like Steve Martin and Paul Simon. Or you can just get older and not be liked and respected and end up as Chevy Chase...

[peeayebee]

16 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

The concept of a certain type of egotistical guy considering his mere penis enough of a gift to the woman in question predates dick pics by at least a few decades. What Lonely Island did was visualize it in a way that was memorably presentable on broadcast TV (and radio because the song did hit the airwaves for a short while).

Yes. Dick in a Box always cracks me up. Andy and Justin are so good in it, and so are Kristin and Maya. I think it's hilarious that both women are thrilled with the present. If this were a regular sketch, Kristin and Maya would be disgusted, but this is a music parody, so their reactions fit. 

Loved seeing Eddie Murphy. Great performance.

I'm in the Love-Tom-Hanks club. For me, he's reliably entertaining and simply enjoyable to watch.

Same with Paul Rudd. Man, he was so good and funny in that One Direction sketch. It was great watching him interact with the little girls.

Tina Fey was another face I was happy to see.

I didn't much enjoy the Pete Davidson sketch, though I did get a laugh out of him doing the Chad bit. I didn't pick up that it was in the Raging Bull style. I feel dumb for missing that.

It was really nice seeing some of the old SNL people like Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, and the others.

And once more I'm rather in awe of Jimmy Fallon's impression skills.

[proserpina65]

Honestly, they should've just canceled the show.  That was mostly not good.  And it proved that, weirdly, Colin Jost has a much better delivery on Weekend Update than does Tina Fey.

On 12/18/2021 at 7:33 PM, juno said:

Possibly the greatest silver lining of all time.

She was lousy.

The only thing I laughed at in the entire show was the Steve Martin clip.

[vb68]

On 12/19/2021 at 7:33 AM, Pete Martell said:

I think  Che and Jost  Update is one of the stronger editions SNL has had over the decades, but, while I hope Colin is well, I didn't mind having a change for a week. I was not that  fond of Tina as Update anchor but she was good here -  she and Che were a good balance and she reminded me of how she was early in her Update run. I

For me, it was just the opposite. It reminded me how much I enjoyed and always looked forward to Tina as Update anchor. she's whip smart, and her sensibilities matched really well for that role. That's why she was such a good balance for someone like Jimmy Fallon and for Che here. I know it was basically just going through the motions, but I could tell Che was glad that Tina was there, and  he was more relaxed with her.

On 12/19/2021 at 7:33 AM, Pete Martell said:

My favorite piece, one of my favorite pre-tapes of recent seasons  probably, was the Pete pre-tape, which had the stylish and aching melancholy of thoughtful films long from SNL's past, many of them by Tom Schiller. I want to see pieces like this more often that aren't just going for the easy laughs and let viewers appreciate some subtlety. 

I have to agree here. It was just brilliantly executed. Pete has really stepped up his game with his pre-tapes. Even if you aren't familiar with Raging Bull, and it has been a few decades since I watched it, it was still so well done and poignant.  It's easy enough to believe Pete would age into one of those grouchy older comics like Artie Lange or whoever. The Colin Robot and the show audience being an old bar/club were pretty funny.    

[proserpina65]

On 12/19/2021 at 1:18 AM, Gemma Violet said:

 

Loved seeing Tom Hanks.  He just makes me happy.

 

I'm 65 years old and consider myself pretty up-to-date on pop culture, but I've never in my life heard the song Christmas Shoes.  (If it's a country song, that explains it, as I never listen to country music.)

Be extremely grateful.  It's a maudlin turd of a song.  It gives sad country songs a bad name.

15 hours ago, xaxat said:

"The Show must go on."

To which I reply, why?  Especially if it's going to suck this bad.

[SomeTameGazelle]

On 12/18/2021 at 11:59 PM, Galileo908 said:

Now That's What I Call Christmas: Ah yes, the celeb impression sketch from Jimmy Fallon's episode. I still love Alan Rickman's "Holly Jolly Christmas." I forgot there was a DMX bit in this one.

I know Tina is very fond of Jimmy, and he does do some excellent impressions, but I didn't think the sketch was worthy of the buildup she gave it.

On 12/18/2021 at 11:59 PM, Galileo908 said:

An Evening With Pete Davidson: This was a fun. weird one, a raging bull parody set 50 years in the future. Robo Colin was creepy.

Loved Pete's future hairline and voice, "do Chad", and the joke that the idea that Pete is a sex symbol was a gag the writing partner came up with. I didn't recognize Paul Rudd at first and vaguely assumed that the writing partner was Pete's actual writing partner getting a cameo for some reason. I have never seen Raging Bull -- was there a reason we changed from B&W to colour partway through?

On 12/18/2021 at 11:59 PM, Galileo908 said:

WU: With Fey and Che! Doing update jokes to an audience of Kenan, Paul Rudd, and Tom Hanks. So no pressure. I still thought the jokes were good.

I was glad to be spared the joke exchange bit that Jost and Che do and the only joke I laughed at was the one about why Michael and Kenan were the only cast members appearing in this episode. The rest of the time I was thinking that in normal update the accompanying graphics are helping A LOT and I really missed them. And I didn't feel like Michael and Tina were on the same wavelength. Maybe I could have enjoyed a variation on the joke exchange that highlighted how Tina and Colin's sensibilities are wildly different, but that might have been a lot to prepare at short notice.

On 12/18/2021 at 11:59 PM, Galileo908 said:

The pre-record from Steve Martin & Martin Short was great.

Especially the part where it was addressed to Tom Hanks badly overdubbed to "Paul Rudd".

[Mediocre Gatsby]

1 hour ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I know Tina is very fond of Jimmy, and he does do some excellent impressions, but I didn't think the sketch was worthy of the buildup she gave it.

... 

I was glad to be spared the joke exchange bit that Jost and Che do 

Oh my gosh, both of these. I *hate* the joke exchange. And Tina made it sound like we were going to get an hour of great impressions from Jimmy. 

Still, a few days later I'm still glad that they did a show, and grateful for the ones who were able to show up. 

[Jody]

9 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Honestly, they should've just canceled the show.  That was mostly not good.  And it proved that, weirdly, Colin Jost has a much better delivery on Weekend Update than does Tina Fey.

She was lousy.

The only thing I laughed at in the entire show was the Steve Martin clip.

         I Liked Tina Fey Better In This Show Than When She Did Week End Update With Jimmy Fallon And Even When she Did That With Amy Poelher ! ! I Did Not Like The Time She Was Introducing The New People ! The Only Thing I Did Like Was Her Being Sarah Paulson ! I Did Not Think Tina Fey Was Lousy !

9 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Be extremely grateful.  It's a maudlin turd of a song.  It gives sad country songs a bad name.

To which I reply, why?  Especially if it's going to suck this bad.

     They Had To Have Something On The Air ! People Would Want To See Saturday Night Live ! They Were On A Time Limit And Had To Get Something On The Spur OF The Moment ! People Would Complain IF They Did A Repeat And Which Show Would They Repeat ! ! Older People Got To See Classics From the Past So They Could Enjoy Them ! IT Wasn't Perfect Like Jimmy And Horatio OR Twin Bed, But IT Was Pretty Good Despite Aidy and Kate's Grand Kids  OR Pete's Video !