S41.E13: Melissa McCarthy / Kanye West

[formerlyfreedom]

Host Melissa McCarthy; musical guest Kanye West.

 

 

[Galileo908]

Cold Open: Hillary Clinton: She's No Bernie! I'll admit, I'm supporting Bernie, but I'd vote for Hillary because it'll mean Kate McKinnon will play Hillary for the next 4 years. And Darrell Hammond showing up as Bill in tow doesn't hurt either. And then Jeb showing up? Gold.

 

Monologue: I didn't care for the song...until Kenan cut it off to mention that Melissa only hosted four 1/16 times. (I knew my count seemed off. Five seemed like too many.) Nice to know that the 40th Anniversary doesn't count. For a lot of things.

 

The Day Beyonce Turned Black: This was great. No, not great. Amazing. That's it. "Rated NC-17 for White People." I called that there were gonna be Beyonce jokes after last week's show, so happy to see that they went above and beyond with that.

 

Cul-De-Sac Screen Testing: Here's the requisite "Melissa McCarthy does something gross" scene. I'll admit, she was funny, but I thought Kenan and Leslie reacting to her were much better than Melissa's reactions.

 

Terminator: Awkward and funny. I don't think this sketch would've worked unless it was Pete, Bobby and Melissa in this.

 

WU: Man was this a great one. Once again, real politics is nuts. At least we got enough time to make actual jokes of the GOP debate, and the Democrat one. Where the hell was Vanessa keeping this Jennifer Aniston as Rachel from Friends impression? I thought she nailed it even after being onscreen for only 30 seconds. And of course you bring in Leslie Jones for the Valentine's Day show, like bringing in Stefon or Adam Sandler in year's past.

 

Pick-Up Ladies: This was weird and awkward. Beck's random appearance at the end was just as weird, but funny. Imagine if this was guys hitting on ladies and yeah this would still be pretty weird and gross.

 

Kyle's Rap Battle: Getting hired by SNL ruined his hip hop career. That one bit aside, It was okay.

 

Bus People: Awkward, but you know you've met people like Melissa's character.

 

Whiskers R We: Yay, it's back! "William hasn't been neutered, so he still leaves condoms around." But OJ, "orange like the juice and a murderer like the athlete" was by far my favorite. I laughed so hard at that.

 

So with a few weak sketches in the middle, this was another good one! The show returns March 5th with Jonah Hill.

[opus]

Was there a long sex scene in The Terminator?

[Toaster Strudel]

Sigh

 

I knew Melissa McCarthy meant the night's themes were going to be (1) spilling disgusting stuff everywhere and (2) a gross clueless middle aged woman.

 

I was not entertained by any of her skits.  Nothing clever, nothing intelligent, not funny.

 

Leslie Jones saved the night when she appeared.  Vanessa's "Rachel" was adorable.

[vb68]

 

Cold Open: Hillary Clinton: She's No Bernie! I'll admit, I'm supporting Bernie, but I'd vote for Hillary because it'll mean Kate McKinnon will play Hillary for the next 4 years. And Darrell Hammond showing up as Bill in tow doesn't hurt either. And then Jeb showing up? Gold.

 

I liked this more than most of the other political cold opens.  It was more original and creative than having another debate sketch.  I also thought it nailed a lot of little truths, like Bernie can shout all he wants, but Hillary gets nailed for it.   They are going to have to find a way to keep Beck's Jeb as a recurring character.

 

It looks like they have decided to use more videos with Update.  It really adds something for Colin.  He seems to have extra relish with those.   The Rachel impression was really good.  I had recently re-watched Casey Wilson's impression on a Vintage episode  a couple of weeks ago, and Vanessa's was so much better.

 

 

Pick-Up Ladies: This was weird and awkward. Beck's random appearance at the end was just as weird, but funny. Imagine if this was guys hitting on ladies and yeah this would still be pretty weird and gross.

 

Leslie pulled a Bill Hader and was breaking the entire time.  That's all I really remember except for how stoic Vanessa looked in comparison.

 

I'm just happy Kyle got his short on.  They usually get cut.

 

I noticed again tonight the overall the cast is pretty strong right now.   Everyone has their strengths.  Sasheer is still the one that struggles, but she still holds her own when she gets something to do.

 

Melissa seemed strangely underused, but her characters do start to blend together for me too.  I still think she's a good host because she always brings enthusiasm and lots of energy.

