S40.E13: J.K. Simmons / D'Angelo

[helenamonster]

I think that was the joke since nobody sounded like the real person, just super-square versions  i.e. Kanye West: "Holy guacamole!". If they were going for a completely white-washed cast it probably would have been Cecily playing Beyonce, except for y'know.... reasons.

 

Well, yeah, exactly. If the point was to have a white-washed cast that didn't attempt to "sound black," then they could have given Beyonce to one of the white female cast members. But they didn't, they chose Sasheer, which is why I was expecting her to sound a little more like, well, Beyonce.

[Blakeston]

Well, yeah, exactly. If the point was to have a white-washed cast that didn't attempt to "sound black," then they could have given Beyonce to one of the white female cast members. But they didn't, they chose Sasheer, which is why I was expecting her to sound a little more like, well, Beyonce.

 

And it didn't sound like Sasheer was going for a comically inaccurate impression. It seemed like she was just doing a Beyonce impression that wasn't very good.

[dohe]

Well, yeah, exactly. If the point was to have a white-washed cast that didn't attempt to "sound black," then they could have given Beyonce to one of the white female cast members. But they didn't, they chose Sasheer, which is why I was expecting her to sound a little more like, well, Beyonce.

If she had attempted to sound like Beyoncé it undermines the sketch.  The intent was to critique the laziness of biopics that express no desire to convey any authenticity but instead resort to a series of episodic meetings that act more as name drops than an attempt at capturing the individual's life,  The joke was not just that Jay-Z and Kanye were played by white actors.  That, along with the unconvincing conversations and quick resolutions to any potential dramatic conflict, was part of a larger picture which expressed the lack of effort taken to actually document the lives of the people portrayed.  If Sasheer would have attempted to sound like Beyoncé it would have defeated the purpose and to have Sasheer purposefully mangle an impersonation equally defeats the purpose.  By having Beyoncé played by Sasheer in a manner that displays minimal to even no interest in mimicry it is all but expressly informing the audience that what is being expressed is a critique of the lousy, lifeless biopics as a whole and not just an easy joke based solely on who is playing the roles.   

 

 

Edited February 2, 2015 by dohe

[redfish]

The opening sketch about the Seahawks and their coach. I guess they want the Seahawks to lose. I noticed the weekend of the Superbowl if SNL features a sketch about a certain team/player there is a very good chance that team will lose.

[theatremouse]

Genuine question: has Che gotten through a single WU without flubbing reading one of his lines? I appreciate that reading off a cue card/prompter is a skill, but...you'd think he'd be required to have it, given his job?

I wanted to be annoyed at Fred for showing up, but as someone else pointed out, the only reason I wasn't super irritated was because he's an actual drummer. In fact, if he hadn't already showed up N times, I might have even enjoyed that they had him show up...probably not...but something closer to it. Appreciate?

I wanted to like Teacher Snow Day but the timing was so off, it just didn't work for me.

My love for Kate McKinnon knows no bounds.

Edited February 2, 2015 by theatremouse

[Irlandesa]

Yep, re: the endless hug closing-there must have been a teensy issue with timing because the final sketch was already over by 12:55.

I happened to look at the episode description in the middle of the show.  It listed the run time as 10:29 to 12:03 Central last night.  I imagine they're contractually obligated to run their full credits (cast, crew, writers, directors...etc.) a couple of times a year and last night was a night designated for that so they padded on a few extra minutes to the run time.  If the show ended a little bit early for whatever reason and ran long, then those goodbyes must have gone on for longer than they usually do for a full credit sequence.  Granted, I didn't watch to actually see whether it went to three past the hour but it was scheduled to.  

 

I do pick up on competitiveness between the two of them, which is not great. Not hatred, mind you--I've never sensed that--but rivalry. Such that when Che gets a big laugh, he's saying "See, I'm the better one," and conversely when Che flubs a joke because he's not reading it correctly, Jost secretly smiles inside. And the same going the other direction, when a Jost joke lays an egg. All of that could be in my head. But if so, why is it in my head? It never used to be with any other pairing.

 

I wonder if it's because of Cecily getting demoted. It has been a long time since something like that has happened and I would imagine there's a sense of competitiveness to not be the fall guy should they not figure out how to make this gel. For instance, if Cecily/Seth didn't work out and Cecily had stayed, she was going to be the obvious person to boot since Seth was successfully established there.  Had Amy/Seth not worked, he'd be the obvious person to get rid of because Amy was the proven desk person.  You could say the same with Tina/Amy.  The last time there were two unprovens at the desk was back when Jimmy/Tina started out. 

