S40.E08: James Franco / Nicki Minaj

[formerlyfreedom]

Host James Franco, musical performer Nicki Minaj

 

[Primetimer]

And can he get through it without being visibly high?

Read the story

[missalanny]

James Franco has stated many, many times that he hasn't even smoked weed since he was a teenager, and Seth Rogan has confirmed that he's never once gotten high with Franco. Everyone just assumes he's high all the time becauase of Pineapple Express, I guess? Franco even plays it up when he's on SNL/on Instagram...so, I suppose it's due to Pineapple Express AND his insistance to market himself that way, apparently. If he was always as high as he acts, he'd be unlikely to be pursuing 29 different careers and degree tracks, so why everyone buys it/perpetuates it is odd also. It may be an innocuous thing to find annoyingly disingenuine, but why pretend to be a pothead? I can't think of any answer that isn't just sad.

[dusang]

James Franco has stated many, many times that he hasn't even smoked weed since he was a teenager, and Seth Rogan has confirmed that he's never once gotten high with Franco. Everyone just assumes he's high all the time becauase of Pineapple Express, I guess? Franco even plays it up when he's on SNL/on Instagram...so, I suppose it's due to Pineapple Express AND his insistance to market himself that way, apparently. If he was always as high as he acts, he'd be unlikely to be pursuing 29 different careers and degree tracks, so why everyone buys it/perpetuates it is odd also. It may be an innocuous thing to find annoyingly disingenuine, but why pretend to be a pothead? I can't think of any answer that isn't just sad.

Well, Pineapple Express and the Oscars debacle.

[helenamonster]

James Franco has stated many, many times that he hasn't even smoked weed since he was a teenager, and Seth Rogan has confirmed that he's never once gotten high with Franco. Everyone just assumes he's high all the time becauase of Pineapple Express, I guess? Franco even plays it up when he's on SNL/on Instagram...so, I suppose it's due to Pineapple Express AND his insistance to market himself that way, apparently. If he was always as high as he acts, he'd be unlikely to be pursuing 29 different careers and degree tracks, so why everyone buys it/perpetuates it is odd also. It may be an innocuous thing to find annoyingly disingenuine, but why pretend to be a pothead? I can't think of any answer that isn't just sad.

 

Yeah, I feel like pretending to be a pothead is a lot more annoying than actually being a pothead. I mean, at that point, why not just actually get stoned for real? It would be one thing if he was just a little "off" and actually had some sort of moral objection to marijuana, but if it's an image that he likes enough to perpetuate, why deny yourself? Idk, people are weird.

 

I actually never knew that he claimed he didn't smoke. He does appear to be high off his ass most of the times I see him on TV.

[missalanny]

Exactly - if you're so into the image, then why don't you just get high? People ARE weird... and I guess James Franco is weirder than most, so maybe it's some sort of performance art he hasn't unveiled intentions for yet? Whatever... I was a big fan from the Freaks and Geeks days, but the weirdo act is somewhat exhausted.

[EllieH]

Think they'll do a sketch making fun of Peter Pan Live, with a cameo appearance by Kristen "we can't miss you if you don't go away" Wiig as Dooneese, much like the Sound of Music sketch?

[Fabricationary]

I'm expecting a Peter Pan Live parody sketch, but I hope they leave Wiig out of it.  Her Dooneese schtick is played out.

[vb68]

I'm just hoping there's not a Vogelcheck sketch.  I remember Franco being in those when he hosted before.

[pythonite]

re: WU. Did I accidentally tune in MSNBC? 

[Galileo908]

Cold Open: Here's Al Sharpton again, this time taking on that Staten Island kerfuffle.

 

Monologue: Hey, they're actually covering that Sony leak. But hey, it gave us an excuse to bring in Seth Rogen and show off some funny pictures.

 

Peter Pan: Here we go, the obligatory Peter Pan Live sketch. Well, there was no Christopher Walken, but we did have Aidy as Tonkerbell. I loved Cecily as Peter keep reassuring us that he was a boy. The most womanly boy you've ever seen. This was an endurance test of a sketch, the 45 minutes I saw of Peter Pan Live was easier to sit through than that four minute sketch.

 

Star Wars Teaser: Everyone's old! Loved seeing Old Lando the best.

 

MTV's Hip Hop Nativity: This was a..unique premise. But I'll accept any reason to shoehorn Kate as Justin Bieber in a nativity play.

 

Grow A Guy: Mike O'Brien is back on the show! Mike grows his own James Franco to be his friend, and hilarity thankfully ensued. I loved that ending.

 

Troll: This was a weird, awkward one.