[helenamonster]

Cold Open: Aw man, I feel bad that I'm planning on voting for Bernie because I'm gonna miss Kate doing Hillary, but the good thing about Hillary's star kind of fading is that we get sketches like this. Her impression is much more fun when Hillary's nomination isn't a given. I also loved how they talked about the difference between disliking Jeb and Hillary. Another thing that struck me about this sketch is that around this time last year, I'm sure a lot of people assumed that it would be a Jeb/Hillary election. Damn, how things change.

 

Monologue: Ok, for a second I was just like "wait I swear this is only her fourth time hosting" so I'm glad I got proved right lol.

 

The Day Beyonce Turned Black: I am DYING. This was PERFECT. That's all I can say. Just absolutely spot-on.

 

The Cul-De-Sac: I know this is the usual kind of character that Melissa does, but I still laughed. Her Exorcism moment especially.

 

Terminator Sex Scene: Eh, this was ok. Bobby was the highlight. And I loved how the parents had no problem talking about the sex scene once their kid left, that felt very real.

 

Weekend Update: Vanessa's had that Rachel thing in her back pocket forever, I'm surprised it's taken them this long to use it. It's a little dated, the show ended almost 12 years ago for Christ's sake, but it's still good. By the end it felt like they were kind of making fun of sitcoms in general, though Friends definitely fell into a lot of typical sitcom traps. The football player, whose name I already forget, was pointless. And I looooooved Leslie. "Talk dirty to me. But no so dirty that I make this face." Amazing.

 

Pick-Up Artist: Ugh, weakest of the night. Cecily was good though.

 

Rap Battle: This was kind of adorable? Kyle is by no means a favorite of mine but I liked this.

 

Bus: The Speed ending was clearly just a usual SNL "we don't know how to end this sketch so let's do something random" but it was worth it for Leslie's "I do not want to die with her." It was pretty solid all the way through, though. Loved how it was revealed that Taran gave up his seat because he was sick of listening to Melissa.

 

Whiskers R We: "He's orange like the juice, and a murderer like the athlete." I'm enjoying American Crime Story on its own but the fact that it's making OJ jokes relevant again is just a bonus.

 

Not as good of a show as last week but still pretty solid. In general I think the cast has been firing on all cylinders lately and there just seems to be more overall cohesion. I know this show has always been a mixture of peaks and valleys but I'm optimistic for the rest of the season.

 

It was cute seeing Melissa and Kate hug for a long time during the goodnights. Guess they bonded a lot on Ghostbusters. It cut off but hopefully Melissa hugged Leslie too. And hey no Kristen! Count your blessings, friends!

 

Kanye said "shit" and the n-word a few times during his first song. I know that you can get away with almost anything after 10pm but I wonder if he was supposed to self-censor, which he actually did at points. How mad do we think Lorne is at the afterparty right now?

 

I swear to God if they do that fucking "I'm 6!!!!!" sketch with Jonah Hill in a few weeks I will put my foot through my tv.

[Trick Question]

I can't say enough good things about Bayer's Rachel impression.  I think even the studio audience was taken aback by how on-point it was.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Trick Question

[Galileo908]

I swear to God if they do that fucking "I'm 6!!!!!" sketch with Jonah Hill in a few weeks I will put my foot through my tv.

Oh crap I forgot about that one, and of course that mean's they'll definitely do it.

[teebax]

I'm not a Kanye fan, so I didn't enjoy either of his performances tonight, but outside of that I thought it was a really good show.

The cold open was one of my favorite political ones they've ever done. I agree that it was much more clever than what they usually do. I also like how the GOP debates have provided enough humor that the Weekend Update crew has been incorporating them into their segment.

Melissa did what she does. I liked the horror movie sketch because her reactions aren't too far from my own,mother few times I've attempted to watch scary movies.

Leslie was great this episode. I didn't mind her breaking; her laughing actually made the sketch funnier for me.

I think they did the Rachel thing because of the James Burroughs tribute that's been promoted, so while it seems to be a bit late it's kinda topical right now.

[Brn2bwild]

The Day Beyonce Turned Black: This was great. No, not great. Amazing. That's it. "Rated NC-17 for White People." I called that there were gonna be Beyonce jokes after last week's show, so happy to see that they went above and beyond with that.