 

But with Colin/Cecily, it was a toss up and Colin likely won because he's the headwriter.  However, if the partnership with Michael also fails, does Michael get the boot and Colin either get the desk solo or another partner?  Or does Lorne wipe the slate clean and start from scratch even if it means there won't be a HW on the desk? Or does Michael get to drive solo?  They may like each other but they may also be jockeying for position.

• Teacher's Snow Day. I used to be a teacher...and this made me laugh and simultaneously wait for backlash by teachers (and those who represent them) who cannot/will not find humor in anything related to teachers.

Ha!  I used to be a teacher and my family were teachers, this is something the teachers I know would get a kick out of and share on Facebook. 

 

Overall, it was a solid show.  They should have scrapped the cold open for something else once Key & Peele's sketch came out.  It was almost too similar.  It's  just a shame K&P got there first.

 

Fred's a good drummer but he automatically gets an 'ugh' from me when he shows up.  (Jason, on the other hand, was slipped in very nicely).  When Leslie came out, I was dreading a repeat of the joke that evening which I was going to have a hard time believing given that Leslie is older and taller than JK, so I loved that she got to adopt an "I'm not putting up with this ish" demeanor. 

 

I loved the Tostinos commercial.  This commercial and "Typical Girl in Guy Driven Comedy" were essentially making the same thematic points but the commercial did it better and "Typical Girl" was more on point in her first incarnation.  I don't mind sketches along the same theme but the weekend update appearance paled in comparison to the commercial.

 

The other skit I loved was the Messy Boy one.  I thought the gag was going be JK's character describing something sexual (which this may be but it wasn't obvious) and inappropriate in front of the kids.  The smart trick is that it subverted my expectations.  It was bizarre, uncomfortable yet not inappropriate and it was truly fascinating. 

Edited February 2, 2015 by Irlandesa

[Blakeston]

If she had attempted to sound like Beyoncé it undermines the sketch.  The intent was to critique the laziness of biopics that express no desire to convey any authenticity but instead resort to a series of episodic meetings that act more as name drops than an attempt at capturing the individual's life,  The joke was not just that Jay-Z and Kanye were played by white actors.  That, along with the unconvincing conversations and quick resolutions to any potential dramatic conflict, was part of a larger picture which expressed the lack of effort taken to actually document the lives of the people portrayed.  If Sasheer would have attempted to sound like Beyoncé it would have defeated the purpose and to have Sasheer purposefully mangle an impersonation equally defeats the purpose.  By having Beyoncé played by Sasheer in a manner that displays minimal to even no interest in mimicry it is all but expressly informing the audience that what is being expressed is a critique of the lousy, lifeless biopics as a whole and not just an easy joke based solely on who is playing the roles.   

 

But the thing is, the way she delivered her lines just didn't match what the other actors did.

 

The other actors made a point of sounding as little like their characters as possible. They delivered their lines in the squarest manner possible - like Jay Pharaoh saying, "That is a excellent idea!" with a big earnest grin on his face, like a character from Leave it to Beaver. 

 

Sasheer didn't come across that way at all. It came across like she was the one actor in the sketch who wasn't let in on the joke.

[helenamonster]

I happened to look at the episode description in the middle of the show.  It listed the run time as 10:29 to 12:03 Central last night.  I imagine they're contractually obligated to run their full credits (cast, crew, writers, directors...etc.) a couple of times a year and last night was a night designated for that so they padded on a few extra minutes to the run time.  If the show ended a little bit early for whatever reason and ran long, then those goodbyes must have gone on for longer than they usually do for a full credit sequence.  Granted, I didn't watch to actually see whether it went to three past the hour but it was scheduled to.  

 

This may be totally true and makes sense, but the goodbyes went on for longer than the credits did. Like the credits were finished rolling and we were basically just watching everyone walk around on-stage, waiting for someone to yell "and we're out!" Idk, it was just weird.