 

WU: Of course they'd cover the Eric Garner case more here. It's awkward and terrible, and I'll leave it at that. Jeez, not even Leslie Jones could save this one.

 

My Brain is Too Full: This was a better sketch, an interpretation of the nonessential memories in your brain that won't go away. Like all those dumb earworms like Nicki Minaj's music (but at least that one was justified, the guy kept watching it).

 

Kid Mayor: I don't know why, but the idea of a politician making a negative ad solely at yelling about how he's better than a little kid is one of those inherently funny things. I just wish that someone besides Franco was playing this guy. Like Denis Leary. Come on, that would've been fantastic.

 

Sunsinker Yachts: Yay, the former porn stars are back! And this one was excellent. "You'll feel like you're on the maiden voyage of the Tightanus." James Franco just seemed to nearly bring the sketch to a halt, I don't know why.

 

This was painful, aside from Grow A Guy and the Porn Stars. I really, really hope the Martin Freeman episode will be awesome. And if cameos keep up, I'm hoping Benedict Cumberbatch pops his head in.

[vb68]

 

Here we go, the obligatory Peter Pan Live sketch. Well, there was no Christopher Walken, but we did have Aidy as Tonkerbell.

 

???  Franco did Walken, and I thought James more or less nailed him and how he was walking through it. 

 

 

WU: Of course they'd cover the Eric Garner case more here. It's awkward and terrible, and I'll leave it at that. Jeez, not even Leslie Jones could save this one.

 

I thought she did save it.  Maybe because the only way to go was up.  The beginning was as deadly as I've ever seen, and both Jost and Che seemed shaken by the stone cold audience.  There wasn't even a peep.

 

I also thought Nicki Minaj trying to get some type of audience reaction during her second song was also awkward as hell.

Edited December 7, 2014 by vb68

[TimWil]

The Frozen references in the Kid Mayor sketch were hilarious-"Elsa was a BITCH! Hey, go outside and play with your little sister, you bitch!"

Edited December 7, 2014 by TimWil

[Bees]

Cold Opening:  Ahh yes the Obligatory Political Sketch...I really wish they'd not fall back on the "all Cold Opens must be political in nature" because it gets really annoying. This one was kind of lame. 

 

Monologue: YAY! Not a singing monologue! The pictures were funny and Seth Rogen was alright. I wish this was framed better. 

 

Peter Pan: Well at least it wasn't Dooneese though Tonkerbelle isn't really my cup of tea. I wish they'd just parody it straight up without having to shoehorn in recurring characters. Though I liked Mooney's character being called Baby Business Man (or whatever the name is). This was kind of boring. 

 

Star Wars Trailer: This was pretty funny. Some nice clever bits in here. Nothing really that super amazing. I did like Taran's impression of Harrison Ford. I thought Kenan's Billy Dee Williams needed work. 

 

MTV Hip Hop Nativity: I really thought this could've been done better but I did like the premise. The Nativity Scene according to MTV would be a pretty amazing sketch. Though I wish they'd just had used like the MTV "stars" and such. Though I always enjoy hearing the Eminem impression and the Bieber impression. 

 

Grow a Guy: This was a weird but kind of interesting sketch. Man, James Franco must really like Mike O'Brien's schtick because this is like the second time he's been in something with him? The ending was pretty funny with all the self-destructing. I dont' mind Mike O'Brien in these kind of sketches though. 

 

Troll and Friend: First off, I really wish they would've done a troll sketch and have them acting like an internet troll. I'm sure other sketch comedy shows have done that before, though. You could even have the riddle be something trollish. This was okay, but kind of weird. Kyle and Franco were really into that kiss. And I liked the sparkles.

 

Weekend Update: Okay these two frustrate me a lot. I thought the material was actually quite good and had some good points but their delivery and their lack of chemistry really ruins things. It's mostly Jost that bothers me, whom only amuses me when it's. It still felt really weird in the beginning with the ranty editorial thing. They need to work on how to make that slightly better with the segueing and such. Anthony Crispino is good for a few funny mental images but it can get kind of annoying after a while especially with the higher pitched voice each time. And I must admit that mistaking Bill Cosby for Bing Crosby is pretty funny and makes me think back to the SNL sketch in the 80s of the Crosby Show which was basically the Cosby Show but with the father being Bing Crosby. (It was when Malcolm Jamal Warner hosted) I liked Leslie Jones and the line "Have you ever been called a bitch by Harriet Tubman?" cracked me up for the surreality. And I have to say Nicki Minaj as Kim Kardashian was not only good but it was also very brief so it didn't get tired and she didn't expose herself as being totally sucky. 