 

That had me on the floor the whole sketch.  One of the funniest SNL sketches I've ever seen.

[VCRTracking]

Half hour mark and thought so far:

 

Cold Open- Holy crap I've heard Kate McKinnon sing on the show before but she can SING!

 

Monologue- I knew this was only the fourth time Melissa McCarthy hosted! I was like "Five times already? That can't be right."

Melissa McCarthy lost weight.

 

The Day Beyonce Turned Black: BRILLIANT satire.

"I don't think this song is for us."

"But usually everything is!"

Loved the part where Aidy thought her daughter turned black but she was another child who came over.

Aidy: "Thank God!"

Leslie(as girl's mother): "'Thank god?' Really?"

 

Horror movie test screening: I was laughing through the whole thing. I'm a sucker for physical comedy.

 

Watching Terminator with parents: I've been in the same situation as Pete Davidson's character. Very awkward.

 

Weekend Update: Loved Che's run about the Beyonce controversy.

 

I've seen Vanessa do her dead on Jennifer Aniston/Rachel from Friends impression before on the show(the Zach Galifinackis episode) and on Jimmy Kimmel but apparently a lot of people on Twitter haven't and they were of course blown away.

 

Laughed at Leslie Jones talking about not wanting a man who when he grills a steak, cuts into it to check if it's done "like a little bitch"!

Edited February 14, 2016 by VCRTracking

[nowandlater]

Weekend Update: Vanessa's had that Rachel thing in her back pocket forever, I'm surprised it's taken them this long to use it. It's a little dated, the show ended almost 12 years ago for Christ's sake, but it's still good. By the end it felt like they were kind of making fun of sitcoms in general, though Friends definitely fell into a lot of typical sitcom traps. The football player, whose name I already forget, was pointless. And I looooooved Leslie. "Talk dirty to me. But no so dirty that I make this face." Amazing.

 

Friends is indeed old. But Friends and it stars are constantly in the news, from multiple Buzzfeed listsicles to Matthew Perry's new play bombing with critics to Matt LeBlanc getting a new show (Top Gear) to Matt LeBlanc getting a new show (on CBS) to Matt LeBlanc almost having a nervous breakdown after Friends to David Schwimmer sharing his thoughts on fame as he plays Robert Kardashian on The People v. O.J. to Courtney Cox landing a new show.

 

All those links are from the past 10 days.

 

Heck, the NY Times did a story in October about modern teens and Friends.

 

Friends is never not relevant.

 

Oh, and Vanessa Bayer's impression was fabulous, as was the cold open.

Edited February 14, 2016 by nowandlater

[cambridgeguy]

SNL is kind of screwed if Bernie, by some miracle (nightmare?), ends up becoming the nominee unless they plan on paying Larry David to stick around.  Just like with Tina Fey's Palin he did such a good job I can't imagine any of the current cast being able to come close to matching his impression.

 

I kind of wonder how it would have landed if they'd shown a much more bitter Hilary in the opening.  You have to believe that she's going out of her mind wondering why people would rather vote for a socialist who's been in congress (arguably the most hated organization in the country) for 25 years and will be 75 on election day.

[Samsnee]

McCarthy is turning into Wiig. On the surface, all of her characters "look" different but they're really the same. Was Cul-de-sac lady that different from the pick up lady at the bar?

[nowandlater]

SNL is kind of screwed if Bernie, by some miracle (nightmare?), ends up becoming the nominee unless they plan on paying Larry David to stick around.  Just like with Tina Fey's Palin he did such a good job I can't imagine any of the current cast being able to come close to matching his impression.

 

I kind of wonder how it would have landed if they'd shown a much more bitter Hilary in the opening.  You have to believe that she's going out of her mind wondering why people would rather vote for a socialist who's been in congress (arguably the most hated organization in the country) for 25 years and will be 75 on election day.

 

Jimmy Fallon killed it with his Bernie impression. Yeah, yeah, Fallon always kills it. But it made me think it could be done, and I believe Kyle Mooney can be the one to do it. Mooney looks like he sort of could be a 30-something version of Sanders. And all he'll have to do is get the accent right and look good. Larry David's impression was really just Larry David being Larry David as Bernie Sanders.

 

There was a recent, article, though, about SNL outsourcing all its big impressions. One day it's going to become a problem. (By the way, it was Larry David's agent who called Lorne Michaels suggesting he should do Bernie Sanders.)