[dohe]

The Cinema Classic sketch is a masterwork once Kenan's intro is out of the way.   It is faithful to the look of the great film.  Taran Killam's Louis is precise, neither calling attention away from the two leads nor standing out as poorly done.  J.K. Simmons and Kate McKinnon could not be more right.  For this to work, Simmons has to have Bogie down to some degree.  Instead he is more than efficient propelling the sketch forward.  McKinnon's impersonation of Bergman is what a great comedic impersonation should be both capturing the nuance of the speech and subtly exaggerating it for laughs.  Ilsa's No's are famous.  McKinnon's embellishment effectively mines laughs.  Simmons moves forward with an almost faithful interpretation of the classic sequence.  McKinnon's frantic desperation plays right to the concerns any viewer has which is get on the plane and get the heck out of there.  McKinnon's face is a treasure and she sells every line as the sketch becomes both more absurd and understandable.  It is a classic comedic achievement and more evidence of why McKinnon has become so revered!

 

But the thing is, the way she delivered her lines just didn't match what the other actors did.

 

The other actors made a point of sounding as little like their characters as possible. They delivered their lines in the squarest manner possible - like Jay Pharaoh saying, "That is a excellent idea!" with a big earnest grin on his face, like a character from Leave it to Beaver. 

 

Sasheer didn't come across that way at all. It came across like she was the one actor in the sketch who wasn't let in on the joke.

Actually Sasheer and Mike definitely have synced their reactions in their scene together.  Sasheer apologizes in a soft, friendly tone for being late.  This is the same aw shucks manner that Mike uses through out the routine.  There is a zoom on Mike showing an attraction.  Then there is a zoom on Sasheer showing an attraction.  Both Mike and Sasheer then read their lines in almost the exact same way in their sequence.  Mike states "I'm Shawn...uhh Jay-Z." with a slight facial gesture during the slightest of delays followed by a bashful smile.  Sasheer responds with "I'm Beyoncé...from Destiny's Child" with a slight facial gesture during the slightest of delays followed by a bashful smile.  I highly recommend you watch this again as it is evident that the sequence is specifically designed for their introductions and actions to match. 

 

Here is a link to the scene. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzg9Iu0uEeg

 

Sasheer and Mike could not be more on the same wavelength of the playing of this scene. 

Edited February 2, 2015 by dohe

[pennben]

 

It listed the run time as 10:29 to 12:03 Central last night.

 

Agreed.  I looked at my DVR recording and saw that it went until 12:03, even though I hadn't added minutes for a live show that should have ended at 12:00.  I do wonder why, especially if the show was short, they padded minutes. Just a bit of a weird end. Do I think it is any thing other than mismanaged time?:

 

In my best McKinnon/Ilsa voice:  Oh, no...no, no.no.no.no.no.no.no...Nooo....!

Edited February 2, 2015 by pennben

[VCRTracking]

 

The opening sketch about the Seahawks and their coach. I guess they want the Seahawks to lose. I noticed the weekend of the Superbowl if SNL features a sketch about a certain team/player there is a very good chance that team will lose.

 

Well looks like it's true because the Seahawks just lost. Of course it was more due to bad last minute plays than any curse. Seriously, Pete Carroll, there's 20 seconds left, you're team is one yard away from the end zone with 3 downs, 2 timeouts left, how do you not have Marshawn Lynch(whose nickname is "BEAST MODE") run the ball in?! Instead you try pass it? You deserve to lose.

 

* edited to say I think the offensive coordinator should Darrell Bevell should get most of the blame.;-)

 

McKinnon's impersonation of Bergman is what a great comedic impersonation should be both capturing the nuance of the speech and subtly exaggerating it for laughs.  Ilsa's No's are famous.  McKinnon's embellishment effectively mines laughs.  Simmons moves forward with an almost faithful interpretation of the classic sequence.

 

It really does remind me of the best of the old Carol Burnett Show movie parodies, in terms of performance, writing and production.

 

Rewatching the "Jay Z Story" sketch I think casting Sasheer  works because the first time I saw it I knew exactly who she was supposed to be when she came in, because of the hair, clothes and when they zoom in there's somehow wind on her in the room, all before she and "Jay Z" introduced themselves.

Edited February 2, 2015 by VCRTracking

[3dog]

There was something about the Teacher Snow Day skit that fell flat to me. Like someone above said, the only real laughs started when the principal showed up with no pants. But, for me--and I'm going to sound like I'm an old lady shooing kids off my lawn with a broom here--but I'm tired of the "smoking pot is hilarious" thread that's running through this season. There was that skit where all the potheads came out on the streets earlier this season. And Pete gets at least one, "That kid smokes pot!" joke per episode. I'm starting to wonder if it's in his contract. Last night's was the "100 hours a week" thing in the monologue. And then the teachers were smoking in the Snow Day skit. I know there's a whole genre of Haha Potheads Are So Funny movies, but is just the idea of smoking pot a hilarious punchline that should be getting this much play? I'm ready for them to get off it already. Just me? (Get off my lawn!)