 

Full Brain: I have to say that this was actually an original and well done segment. I loved the idea behind this and all the random bits of stuff. I mean honestly who DOES remember a Billy Zane quote from Titanic? And just all the other random stuff. I liked the Rhombus girl volunteering on grounds that he only knows the word and not the actual definition. And just all the other random stuff in there. Minaj was actually pretty good in this as well, which is helped by her usage being limited and not taking over the entire sketch. And I liked how he only remembers two lines. The end with her coming back saying "I can't leave..." and then it flashing back to Davidson rapping along. 

 

Kid Mayor: While I loved this sketch idea and seeing James Franco just get increasingly pissed off, all I kept thinking was "Someone clearly was watching too many Parks and Rec reruns while writing this sketch." Also it bothered me that it was in Minnesota as well. Anyways, the kid was cute and Franco ranting about the whole thing was pretty funny and I loved the idea behind this sketch. Though Franco breaking at one point was actually not that bad because he was able to compose himself enough to not make it a huge distraction for the rest of the sketch.

 

Porn Stars: And now they're getting onto Yachts. I liked how short this sketch was compared to the other ones. There were some funny lines and I liked how Rogen's character was named James Franco. This is pretty much the best 10 to 1 sketch you could ask for. 

 

Is it just me or did the sketches seem really short (not that it entirely matters) post Update? Was Minaj's performance really that long (I skipped the first one)? Well regardless, I feel like the only one here but I actually kind of liked this episode. There were some clunkers but the material seemed pretty good for once. Seriously though, they need new Update anchors...or at least one new one. I think they should now have a rule that states No Colins Allowed. 

[missalanny]

 

Franco did Walken, and I thought James more or less nailed him and how he was walking through it.

Pretty much the best part of the show for me... I knew there would be a Peter Pan parody, and I thought they did a pretty successful job.  

 

 

The Frozen references in the Kid Mayor sketch were hilarious-"Elsa was a BITCH! Hey, go outside and play with your little sister, you bitch!"

 

Oh wait - this line is actually my favorite part of the show. I hate Elsa. What a BITCH! 

 

Overall, I was fairly underwhelmed with the show. 

 

ETA: 

 

Full Brain: I have to say that this was actually an original and well done segment. I loved the idea behind this and all the random bits of stuff.

 

I also thought this was an original idea, and I love the skits with random pop culture references, but it just lacked energy or something... one of the most frustrating things on SNL, in my opinion, is the good ideas that are poorly executed.  I think the first time I mentioned this on here was re: the first Tonkerbell skit, actually.  This cast has a lot of talent, but they are sloppier (only word I can think to describe what I mean at this hour) than past casts, and some skits fall flatter than they should, considering relatively strong writing.  Since they still pull most of their talent from Second City/UCB, I don't know why the newbies aren't as polished as the oldies. 

Edited December 7, 2014 by missalanny

[VCRTracking]

How could they have missed filling in some of those greenscreen shots in that parody trailer?

[Racj82]

 

Weekend Update: Okay these two frustrate me a lot. I thought the material was actually quite good and had some good points but their delivery and their lack of chemistry really ruins things. It's mostly Jost that bothers me, whom only amuses me when it's. It still felt really weird in the beginning with the ranty editorial thing. They need to work on how to make that slightly better with the segueing and such. Anthony Crispino is good for a few funny mental images but it can get kind of annoying after a while especially with the higher pitched voice each time. And I must admit that mistaking Bill Cosby for Bing Crosby is pretty funny and makes me think back to the SNL sketch in the 80s of the Crosby Show which was basically the Cosby Show but with the father being Bing Crosby. (It was when Malcolm Jamal Warner hosted) I liked Leslie Jones and the line "Have you ever been called a bitch by Harriet Tubman?" cracked me up for the surreality. And I have to say Nicki Minaj as Kim Kardashian was not only good but it was also very brief so it didn't get tired and she didn't expose herself as being totally sucky.

Yeah, I'm going to have to disagree with the notion that Nicki's part of WU was brief. They did like two pictures too many.

 

God, I've been really easy on WU this season and I don't care what Che says (or does) in his personal life as long as he isn't breaking any laws but damn that WU this weak was fucking brutal. That cringe overdrive.

 

This whole show lately is suffering from to many flubs and timing issues. I don't care if people break or laugh in sketch but the now regular occurrence of flubbing lines and throwing the comedy off is really bugging me.

[niklj]

How could they have missed filling in some of those greenscreen shots in that parody trailer?