[absnow54]

I get that Melissa McCarthy's schtick is kind of old, but I thought this was one of her better episodes, and the family watching the sex scene was one of the most hilariously relateable sketches this show has done in a while.

[AriAu]

Well, I was srong-I always thought no one threw themselves into a character like Kate (except maybe Chris Farley and Belushi), but clearly Melissa McCarthy is in a class of her own. Not just the Cul-de-sac one, but especially the pick-up scene with her putting her hand in Kyle's beer, and thenalmost topped it in the last scene with Kate.

Very funny show and top notch update. Jost and Che are hitting their stride. I even liked Von Miller and Che seemed to be into how he performed....maybe he just improved from rehearsal. Great Rachel impression that went on about 20 uncomfortable seconds too long.

 

"I swear to God if they do that fucking "I'm 6!!!!!" sketch with Jonah Hill in a few weeks I will put my foot through my tv."

 

Prepare to buy a new TV

 

.

[Princess Sparkle]

Was there a long sex scene in The Terminator?

It's not super long and doesn't have the noises they used on the show, but there is one. Which I know, because when I first saw the movie, I watched it with my dad, who had clearly forgotten there was a sex scene, and we sat there for a few uncomfortable minutes until it was over. I don't remember if Linda Hamilton was naked though. I laughed so hard that Bobby's "break the tension" line was "she has dark nipples for a white girl", and that he thought that he nailed it. "Boy, rubbers are rad!" also made me laugh out loud. It was one of my favorite sketches of the night.

The Day Beyonce Turned Black was absolutely hysterical. Vanessa's conversation with Sasheer, and Jay & Michael's reactions killed me, as did Leslie's "Thank God??"

Kyle Mooney has such a weirdo sense of humor, and I love it. His Kanye rap battle video cracked me up, from the fact that his roadblock to being a rapper was getting hired for SNL, to the end where he thought he clearly won the battle. I also loved when he told Beck it was the right time, and Beck just dead panned "No, it's not the right time." I also give him a TON of credit for not breaking during the pick-up sketch.

Update was great once again. For some reason, I was completely tickled by Michael's line that his family puts up with his racist grandmother because she's the Beyonce of making sweet potato pie. Having not watched the Super Bowl (I know...), I had no idea what Von Miller looked like, so when he initially showed up, my first thought was "Ooh, which cast member got so handsome?" His bit was a throwaway, but I laughed. The SNL Facebook page had put together a video of all the times Leslie has made Colin blush behind the desk, so I figured she was going to have a bit on Update, and she didn't disappoint.

As for Kanye - one thing I will give him credit for is that I always think he uses the stage creatively when he performs, to the extent that if I didn't know he was in the SNL studio, I wouldn't think that's where he was. However, he was correct in his rap battle with Kyle: I miss the old Kanye.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Princess Sparkle

[peeayebee]

Melissa seemed strangely underused, but her characters do start to blend together for me too.  I still think she's a good host because she always brings enthusiasm and lots of energy.

I completely agree. I like her as a host (and a person), but like you said, her characters are basically all the same, or degrees of the same. She's so good at delivering lines that it's a shame she does so much OTT physical humor. I thought the vomiting was funny, but her pulling off Pete's shirt, and then her exit where she's pushing past everyone and scarfing down the popcorn was too much. I also didn't care for her putting her hand in Kyle's mouth over and over. I don't know if she suggests this type of comedy when they're coming up with ideas or if other writers do, but it's relied on too much.

 

I loved the Cold Open. First off, they weren't addressing the camera! Wool-Hooo! I had gotten tired of that. Second, it was just plain funny. I also like Beck's Jeb! impression.

 

The Day Beyonce Turned Black was perfect.

 

Wow, Vanessa as Rachel was amazing. I also loved how stunned you could tell the audience was. The rest of WU was good, too. I enjoyed Leslie's listing of her perfect man. The rant about dead flowers was pretty funny. I got a big chuckle out of Flu Farts, Ohio.

 

In the Art of Picking Up Guys, I got another chuckle out of Melissa making a fart noise with her hand then saying, "Doody calls." 

 

I liked Kyle's video. I'm not a rap fan, but I liked Kanye's rap here. 

 

The bus skit was pretty good. I really liked that we learn Taran wasn't really being chivalrous. Hee.