[Princess Sparkle]

I have to say, the part that killed me the most in the Jay-Z sketch was Jay Pharoah starting to do his Jay-Z impression, and Mike stopping him saying "It's just weird.  It's like you're trying to sound like me."  Mike O'Brien may not have worked as a live show cast member, but his pre-taped videos just kill me.  

 

Overall, I'd say it was a solid show.  Even in the sketches that didn't quite hit for me (like the Miss Trash sketch), there were lines that made me laugh - JK said something in the Miss Trash sketch to Vanessa that was "Well, you're trash now" and the dismissive way he said it had me rolling.  And I got my increase of Bobby, which is sometimes all I need for it to be a good show.  "You're my hero and I'm a firefighter!"

 

I think the past few weeks (Kevin Hart, Blake Shelton, and now JK) show that what could be mediocre sketches on the surface are elevated when you have a host that really throws themselves all-in like those three did.  Which, comedic commitment is something I expect from Kevin Hart, but not necessarily from the other two, so it's nice to see what a host can do when they aren't afraid to completely commit.

 

I will say too - the longer the season goes on, the more impressed I am with Kyle.  After last season, I'd pegged him as someone who only got to stay on the show because of Beck, but now that there aren't as many extraneous cast members, he's been able to be in more sketches, and even though he's a background player, I like what I see.  

[Ms Blue Jay]

I hate Rap music, no matter who is singing it.  Seems like SNL is turning into one big Rap number with most shows.  Ugh!   At least I got a break from it with Blake Shelton hosting, and I don't like country music either, but I'd rather listen to that than Rap. YMMV.

 

D'Angelo is not a rapper, not at all.

[ChromaKelly]

I agree with the others who said Teacher Snow Day fell flat. It seemed like it's been done before - like Boy Dance Party (although I love that one) or the Office Christmas Party. I wanted to like it, but I just didn't.
 

[VCRTracking]

Production-wise the "Snow Day" sketch was fantastic but the actual music reminded me too much of the far better "Lazy Sunday" rap with Andy Samburg and Chris Parnell. The absurdity of them thug rapping about going to see The Chronicles of Narnia is hard to top.

 

Also teachers partying like animals at the school is a lame premise because it's obviously ridiculous. The early Simpsons had a recurring line "It's funny cuz it's true" and that applies to SNL's best sketches, when there's truth at the heart of it, like the gentrification of Brooklyn short or "Do It On My Twin Bed" video  about the awkwardness of going to your parents house with a boyfriend for the holidays. Most people can relate to that. Another one I just remembered from a few years ago is the "Mom Translator" commercial:

 

https://screen.yahoo.com/mom-translator-000000927.html

[Princess Sparkle]

I agree with the others who said Teacher Snow Day fell flat. It seemed like it's been done before - like Boy Dance Party (although I love that one) or the Office Christmas Party. I wanted to like it, but I just didn't.

 

You just inspired me to go watch Boy Dance Party again.  I forgot how funny that was.

[JTMacc99]

Okay, so it is a day since I watched this episode and I can't get Japanese Messy Boy out of my head.

 

Here's why:  He was enthusiastic as he described his job, and Pete was embarrassed.  It was silly, kind of funny, but nothing special. And then with the single line of "and then I'm handed $45,000 in cash" it became awesome. Suddenly everything about the way he was describing his job made sense. Heh.  Living the dream!

[After7Only]

Forgot to mention Sasheer's Beyonce was awful. She sounded just like Sasheer. Shit, Nicki Minaj did a better Beyonce impression when she was on the show. Diversity aside, I don't see any justification for keeping her around after this season.

This one of the few times that I felt Sasheer's natural speech pattern works well with the character she played. She fit in well with the golly-wow tone of the skit.

[VCRTracking]

Also the face she made after meeting "Jay-Z" is the same one as the ones in that Sarah Silverman sketch where it's an soap opera but instead of being bitchy the women are supportive and they look into the camera. It was definitely a choice.

 

 

 

 

[Milburn Stone]

I wonder if it's because of Cecily getting demoted.