I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be on purpose or not. Wasn't a totally original premise, Knott's Scary Farm did a take on this during Halloween.

 

The direction of this episode was really bad. Awkward camera choices, awkward pacing, awkward everything. The only thing I did like was Mike O' Brien's video. The Kid Mayor skit would've worked better as multiple skits throughout the episodes, like they used to do with the campaign ads where they got weirder and weirder further down the episode.

[tomsmom]

I love you James Franco but do you need to scream every line? God that was annoying!

Oh and I will be using "c-u-n-thursday" so thanks for that SNL!

[DrivingSideways]

WU really threw me.  Personally, I wasn't cool with their editorializing but I was really, really surprised that the audience wasn't hooting and cheering their comments.  Was it that the tone was wrong, or that the message wasn't landing?  Not even a peep from the audience, that was rough.  There are huge differences to me between Eric Garner (miscarriage of justice) and Ferguson (no comment), so that's why I watched it stone faced.  I was just surprised the audience seemed to agree with me.

 

Nicki Minaj is... weird.  That entire sketch about the Hip Hop Nativity was awful, and almost as cringeworthy as WU.  Sasheer Zamata was horrendous in that sketch - she has no ability to disappear into a character, in my opinion, and is mostly set dressing in most sketches.  But Nicki completely cracked me up as Kim Kardashian.  She's not a great actress but I thought she sold the jokes well.  

 

I think Leslie Jones is capable of big things - SNL may not be the best venue for her style of comedy.  I see her more of an early Whoopi Goldberg/John Leguizamo type comic, straddling the line between comedy and drama, one woman show type things, trenchant political and social commentary.  Or maybe I'm overthinking her.  But in my opinion, she has a huge future, it's just not on a sketch comedy show like SNL.

Edited December 7, 2014 by DrivingSideways

[MadyGirl1987]

Anyone else feel that it was in bad taste for Franco and Rogan to make fun of the Sony hack? I mean, Sony employees were sent emails in which their families where threatened because of their movie. While they had nothing to do with the hacks, it still seems insensitive for them to joke about it.

[vb68]

 

But Nicki completely cracked me up as Kim Kardashian.  She's not a great actress but I thought she sold the jokes well.

 

All that did for me was make me miss Nasim.

[Fabricationary]

I only stayed up late enough to watch the first few sketches, including the Peter Pan Live parody.  I wonder if NBC loaned them the set and costumes, since those seemed to be spot-on, and it probably would have cost a fair chunk of change to custom-make them themselves.  But, I thought the sketch itself was pretty unfunny and lacked any insight or clever take on the source material.  Tonkerbell and her weird fly boyfriend were completely irrelevant.   Rather than have the cast member playing Peter Pan go on about how she was so feminine, why not have a female cast member who's more curvaceous wear an ill-fitting Peter Pan costume and play the role straight?  James Franco's Hook was just a straight imitation of Walken's Hook - again, a missed opportunity to parody the character.

Edited December 7, 2014 by Fabricationary

[DrivingSideways]

Agreed, Peter Pan sucked.  Tonkerbell was funnier in previous skits.  I did enjoy Franco's Walken though - I was laughing my ass off... he looked nothing like him but I thought he got the voice right.

 

All that did for me was make me miss Nasim.

I miss Nasim so much!  I didn't love all of her characters but she was a solid player and missed.  

[Racj82]

Anyone else feel that it was in bad taste for Franco and Rogan to make fun of the Sony hack? I mean, Sony employees were sent emails in which their families where threatened because of their movie. While they had nothing to do with the hacks, it still seems insensitive for them to joke about it.

didn't even think about. But, i'm not the overly sensitive type. Sometimes you have to laugh through the craziness. Thinking about now, still doesn't bother me.

[futurechemist]

I thought the episode lacked energy.  Something about Franco's voice was just kind of monotonous to me.  And the writing didn't really help liven things up, so I wound up falling asleep before the 2nd song.

 

Peter Pan was visually impressive, but the jokes were aiming at low-hanging fruit.  The monologue wasn't singing, which is good, but it also seemed very short.  My favorites were the memory sketch and the grow-a-guy, although MTV nativity was kind of fun even if I didn't recognize most of the people.  I'd wonder if any conservatives got upset about the implication that Jesus was black, though Dogma went there 15 years ago.

 

I want to like Weekend Update.  It's supposed to be the centerpiece of the show.  And with Jost and Che they could have done some biting commentary.  Like Che doing trivial things and getting harassed by the studio security guard, while Jost does worse things and gets a pass.  But it seems most of the show's teeth are gone (except for the Cosby-rappist jokes).