 

Whiskers R We was cute. Lots of great lines, like the one cat being a millennial because she uses a Twitter box. Then Melissa's adding, "But she's a troll because she fills it with crap."

[VCRTracking]

"I swear to God if they do that fucking "I'm 6!!!!!" sketch with Jonah Hill in a few weeks I will put my foot through my tv."

 

Prepare to buy a new TV

 

 

Well you can blame Bill Hader for the "Adam Grossman" character because he's the one who got the idea from a real life kid and told it to Jonah as he related to Seth in 2014:

 

[vb68]

 

I kind of wonder how it would have landed if they'd shown a much more bitter Hilary in the opening.  You have to believe that she's going out of her mind

 

 

I thought they hit that line where she is deeply frustrated, but she still has to hold it in.  That's what made that song the perfect metaphor.  Interestingly, I thought the sketch had some veiled swipes at the Bernie supporters too, and how their support isn't very well articulated.  "He has that Bernie vibe."   And the double standard of him always yelling, but Hillary getting slammed for it.   That's why I thought it was a pretty clever sketch.  It hit a lot of angles.

Edited February 14, 2016 by vb68

[lou ann b]

Solid show, but not up to last week, IMO.

Cold Open:Highlight was Bill:"I'm not even playing this thing". why was the audience so quiet for this?

Monologue:Melissa looks great. Song! We didn't get a song last week, I'm so relieved there was one this week.<sarcasm>B

Beyonce:Awesome. I normally don't like the videos on a LIVE show, but this? Amazing.  Loved the moment with Che and Jay continuing to work while the office is spazzing all around them:"Beyonce video".

Cul-De-Sac.Meh, whatever. Leslie and Kenan for the win.

Terminator: Score. This happened to me with my Mom at the beginning of Bridesmaids.

Update:Highlights-Vanessa's Rachel, Leslie, and Jost and Che. Easily becoming my favorite part of the show.

PickUp:Leslie made this so much fun. I would have been the same way-unable to keep from giggling.

Kyle's Rap-was feeding the dogs. Sorry, Kyle.

Bus:I did LOL at Melissa's character. Nice with the Speed reference.

Whiskers R We:Kate is a national treasure. Cute kittehs! All made of win.

 

Notice how I ignore the "musical guest". I would have rather had Jay revisit his Kanye impression-which I'm sure was off limits this week.

Speaking of Jay-would like to see President Obama again.

 

As I said-solid show. I'm still watching Jon's Dirty Dancing bit from last week at least once a day, and I usually delete the show after I watch.

Jonah Hill....whatev.

 

 

 

T

[helenamonster]

Friends is indeed old. But Friends and it stars are constantly in the news, from multiple Buzzfeed listsicles to Matthew Perry's new play bombing with critics to Matt LeBlanc getting a new show (Top Gear) to Matt LeBlanc getting a new show (on CBS) to Matt LeBlanc almost having a nervous breakdown after Friends to David Schwimmer sharing his thoughts on fame as he plays Robert Kardashian on The People v. O.J. to Courtney Cox landing a new show.

 

All those links are from the past 10 days.

 

Heck, the NY Times did a story in October about modern teens and Friends.

 

Friends is never not relevant.

 

Oh, and Vanessa Bayer's impression was fabulous, as was the cold open.

 

Oh yeah, I know Friends still gets tons of coverage in the media and that their reunion on that James Burrows special is beying hyped, and I love Friends and have all 10 seasons on DVD and watch them all the time...but that doesn't stop me from finding references to the show dated. Friends is interesting because it's one of the last shows to truly take hold of popular culture and attract seriously high live-viewing numbers before the saturation of cable, streaming services, and time-shifted viewing, so in a way I can understand why American society can't quite let go of it, but even to me it's starting to feel old. Again, that's not to say I didn't like the bit or anything, but I'd still call it dated, even if it is still "relevant."

 

Although as we can see even from this show, the '90s have been making quite the comeback lately. Friends, The X-Files, OJ...

 

As for Kanye - one thing I will give him credit for is that I always think he uses the stage creatively when he performs, to the extent that if I didn't know he was in the SNL studio, I wouldn't think that's where he was.

 

I meant to say the same thing. I'm not a super huge fan of his music and I don't like him as a person but I've always been amazed at what he can do with that tiny stage.