 

This is the only part of your interesting post I take issue with. Since leaving the WU anchor desk, Cecily has ascended to star player with lots of range in sketch after sketch. She's an MVP. (Which she showed promise of being before WU, but she's really come into her own since then.) Between her, Kate, Aidy and Vanessa,  this has to be the strongest lineup of women SNL has had since Jane, Gilda and Laraine.

Edited February 3, 2015 by Milburn Stone

[Irlandesa]

This is the only part of your interesting post I take issue with. Since leaving the WU anchor desk, Cecily has ascended to star player with lots of range in sketch after sketch. She's an MVP. (Which she showed promise of being before WU, but she's really come into her own since then.) Between her, Kate, Aidy and Vanessa,  this has to be the strongest lineup of women SNL has had since Jane, Gilda and Laraine.

But like Amy Poelher  before her, she was doing both the desk and sketches.  Many skeches some weeks--to the point that there were worries she'd become overexposed.  So she was "demoted" back to sketches only, or "bumped" or "kicked off" or whatever terminology you want to use. 

 

Pointing that out isn't an endorsement of the move, by the way. I'm a fan of both her sketch work and though she was growing nicely at the desk while Seth was there.  I think she was better than Colin and should have stayed.   But it happened and I would imagine it's in the back of Colin and Michael's mind.

Edited February 3, 2015 by Irlandesa

[Milburn Stone]

But like Amy Poelher  before her, she was doing both the desk and sketches.  Many skeches some weeks--to the point that there were worries she'd become overexposed.  So she was "demoted" back to sketches only, or "bumped" or "kicked off" or whatever terminology you want to use. 

 

My perception is that she has really stepped up her game since leaving the WU desk. Obviously mileage varies.

 

And I liked her as co-anchor.

Edited February 3, 2015 by Milburn Stone

[vb68]

I liked her as co-anchor too, but I honestly don't see that her sketch workload has changed that much.  If anything,  the women as an ensemble are really gelling right now.  I think Vanessa is one that tends to struggle some outside of her Jacob character, but she nailed that SuperBowl commercial here.  I think if anybody has really upped their game and is showing more range, it's Aidy.  But that's just my perspective. She can do wild and crazy but also be a really good straight person like in the Pushie sketch.

[kia112]

D'Angelo is not a rapper, not at all.

 

I was getting ready to ask who was rapping.

[Chit Chat]

 

D'Angelo is not a rapper, not at all.

Sorry, I was mostly referring to the number of sketches and short videos that include Rap that seem to be a weekly occurrence on SNL.  It's just not my thing. YMMV. 

[BatmanBeatles]

I don't know what Entertainment Weekly is talking about. I thought the "Career Day" skit was funny. Pete and JK sold it as father and son.

 

Bobby in the Microsoft skit reminded me of his Elf On A Shelf skit.

Edited February 4, 2015 by BatmanBeatles

[Miss Scarlet]

Cold Open - Nothing spectacular, but I liked it. It was a nice change from the political cold opens. I liked how they had Richard Sherman dropping in the fact that he went to Stanford because he/the media do that all the time.

 

Monologue - Was this the Get to Know the SNL Cast Members day? We learn that Pete smokes weed, Leslie is 47 years old. I haven't seen Whiplash and didn't know what it was about until I looked it up after this episode, but I liked this monologue enough. Although Leslie Jones is always the same character and it's starting to wear out its welcome. I really loved the line that "all hair is ridiculous" and teasing Kyle about his videos, which was especially meta, considering that there hasn't been a Good Neighbour short in a while.

 

Tontino's - This was funny because of how true it is. The commercials that portray women's sole purpose as being to serve their husbands are gross. The best/saddest part was Vanessa playing with the sticky hand. If only advertisers would see this and take note of what it really means. Which of course they won't.

 

Miss Trash 2015 - This sketch went nowhere and there were no good one-liners that made any of it worthwhile. I know I point this out after every episode, but SNL has a range/typecasting problem. Again, Aidy was sassy (she's always sassy or sad loser), Cecily was tough-talking (her voice was the same as when she did the troll sketch with James Franco and Deirdre in the Oliver twist sketch with Andrew Garfield and she's always tough-talking or ditzy) and Vanessa was the weirded out straightwoman (she's always this or sad/repressed suburban wife/mom). 

 

Alternate Ending to Casablanca - Kate was hilarious in this. Loved her "byeeeee" at the end.