[DrivingSideways]

I like Michael Che.  I don't mind Jost.  If anything, the format of WU, which has always gently chided the ridiculous of the news, doesn't work with these two.  Maybe Cecily and Michael would be a better mix.  I liked her on WU (the cheese stands alone).

 

Did the opening monologue seem extremely short to anybody?  And there was no recorded sketch following it?  This episode seemed phoned in but had a lot of untapped potential.

[helenamonster]

Cold Open: When the funniest part of a sketch is Bobby's fake mustache, you're in trouble.

 

Monologue: They don't even try with these anymore, do they?

 

Peter Pan Live!: Was anyone really clamoring for the return of Tonkerbelle? I didn't get to watch the actual musical, but I read enough about it online to know that there were plenty of things to parody without bringing out a recurring character as a crutch. Also, the constant repeating of Cecily being "the womanliest boy you've ever seen" was lazy and irritating. James as Christopher Walken as Captain Hook was the only bright spot in such a disappointing sketch.

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Holy terrible editing. Forgetting to fill in the green screen, I couldn't hear half the lines over the music, the whole thing just seemed like it was slapped together by an intern that morning. Also, I love Bobby, but there was no reason for him to play Leia. Cecily could have done it and it would have been just fine. I just get irritated when the show resorts to men in drag when a female cast member playing the same part wouldn't negate the humor. It just always reminds me of Tina's "Kattan in a dress" story from Bossypants.

 

MTV's Jingle Ballerz: I liked this for the most part. Kate's Bieber is never not welcome. Same goes for Jay's Kanye. I even thought Nicki did a pretty good Beyonce, especially since she's not a trained actress/impressionist or anything. But Sasheer's Rihanna was awful. She couldn't keep the accent up and kept slipping back into the same valley girl voice (which I assume is her real voice) that she uses for every character.

 

Grow A Guy: I'm glad they've found a nice niche for Mike O'Brien. He was pointless in live sketches, and even though I don't like all of his little shorts, I appreciate the weirdness and his ability to really make his mark on something. This was pretty good. Not exactly up my alley, but again, I appreciate it as a part of his larger body of work, if that makes any sense.

 

Trolls: Ok, the thing is, Cecily really excels at these...idk what to call them, character studies? She's really good at disappearing into characters and their idiosyncrasies and everything. Unfortunately, the sketches they're in usually aren't adequate or engaging frames, and this was no exception.

 

Weekend Update: This shit is dire. Dire. The bit with Colin and Michael in the beginning should have been ruthless, but the silence from the audience and their total lack of chemistry (have they ever spoken to one another offscreen? my spidey senses are telling me no) just killed any potential this could have had. I really hope Lorne considers rebooting Update during the winter hiatus, the centerpiece of the show should not be in shambles. Thank God for Bobby's Anthony Crispino. And, ok, I love Leslie. I really really do. I'd definitely go see her do stand-up if I ever got the opportunity. But, like Pete, I'm getting bored of them trotting her out for Update segments where she basically just does her stand-up. It's lazy, it's tired, and it's usually very much out of context. I did like "Have you ever been called a bitch by Harriet Tubman" though. And I thought Nicki did a passable Kim Kardashian (again, she's not an actress and I don't expect much from her in that regard). But was anyone else kind of expecting/hoping for a Nasim cameo? Also, they could have bothered covering up her tattoo for the segment. It's a little thing, I know, but it was really bothering me (nothing against the tattoo, just that it's hers, not Kim K's, and it really took me out of it).

 

Password: Best sketch of the night, imo (though that bar was set way low). It was an original idea with lots of funny bits. I think I liked the rhombus part the best.

 

Kid Mayor: What was even happening (though, yeah, I have to agree that Frozen really was not that great and a year later I still do not understand the hype).

 

Porn Stars: You will never hear me say a bad word about Brecky and her nameless friend.

 

This episode just kind of plodded along for the most part, imo. Really lacking in energy, awkward/lagging direction, just a big yawn. The getting-worse-by-the-episode WU is probably to blame for most of it. Even in an episode that was up to its ears in awful sketches, WU could usually be depended on to be great. Now it's just...it's tragic, really.

[tomsmom]

All that did for me was make me miss Nasim.

When he said Kim Kardashian I literally yelled "Nasim!" Then it wasn't her....wha whaaaaa.

Edited December 7, 2014 by tomsmom

[Fraoch]

Weekend Update...yikes. I kept thinking about how amazing a "REALLY?! with Seth and Amy" segment about the grand jury decisions would have been. I never saw Michael Che on the Daily Show -- was he better there? Because he seems routinely ill at ease and not camera-ready (e.g., tripping over lines) on SNL. Colin Jost is just blank.