 

Terminator: Score. This happened to me with my Mom at the beginning of Bridesmaids.

 

Yo, same, that's exactly the movie I thought of during this sketch. Ugh, I was 17, it was awful.

[Primetimer]

The Ghostbusters star is strong as always...but a flighty '90s fashion maven kind of steals the show out from under her anyway.

Read the story

[lou ann b]

I was past 50, and it was awful. I took her to see Bridesmaids for her birthday....I wanted to crawl under the seat.To her credit, she never said a word, and she enjoyed the movie.

[nowandlater]

This is how brilliant the cold open was:

 

Here's The Daily Beast's takeaway: "SNL Turns on Hillary Clinton, Mocks Her Likability Issues: Saturday Night Live feels the Bern for the second week in a row with this sad Hillary Clinton cold open."

 

And here's Salon: "You love Bernie and brunch: “SNL” pokes Sanders-loving urban lefties"

[catrox14]

Considering they did  the Rachel from Friends spot on impression,  I can't believe they didn't go with
 

"It's NOT A CAT" with the hairless cat. 

 

Funny episode overall.

[JZL]

They caught the Feel the Bern conundrum perfectly, and were pretty good with the bit about Jeb! feeling invisible.  

 

I'm not a Kanye fan at all, but I'm usually pleasantly surprised by his SNL appearances.  Last night was pretty meh, IMHO.  Was that a pic of Leslie Jones on the front of his t-shirt during the goodnights?  He was a good sport during the Good Neighbor piece. 

[Cosmocrush]

 

Although as we can see even from this show, the '90s have been making quite the comeback lately. Friends, The X-Files, OJ...

Oh yes, Friends is still on TV all the time and everytime I catch an episode I still laugh even if I've seen it 10x before. 

 

What's with all the OJ jokes last night?   I wonder if it's because of the FX show?   And then Kanye turning his back to the camera during the end so we can all see the huge picture of Robert Kardashian on his shirt?  I didn't even notice who was on the front.  

 

The best part of Kyle's short was the Kanye rap - I'm with him, I miss the old Kanye.  I thought those two musical pieces were crap but then I haven't been a fan for a long time so...

Edited February 14, 2016 by Cosmocrush

[Traveller519]

I rolled my eyes with what looked like more stumping for Hillary in the cold open, with all this "She's easily the best candidate" talk, but they hit back well during Update with the "Sanders supporters would like Hillary to be honest about these things." I think you can see the Downey vs. Jost elements there.

I missed the credits...was The Day Beyonce Turned Black another Matt & Oz directed feature? It felt like them.

Credit to the strength of the cast that such a big player and personality in McCarthy just felt kind of "there."

Finally, Kyle Mooney won the freestyle battle! Kanye just performed one of his new songs. All hale the freestyle champion of 8H, Kyle Mooney!

Edited February 16, 2016 by Traveller519

[punkypower]

I'm not a Kanye fan at all, but I'm usually pleasantly surprised by his SNL appearances. Last night was pretty meh, IMHO. Was that a pic of Leslie Jones on the front of his t-shirt during the goodnights? He was a good sport during the Good Neighbor piece.

What's with all the OJ jokes last night? I wonder if it's because of the FX show? And then Kanye turning his back to the camera during the end so we can all see the huge picture of Robert Kardashian on his shirt? I didn't even notice who was on the front.

.

The front of his shirt was a Memoriam for his mother. I was watching Autopsy: the Last Hours of Jim Morrison last night and saw the next epi will be devoted to her.

The back of his shirt was a Memoriam for his father-in-law, Robert Kardashian. Robert's birthday would have been the 22nd, so maybe that's why he wore it.

I had typed a recap, and with one button that wasn't the back button, it's all gone. Grrrrrrr....All I'll say is The Day after Beyonce went Black is going into my top 10, and Weekend Update continues to be my favorite part of the show.

edited because that [/b] is REALLY important!!

Edited February 14, 2016 by punkypower

[JZL]

I rolled my eyes with what looked like more stumping for Hillary in the cold open, with all this "She's easily the best candidate" talk, but they hit back well during Update with the "Sanders supporters would like Hillary to be honest about these things." I think you can see the Downey vs. Jose elements there.

 

You called that stumping for Hillary?  They made fun of her for ten minutes! 