 

Teacher's Snow Day - It seems like with a lot of these digital shorts they expect the high production values to make up for the lack of content or bad raps/lyrics. This reminded me of the office Christmas sketch. I feel like SNL thought this was so edgy (Omg! Teachers smoking weed!!!) and was going to be a huge viral hit.  I liked the idea of this one, not the execution. I'm not sure how I felt about the "we're teachers, all our dreams are dead part". On the one hand, yes a lot of teachers feel that way and act like it, but on the other hand it seemed like a "let's mock people who have boring 9-5 jobs and aren't doing things like making cool digital shorts".

 

WU - Michael still cannot read the cue cards. I liked Jost's joke about "ruining the quinceanera". I don't think his delivery is improving, I think it's more that the tone of joke matched his typical delivery and persona as stiff, uncool white dude. I also liked the jokes about the NFL domestic violence ad, not so much because it was funny, but because of the truth to it. I was like "yeah!" and nodding along with it. The One Dimensional character wasn't that funny to me. Other than the sniper baby there was nothing new there. I know Cecily is doing the monotone voice because it's sort of Zooey Deschanel-esque, but I think it's too lacking in energy. I also can't fully get behind this character because SNL has serious issues with writing one-dimensionally for female cast members (especially Cecily) and doesn't seem to realize the irony of it. I liked Jebediah's U2 jokes. They were obvious, but I still liked them.

 

Pushy - What? Why?

 

The Jay-Z Story - "What are we doing eating salads? Let's go practice rapping!". Hehehe. I'm not as big a fan of Mike O'Brien's work as a lot of other viewers, but this was funny.

 

Career Day - Did not like this one.

 

Hugs - This basically become a sketch of its own. I like seeing the goodbye sequence, but it got awkward there at the end. They also had timing issues with Blake Shelton's episodes. Maybe they're cutting Good Neighbour shorts at the end?

 

Overall, I didn't think this was a great episode and thought JK was kind of wasted. It's understandable, given that the 40th anniversary special is around the corner, but it could have been better.

Edited February 4, 2015 by wudpixie

[Traveller519]

What I love about Cinema Classics is how they've changed it up everytime. A good way to keep the recurring bit fresh. Keenan's Reese De'what character kills me with the asking questions he can't answer and the general befuddlement at the world around him. I was expecting there to be 3 or 4 alternate endings and to have hime keep popping in with facts, but I liked that they changed it to just one. And the tone of the skit went very well with Reese's belief that the alternate ending was a result of "The director's girlfriend saying 'let's try doing one my way.'" What would have sealed it all up in a nice little bow would have been a "Blue Light!" moment the joke had kind of played out by the end.

 

Mike O'brien short films are the surest thing the show has going right now. Man he's slaying it. I hope he get's a Brooks/Smigel style shout out in the credits next season when the episode includes one of his films.

 

The only thing that would have made Leslie's "I'm a 47 year old woman" comeback at JK in the monologue better is if she added, "and now I'm a Ghostbuster!" I liked this monologue. I would have been okay with a singing monologue since they haven't had a true one in a while, compared to the beginning of the season when they were just about every week. And the Fred cameo was great in this setting, and would have been diminished if he'd shown up on Update to rehash a character.

 

Update's on the cusp for me. There was a bit of play there this week that was sorely needed, and both of Michael's rants worked well. But he needs a sketch pre-update to get his jitters out. His flubs always come early in the broadcast and then he settles in. I think the characters would have worked better the other way. Michael's intolerance of the stupidity of some of the guests would have gone well with One Dimensonal Girl. and Jebediah's ability to tie Colin in knots is amusing. That said, Taran needs to and some new material to the Jebediah routine, it's getting too predictable. What was great about the first two was how unpredictable it was.

 

Japanese Messy Boy was great for me, but again could have a great spot to slide Michael or Colin in a supporting role to get them some sketch work.

 

The production value of Snow Day was unreal, but the actual song never really went anywhere for me.

 

If Key & Peele did the Cold Open better, I feel like Tostino's would have been a better sketch in Amy Schumer's hands. Vanessa sold the shit out of it, but Amy has a way of completely sending the guys up in these scenarios.

[VCRTracking]

 

Sorry, I was mostly referring to the number of sketches and short videos that include Rap that seem to be a weekly occurrence on SNL.  It's just not my thing. YMMV.