[Dots And Stripes]

Chris Kirkpatrick cut off the pineapple looking braids before Bye Bye Bye. This is something very important that SNL should know! Also, there is no reason to forget the lyrics to the Fresh Prince theme song. That sketch was just nostalgia bait for twenty-somethings, but I totally got sucked in.

[peeayebee]

Well, that was a show.

 

The cold open wasn't much. I kind of like hearing Sharpton's mispronunciations, but I'm even getting tired of that.

 

The monologue was ok. I liked the photos, particularly the recreation of Lennon and Ono.

 

The Peter Pan sketch was a big nothing. I thought the joke about Peter Pan being womanly was dumb. A woman always plays Peter Pan, and although Alison Williams is beautiful, I didn't think she stood out as particularly womanly. Franco doing Christopher Walken was ok. It was an impression, but that was all. Someone here mentioned that it looked like they borrowed the set, and I kept thinking that too as I watched. Oh, there was Tonkerbell. Not impressed.

 

I loved Taran's Harrison Ford impression. Has he done that before? I generally liked this sketch. I didn't even think about Princess Leia being played by Bobby instead of a female cast member. I don't know why the show did it that way, but I found it funny.

 

The best part about the MTV sketch was Kate as Bieber. Just awesome as always. Sasheer was just not good as Rihanna.

 

I liked Mike O'Brien's film, mainly because of Beck. He was so obnoxious and intimidating. Pretty scary. I guess they were all supposed to be high school kids.

 

The troll sketch was not good. 

 

Trolls: Ok, the thing is, Cecily really excels at these...idk what to call them, character studies? She's really good at disappearing into characters and their idiosyncrasies and everything. Unfortunately, the sketches they're in usually aren't adequate or engaging frames, and this was no exception.

 

I completely agree. I didn't like the sketch, but her character was pretty good.

 

The Kid Mayor skit would've worked better as multiple skits throughout the episodes, like they used to do with the campaign ads where they got weirder and weirder further down the episode.

I didn't think about that, but you're right. What I was thinking was that I would have liked this more if Franco didn't start out so angry at the beginning, but built up to it as he talked about the absurdity of a little boy getting elected. Of course if it was a series of ads, his anger could have built up with each one. However, I did kind of like this sketch. I just think it wasn't executed as well as it could have been. I understand Franco cracking up after saying he threw his pants in the woods after crapping in them, because that line struck me as hilarious too.

 

I liked Anthony Crispino in WU. I get a kick out his "I'm pretty sure" and the voice rising. I also liked Leslie. She's very likable. The rest… Eh. 

 

I liked the password sketch. That was a good premise, and it was fun seeing the random memories.

 

I may be alone in being tired of the porn stars. 

 

Not a rap fan, so I didn't enjoy Nicki Minaj's performances. I did like the singer at the piano in the first song. I wouldn't have minded just listening to her.

Edited December 7, 2014 by peeayebee

[Bees]

Man, I should really sleep on it before I properly review because thinking of the show now, I'm kind of less praiseworthy of it. 

 

Basically, the second half is better than the first half. Weekend Update, while I think the material was still good, was more of a hot mess than I gave it credit for. And that Troll sketch was immensely boring. 

 

Also, the writing is in this strange flux at the moment where the ideas are actually quite good sometimes but the execution is just not there. It's not as lazy but it's lazy enough so to say.

[DXD526]

I'm in the minority, I thought it was pretty good. Great take on Star Wars, all these years later. Chewy in a cat cone? Hilarious! Franco's Walken impersonation was great, too.

[vb68]

 

Franco doing Christopher Walken was ok. It was an impression, but that was all.

 

I know I had a comment about this when the show was announced, but with Franco mocking how lackluster Walken was on stage, I just can't help but imagine Anne Hathaway rolling her eyes.  "Impression?  Sure it was an impression."   Heh.  She would actually probably have stronger language.  

[peeayebee]

I wish they'd give Vanessa more to do. She's one of my favorites. The moment she had in the brain skit was a highlight, where she's the daughter in Jurassic Park screaming about the guy who left them.

[Galileo908]

Chris Kirkpatrick cut off the pineapple looking braids before Bye Bye Bye. This is something very important that SNL should know! Also, there is no reason to forget the lyrics to the Fresh Prince theme song. That sketch was just nostalgia bait for twenty-somethings, but I totally got sucked in.

 

This is what I think:

 

1) I had no idea that Chris Kirkpatrick cut off his hair before "Bye Bye Bye."