Edited February 14, 2016 by JZL

[Cosmocrush]

Finally, Kyle Mooney won the freestyle battle! Kanye just performed one of his new songs. All hale the freestyle champion of 8H, Kyle Mooney!

Thanks!  Of course it was, *slaps forehead*  And yes, that means Kyle won, LOL!!

[teebax]

You called that stumping for Hillary?  They made fun of her for ten minutes!

It's like that cracker eating meme. Her haters really, really hate her.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen SNL called out for favoring her, when the show has consistently shown it will take swipes at anyone who does something funny. It's not their fault most of the derp comes from the GOP side. Seriously, they've shown clips of actual GOP debates during the last two episodes, uncut, and they were funnier than anything the writers could have written!

[MakeMeLaugh]

Loved this whole show, but what stood out to me that there were no cheap shot bits about fat people or the host's weight loss. And how professional McCarthy is, never stepping put of character--the others in the pickup bar bit were all laughing (and really? you're paid well to do comedy in front of a camera for a living and you still laugh at yourself?) but Melissa just kept going without losing a beat. I don't know Kanye from Beyonce (yeah I'm old) but he was amazing and creative. Good show!!

[Pete Martell]

I think the idea of the Beyonce white people film was terrific, and the last shot, with the mother killing her son in his sleep, was brilliant, but the rest of it felt so padded and self-satisfied. It also reduced the black cast members - not for the first time - to "those white people sure are crazy" roles, which marginalizes them while being passed off as daring. It reminds me of when sitcoms used to do this in the '70s. 

Edited February 15, 2016 by Pete Martell

[Pete Martell]

SNL is kind of screwed if Bernie, by some miracle (nightmare?), ends up becoming the nominee unless they plan on paying Larry David to stick around.  Just like with Tina Fey's Palin he did such a good job I can't imagine any of the current cast being able to come close to matching his impression.

 

They're better off just dropping political humor or saving it for a few times a season. The poor writing for the Palin/Trump sketch, for me anyway, showed just how little impressions matter when the material isn't there.

[helenamonster]

What's with all the OJ jokes last night?   I wonder if it's because of the FX show?

 

Pretty much. The show's been doing well in the ratings so far (I think it was the highest-rated series premiere in FX history) and has basically brought the OJ stuff back into the public consciousness. Besides actors from the show doing the talk show circuit, real people from the trial have been showing up as well like Marcia Clark and Kato Kaelin. It's 1994 again and we just all have to embrace it.

[Lexxy]

I was wondering if Kanye was offended by the OJ is a murderer comment, as he was wearing a tribute to his father-in-law who so strongly believed in OJ's innocence.  Then I realized that I put way too much thought into those connections. 

[possibilities]

You called that stumping for Hillary?  They made fun of her for ten minutes!

I thought they were mocking Bernie supporters-- they vote for him because they like his vibe, even while saying Hillary is the most qualified. I guess they were mocking her, too, but more it felt to me like they were mocking her predicament at the hands of Bernie supporters. I'm not over-wrought about it, and they sure did strike back with that bit later in the show about all the stuff she has to answer honestly about, so the net effect was pretty even-handed, I thought. But fwiw, the Bernie supporters I know are much more policy wonkish and can articulate and support their reasons for being pro-Bern or anti-Hillary. I don't know anyone who's voting based on vibe.

 

I thought it was a fun show all around.

 

I think I like Kanye, as long as he doesn't speak. Standing around, lifting Melissa, letting Kyle do his thing, he's nice to look at and seems cool. I just don't want to listen to his opinions. I muted the tv when he was singing, but I thought the visuals were great-for-SNL.

 

(By the way: who was the other guy who lifted Melissa in the monologue?)

 

Are Leslie and Colin going to get married someday, like Stefon and Seth? Their dynamic is filling the same exact place in the show and in my heart-humor response.

 

I never, ever get tired of Whiskers R We. I actually think it gets better every time they do it. I wouldn't want to see it more often, but whenever it shows up, I love it. He has to pretend to be a cat so he can see his children!

Edited February 15, 2016 by possibilities

[vb68]

 

and they sure did strike back with that bit later in the show about all the stuff she has to answer honestly about,

 

 

I took that very differently.  I thought it was mocking the ridiculous stuff people pile on to her. It included things like "Vince Foster", taking furniture from the White House, and pressuring her aide Huma to divorce Anthony Weiner.  The music in that brief segment even suggested it was a farce to me.  