 

My favorite SNL rap bit will always be Chris Parnell rapping about wanting to date Britney Spears. Mainly because it was so unexpected at the time, he starts out saying he wants to sing her a love song and you think it's going to a corny ballad and suddenly he yells "LISTEN UP BEEYATCH!" The really great part was when he does the chorus and "Yo it's a West Side Night/And I'm feelin alright/Got Britney in my pants and my gin and Sprite"

 

https://screen.yahoo.com/weekend-britney-rap-000000764.html

 

I think it also illustrates why there have been so rap sketches, is that it's unexpected and funny seeing uptight looking white people do it.

[BatmanBeatles]

 

Jebediah's ability to tie Colin in knots is amusing. That said, Taran needs to and some new material to the Jebediah routine, it's getting too predictable. What was great about the first two was how unpredictable it was.

That's funny because in his second appearance, he says to Seth "Run it into the ground much?"

[P-Fat]

I loved everything about D'Angelo's first performance, the clothes, the choreography, the gorgeous instrumentation, and of course, D'Angelo himself. I wish I could hear more music like that on mainstream R and B stations, like back in the 90s. I fell  asleep before his second performance, I will look it up if I can ever stop listening to Really Love.

[helenamonster]

I feel like SNL thought this was so edgy (Omg! Teachers smoking weed!!!) and was going to be a huge viral hit.

 

I agree with the poster way upthread who said that SNL is relying on pot humor so much. There's literally nothing edgy about it anymore, it's 2015, at least two states have legalized recreational use...move the hell on. If you've been to college, you've come in contact with marijuana. Also, it especially doesn't have any bite considering that in SNL's early days, people were doing coke and then boinking each other in the dressing rooms.

 

The only thing that would have made Leslie's "I'm a 47 year old woman" comeback at JK in the monologue better is if she added, "and now I'm a Ghostbuster!"

 

I was actually really, really hoping that they would have done a segment on Update where Leslie and Kate, as themselves, addressed the rampant misogyny regarding their Ghostbusters casting. Although I wonder if the reason they haven't talked about it yet on the show is because nothing's 100% official? All the news I read said that they, Kristen, and Melissa were currently in negotiations. Perhaps they can't officially comment on anything until the ink's dried on the contracts.

[Miss Scarlet]

 

I was actually really, really hoping that they would have done a segment on Update where Leslie and Kate, as themselves, addressed the rampant misogyny regarding their Ghostbusters casting. Although I wonder if the reason they haven't talked about it yet on the show is because nothing's 100% official? All the news I read said that they, Kristen, and Melissa were currently in negotiations. Perhaps they can't officially comment on anything until the ink's dried on the contracts.

Yes! I just heard some guys talking today about how an all-female version of Ghostbusters couldn't be funny and it made me so angry!! Then there's also the "thinly veiled" misogyny with stupid "joke" comments like "women can't fight ghosts!" It is so freaking depressing.

 

 

But like Amy Poelher  before her, she was doing both the desk and sketches.  Many skeches some weeks--to the point that there were worries she'd become overexposed.  So she was "demoted" back to sketches only, or "bumped" or "kicked off" or whatever terminology you want to use.

I agree. I don't think it was meant as a demotion, but it came off that way. She lost a lot of name recognition after being removed from Update and the status of being THE female star of SNL (even though I think this cast is an ensemble without a singular star, other people were starting to label her that way). The other thing is that it does seem like she's actually in less sketches than when she did Update. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but last year it felt like she was in every sketch. This season she's still in a lot of them, but not quite as many. Which I think is good because otherwise I think she might have been on the Wiig-train to backlash from getting too much airtime and because I don't think she showed very much range, even with all of that airtime.

[VCRTracking]

 

I was actually really, really hoping that they would have done a segment on Update where Leslie and Kate, as themselves, addressed the rampant misogyny regarding their Ghostbusters casting. Although I wonder if the reason they haven't talked about it yet on the show is because nothing's 100% official? All the news I read said that they, Kristen, and Melissa were currently in negotiations. Perhaps they can't officially comment on anything until the ink's dried on the contracts.

 

I think they should prove people wrong just by making a great movie.

 

I've posted this elsewhere but I don't get the complaints because it's not like the Ghostbusters were the most macho thing. They ran around being scared more times than being heroic. That was what was funny about them.

Edited February 5, 2015 by VCRTracking

[ruby24]

I think Lorne's got to toss both Colin and Michael from Update. Sorry, but it has to be done- it's just not working. Everyone is noticing now, I've read some recent articles about it, and there was one on Yahoo's front page today. Funnily enough, Beck Bennett is the name that keeps getting brought up as an alternative choice from the cast- I have to wonder if Lorne has considered him yet. Maybe the reason he seems like an obvious choice is because he IS and he'd work, better than what they've got now.