2) I'd let it slide since that whole sketch was about a mishmash of random memories, Pete could've remembered that song and that version of Chris Kirkpatrick and associated them together.

3) Agreed about the Fresh Prince theme. I kept saying to the TV "Why would you forget that version of Will Smith?!" but again, the brain works in weird ways.

[helenamonster]

I liked Mike O'Brien's film, mainly because of Beck. He was so obnoxious and intimidating. Pretty scary. I guess they were all supposed to be high school kids.

 

Yeah, I didn't figure out until the end that they were supposed to be high-schoolers. I didn't think it mattered, though. The particular brand of asshole that Beck was playing can be found among all age groups.

 

Also, the writing is in this strange flux at the moment where the ideas are actually quite good sometimes but the execution is just not there. It's not as lazy but it's lazy enough so to say.

 

That's where I'm at, too. I'll find myself totally digging the premise of a sketch, but as it goes on I get annoyed at not finding it funny. I'm not sure if cognitive dissonance is the right term to be using, but I keep thinking the sketch should be funny and get confused when it's not.

 

Was that Cecily's dog in the Password sketch?

[MrWhyt]

 

Chris Kirkpatrick cut off the pineapple looking braids before Bye Bye Bye. This is something very important that SNL should know!

It's a comedy sketch, not a documentary. Apologies if you were being sarcastic in your admonishment of them.

[possibilities]

My local affiliate had technical problems, so half the broadcast didn't make it to air. I tried to catch up on Hulu today, but I think some of the material was missing. Of what I saw, I loved the Star Wars elderly, and agree that often the concept is better than the execution lately, which is odd, because I think the cast is pretty good, so would expect them to do a great job if the material has any potential. Still, I'm enjoying this season more than most, because thy are trying new things so often, and not just repeating the same concept in every other sketch.

 

I hate how crappy Update has become. It used to be the highlight of the show. Jost and Che both seem half dead. I try to put the jokes through a Jane Curtain voice in my head and it helps a little, but mostly I wish they'd just replace them so I don't have to do that extra step in my mind. Che was good on The Daily Show, but he only appeared a few times. He was able to be the straight man in interviews with raving lunatics, so his grim affect worked there. On WU, he needs more.

 

I'm tired of the Porn Stars, too.

[cpcathy]

I enjoyed it, it seemed to have the fun factor to it. I'm a sucker for a Star Wars parody, so I loved the SW trailer. Bobby can be Princess Leia in reading glasses anytime, the reason why Cecily did not do it is because--hey, funnier with a dude in drag, just sayin.'

I thought Peter Pan was cute, they must have altered the writing pretty quick when Walken proved lackluster. Tonkerbell made me laugh a bit but I think seeing her again is pushing it.

Loved Password, very original.

I guess I won't mind Mike O'Brien being banished to the writers' room as long as he gets to do stuff like this, highly original and funny.

WU is just awful, I cringed though everything except for Colin's "take any my internet" joke. For me, if any of his jokes land it's because they smack of Seth Meyers' essence, I could see Seth delivering that joke and it being a riot. 

Che is the worst, just the worst.

I thought Nicki Minaj showed up too much, we could have done without the Kardashian bit and been fine.

[absnow54]

Anyone else feel that it was in bad taste for Franco and Rogan to make fun of the Sony hack? I mean, Sony employees were sent emails in which their families where threatened because of their movie. While they had nothing to do with the hacks, it still seems insensitive for them to joke about it.

I thought it was in bad taste because it mostly seemed to be mocking the celebrity phone hacking scandal, and James Franco blaming hackers on him hitting on minors on instagram seemed to completely undermine those who were actually hacked. James Franco made super sleazy and illegal decisions. Those women who were hacked did not. 

 

I thought the first hour was terrible, but the last 30 minutes of sketches were hilarious. My only complaint is, who wouldn't consider the lyrics of The Fresh Prince of Bell Air to be vital information? I was hoping when Jay showed up as Will that James Franco would turn him around and say that he was too important to leave. 

[Dots And Stripes]

It's a comedy sketch, not a documentary. Apologies if you were being sarcastic in your admonishment of them.

I was joking, although my inner 12 year old would definitely not have been so forgiving.

[mizkat]

I thought Bobby was in drag to show Leia had grown "matronly". I didn't see it as a man in a dress type gag, but that's just me. Then again, Bobby always makes things better. 

 

I don't think I'll ever get tired of Al Sharpton mispronunciations. Everything surrounding that isn't funny, though. I like Aidy, hate Tonkerbell. I'm guessing Franco embraces the perception of being high because he has resting high face and attitude. Kind of a can't beat them join them thing. 