 

But once again in the cold open, I thought what made it really good was that you could read it both ways.         

Edited February 15, 2016 by vb68

[Ruby25]

So, are we ever going to see Jay's President Obama again, or is he as good as done, with nearly a year left in his term?

 

Seriously, he's going to down with Reagan as one of the only two presidents SNL was never able to get a handle on comedically.

[Blakeston]

So, are we ever going to see Jay's President Obama again, or is he as good as done, with nearly a year left in his term?

 

Seriously, he's going to down with Reagan as one of the only two presidents SNL was never able to get a handle on comedically.

SNL had a great Reagan sketch - the one with Phil Hartman playing him as an evil mastermind, while playing up the "forgetful, sweet old grandfather" image in public. Him yelling "This is the part of the job that I hate!" when he has to meet the girl scouts is one my favorite SNL lines ever.

[peeayebee]

I think I like Kanye, as long as he doesn't speak. Standing around, lifting Melissa, [snip].

 

(By the way: who was the other guy who lifted Melissa in the monologue?)

Are you saying that was Kanye in the monologue lifting up Melissa? I didn't think so. I thought it was just two extras holding her up.

[possibilities]

I thought it was him, but I do have facial recognition problems and could easily be wrong.

[VCRTracking]

SNL had a great Reagan sketch - the one with Phil Hartman playing him as an evil mastermind, while playing up the "forgetful, sweet old grandfather" image in public. Him yelling "This is the part of the job that I hate!" when he has to meet the girl scouts is one my favorite SNL lines ever.

 

As Lorne Michaels said in a 2014 interview:

 

"Obama is probably the first president in a long time that we’ve been doing less of. Reagan was that way, too, oddly enough, until Jim Downey and Al Franken figured out that Reagan mastermind sketch. He was an actor, and the public already knew that, and they voted for him anyway. We couldn’t find a way in."

 

 

It also reduced the black cast members - not for the first time - to "those white people sure are crazy" roles, which marginalizes them while being passed off as daring. It reminds me of when sitcoms used to do this in the '70s.

 

 

You should totally tell that to the black people on Twitter who loved the sketch. I'll be there to back you up (coughs).

Edited February 15, 2016 by VCRTracking

[LakeLover]

I continue to enjoy this season, especially since there seems to be parity amongst the cast without focusing on any one person [coughwiig].

 

I have now become a true fan of Jost and Che on WU, but cannot for the life of me get on board with Leslie Jones, primarily because right now, she's one note and has no subtlety to her performances. I think she has great potential, but needs some help.

 

For the most part, I start a bit late and fast-forward through the musical guest(s).

[teebax]

I continue to enjoy this season, especially since there seems to be parity amongst the cast without focusing on any one person [coughwiig].

 

I have now become a true fan of Jost and Che on WU, but cannot for the life of me get on board with Leslie Jones, primarily because right now, she's one note and has no subtlety to her performances. I think she has great potential, but needs some help.

 

For the most part, I start a bit late and fast-forward through the musical guest(s).

This show introduced me to Leon Bridges, whom I'd never heard of and probably never would have heard without his appearance on the show. His album is one of my favorites now. So I at least try to listen to the musical guests. Who knows? I may find another new talent I really enjoy.

[LakeLover]

This show introduced me to Leon Bridges, whom I'd never heard of and probably never would have heard without his appearance on the show. His album is one of my favorites now. So I at least try to listen to the musical guests. Who knows? I may find another new talent I really enjoy.

 

Good point :) Maybe I'll broaden my horizons a bit ;)

[Ottis]

I love Melissa McCarthy's schtick, especially the gross, over-handsy stuff. The first time I saw her host the show I laughed at how far she went. Still enjoy that.

 

Kept trying to figure out what Leslie was laughing at in The PickUp Artist. There didn't seem to be a single trigger. It was almost as if someone else was screwing with her off camera.

 

Then I saw Leslie on The Blacklist essentially playing the role MM played on SNL. Weird.

 

Riding the bus skit was kind of painful. And Beyonce ... I'm white and I didn't get it. I think there is a whole bunch of white people who are different than me. But then I grew up on Cameo, Rick James and Parliament.

 

I'm still watching Jon's Dirty Dancing bit from last week at least once a day, and I usually delete the show after I watch.

 

 

That bit actually caused me to delete that episode immediately.