Edited February 5, 2015 by ruby24

[EtheltoTillie]

There was something about the Teacher Snow Day skit that fell flat to me. Like someone above said, the only real laughs started when the principal showed up with no pants. But, for me--and I'm going to sound like I'm an old lady shooing kids off my lawn with a broom here--but I'm tired of the "smoking pot is hilarious" thread that's running through this season. There was that skit where all the potheads came out on the streets earlier this season. And Pete gets at least one, "That kid smokes pot!" joke per episode. I'm starting to wonder if it's in his contract. Last night's was the "100 hours a week" thing in the monologue. And then the teachers were smoking in the Snow Day skit. I know there's a whole genre of Haha Potheads Are So Funny movies, but is just the idea of smoking pot a hilarious punchline that should be getting this much play? I'm ready for them to get off it already. Just me? (Get off my lawn!)

This type of film has just become tired.  It's like a repeat of Lazy Sunday. 

 

Give me more Jebediah Atkinson.  I could watch a half hour of him every week.

 

Bring back Kenan Thompson's sex tapes with the old guy in the garage.  Hilarious. 

[DXD526]

I want to see Jebediah and Riblet doing Update. Just once. It has the potential to be painfully funny. If they decide to bounce Colin and Mikey, they could maybe have the last Update of the season with J & R. It would get tired quickly if done on a regular basis, but just one time could be hilarious.

 

Loved everything about the Casablanca sketch. All the impressions were great, and Kenan's goofy opening, featuring the uncomfortable story of his worst post-sex conversation with his wife ever, was so delightfully out there. Kate did a great job of crumbling once she heard the words 'concentration camp': "I just don't want to turn around and not see a plane there." And, of course, "Byeeeee!"

[Princess Sparkle]

I think Lorne's got to toss both Colin and Michael from Update. Sorry, but it has to be done- it's just not working. Everyone is noticing now, I've read some recent articles about it, and there was one on Yahoo's front page today. Funnily enough, Beck Bennett is the name that keeps getting brought up as an alternative choice from the cast- I have to wonder if Lorne has considered him yet. Maybe the reason he seems like an obvious choice is because he IS and he'd work, better than what they've got now.

I have wanted Beck to be the WU anchor since before Colin was announced last season. Not only does he not do a WU character, so we wouldn't lose anything, he's got the voice for it - if anything, his AT&T commercials are practically his audition to be a WU anchor. That character is a perfect WU anchor persona.

Edited February 6, 2015 by Princess Sparkle

[ruby24]

I agree. It seems SO obvious that I have to wonder if they tried him out and didn't like it or something. At first I thought it was because he was just too new, but they put Cecily there after she'd only been on one season.

 

Then again, maybe he's got the kind of persona that would suit a solo anchor more, and to anchor it solo Lorne really thinks you have to be either head writer or a veteran cast member. I'm not sure why he HAS to have the head writer doing Update. I understand that it was Seth for a long time and before that it was Tina, but before them people did it who weren't writers, right? Eventually he was going to get saddled with a head writer who was not camera friendly or right for the job. This is it.

[helenamonster]

I've posted this elsewhere but I don't get the complaints because it's not like the Ghostbusters were the most macho thing. They ran around being scared more times than being heroic. That was what was funny about them.

 

It's called "meninism" and it would be hilarious if it weren't so terrible.

[Princess Sparkle]

I agree. It seems SO obvious that I have to wonder if they tried him out and didn't like it or something. At first I thought it was because he was just too new, but they put Cecily there after she'd only been on one season.

 

Then again, maybe he's got the kind of persona that would suit a solo anchor more, and to anchor it solo Lorne really thinks you have to be either head writer or a veteran cast member. I'm not sure why he HAS to have the head writer doing Update. I understand that it was Seth for a long time and before that it was Tina, but before them people did it who weren't writers, right? Eventually he was going to get saddled with a head writer who was not camera friendly or right for the job. This is it.

I'm gonna answer this in the Cast member thread.

[Lilac2000]

I love Taran and Jebediah is funny but does he remind any fellow Canadians of a variation on Roger Abbott's Gilbert Smythe-Biteme character from Royal Canadian Air Farce? Maybe just me...back to lurking!