 

The troll sketch--I can't even. I'm starting to think it was just an excuse for Franco and Kyle to chew on each other's faces--because  two straight guys kissing is so hilarious. Cecily is pointless in that character--its not funny, even though I know people like that. 

[xander874]

Hulu removed both of Minaj's performances which is okay with me but it seems odd I don't think I've ever seen a musical guest's music not cleared. I'm curious about the back story on that.

The rest of the show I got nothing new to add. Meh and I totally second the person who said Franco yells too much.

[Pete Martell]

WU really threw me.  Personally, I wasn't cool with their editorializing but I was really, really surprised that the audience wasn't hooting and cheering their comments.  Was it that the tone was wrong, or that the message wasn't landing?  Not even a peep from the audience, that was rough.  There are huge differences to me between Eric Garner (miscarriage of justice) and Ferguson (no comment), so that's why I watched it stone faced.  I was just surprised the audience seemed to agree with me.

 

SNL isn't an edgy show. It hasn't been edgy in about 25 years. It's a mom-and-pop show for moms and pops who want to seem a little edgy. Lorne Michaels has specifically tailored SNL to this, complete with making sure all of the "political" "humor" is toothless and puts more of the blame on a liberal POV. That's why I'm not sure who thought having any attempt at actual commentary on it made sense. The SNL of today had its "commentary" in that Al Sharpton impression that is about 20 years out of date. That's all they needed. Audiences would have chuckled knowingly, because that man is so silly and self-important, and isn't Kenan Thompson cute when he makes funny faces. 

 

I assume someone in the writers' room must have said they had to do more, and someone gave in. So that led to material on WU that no one seemed comfortable with and that made the studio audience, probably containing some tourists for the holiday season hoping to get to see Kristen Wiig pop up and make funny faces, uncomfortable.

 

Michael Che doesn't fit this format. He doesn't fit the typical WU anchor format. No one has any idea why he's there, least of all him. His being on WU smacks of Lorne's tin-eared attempt at relevance, trying to placate a Comedy Central audience who don't give a damn about SNL anyway.

 

Then you have Jost, who is just awkward and not especially likeable. If Seth Meyers had made a statement, he would have essentially raised his eyebrows and smirked knowingly, and the audience would have chuckled indulgently, because isn't he so cute and "snarky" and endearing? They wouldn't care about what he had to say - they would have just looked at his face and forgotten the rest. 

 

You can't do that with Jost, because he's offputting. 

 

SNL can't do political commentary or social commentary. They threw that audience away a long time ago. The best they can hope for with WU is a sneer or smirkfest which viewers will applaud as long as the person behind the desk is likeable and attractive. And that isn't what they have this season.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Pete Martell

[helenamonster]

they must have altered the writing pretty quick when Walken proved lackluster.

 

Idk, I think I saw that same promo for the real PPL about 324098340 times and it seemed pretty obvious that he was going to be terrible. "Who's the greatest villain of all time?" Shit, Captain Hook wasn't even the greatest Disney villain of all time.

[vb68]

Here's a cut sketch.  I assume it was suppose to be the cold open.   I liked it more than the Sharpton one.

[VillaVillekulla]

I have to admit, I laughed at "Behold...he woke up like this! Flawless." Nicki as Beyonce as the Virgin Mary. Sure, why not?

[Princess Sparkle]

It's supposed to be the centerpiece of the show. And with Jost and Che they could have done some biting commentary. Like Che doing trivial things and getting harassed by the studio security guard, while Jost does worse things and gets a pass.

I think, for Michael Che, that unfortunately might hit too close to home - Jon Stewart told a story a few months ago about how a producer of his (who was dressed disheveled and insanely for a segment) and a corespondent (who was in a suit) went into a hotel, and the correspondent was stopped and questioned. Based on the context of the story, I'm 99% sure the correspondent in question was Michael Che.

I do wonder if the nature of the show just neutralizes Michael Che - I've heard his stand up and it's biting, which makes me wonder if a lot of his WU jokes get rejected. He has written some sketches I like - the breakdancing short from the Josh Hutcherson ep being one of them- but I wonder if his onscreen persona might have been more effective either on The Daily Show OR if he was the sole anchor.

I actually did like the majority of sketches, minus the troll sketch, because it just seemed to have no point and wasn't that funny to begin with.

But my favorite of the night is a tie between Grow A Guy and The Kid Mayor. Grow a Guy was the right mix of off-beat and hysterical, and James Franco's blustering kept cracking me up in Kid Mayor, especially when he was going off on Frozen.