S43.E21: Tina Fey / Nicki Minaj

[possibilities]

3 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I haven't noticed if the real Sarah H has been toning down her "smokey eye" since the WHCD

She has. It's like she missed the entire point of the joke.

 

3 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I'm pretty sure it was a scorpion.

Damn. I guess I didn't look closely enough.

[vb68]

On 5/20/2018 at 12:48 PM, helenamonster said:

It also didn't feel like she contributed much to the writing this week...she has a very distinct writing style that's been obvious in other shows she's hosted, but it barely registered here

This is exactly what I was thinking, too.  I have no idea what her schedule was like this past week with the musical and everything, but it definitely felt like she was less involved in the writing end of it. There being no biting social commentary on Update is kinda a giveaway, and none of the sketches rose to the level of "Meet Your Second  Wife" from her last show (with Amy) that had her writer's hand all over it.  I would have loved to see her respond to Che's girl scout joke.

I wish "The Friendship Song" hadn't been cut. I enjoyed that much more that several things that aired. I'm a little surprised in the sense that Nicki Minaj has been reliable with sketch work for them everytime she's been on before. Seems like they would want to throw a sketch her way.  

Edited May 22, 2018 by vb68

[dubbel zout]

4 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

That's the joke.jpg

Is there a gif for "not a very good joke"?

1 hour ago, Mumbles said:

And even if it’s a less disgusting joke, I can also do without the joke about Girl Scouts sewing on the patches for the Boy Scouts.

I thought that was pretty mild, TBH. I was expecting something much, much worse.

[heatherchandler]

9 hours ago, helenamonster said:

 

I've been wanting them to do a Sopranos parody of the Trump administration for sooooo long, and I was really disappointed by this one. First of all, if you're going to use the last scene as a template, I find it's more effective to ape it as closely as possible--part of what made the scene so famous and open to so much intense dissection are the carefully placed sound and visual cues, the tension that keeps ratcheting up each time the bell rings, etc...I feel like it would have worked better as a pretaped bit. The only part I laughed out loud at was Eric parallel parking his tricycle a la Meadow.

 

Yes agree!  And hello they should have put Mueller in a member’s only jacket!!!  It’s like, do it right.

[After7Only]

9 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

I was really hoping Rashida would pop up as the Duchess of Sussex, but I honestly don't think anyone on the cast could have played her without some group getting offended. She needed to be played by a white-passing mixed race woman or not portrayed at all. 

Maya Rudolph would have slayed!   Was she not available?

21 hours ago, vb68 said:

 

I do think if Kenan was planning on leaving, he would have gotten a loving tribute/send off like Kristin Wiig.

They seem to be saying goodbye to him all season though with all the “ Kenan has been here forever” jokes.   

[vb68]

35 minutes ago, After7Only said:

They seem to be saying goodbye to him all season though with all the “ Kenan has been here forever” jokes.   

I agree.  It definitely felt like that. I still think it would be acknowledged if it was his last show. 

[Fannysue]

On 5/19/2018 at 8:40 PM, saoirse said:

this week I'd love to see his crude Queen Elizabeth impersonation tonight..

I loved that sketch also......

[nowandlater]

4 hours ago, After7Only said:

Maya Rudolph would have slayed!   Was she not available?

They seem to be saying goodbye to him all season though with all the “ Kenan has been here forever” jokes.   

 

Kenan turned 40 on May 10 and on that day People published an interview with him saying he's not retiring anytime soon.

http://people.com/tv/kenan-thompson-isnt-retiring-snl/

[Tachi Rocinante]

In a word, underwhelming. Especially with Tina hosting.  

Don't need to see s skit masquerading as an ad for your Broadway play.

Jeebus is Fred Armisen mostly intolerable and unfunny.  I still think he has pictures of Lorne and dead hookers.  (To be fair, his Wolff is pretty decent.)

Nicki Minaj was not good and her guest star in the second song was terrible.  Anyone else notice her mouthing Tina's lines during the goodnights?

The Mom/daughter bit was saved at the end, even though I can't stand Syndrome of a Down.

"Did Dick Wolf lose a bet?" was gold.

Ditto to the person above who said DeNiro is better with no lines.  For someone who is so talented he absolutely sucks eggs on a live stage.  That's why, for me, Pacino is the better actor.

[BoogieBurns]

On 5/20/2018 at 10:18 PM, After7Only said:

Maya Rudolph would have slayed!   Was she not available?

Oh heck yes! That would have been perfect, and no one could call "offense" to a freckled face mixed race woman playing a freckle faced mixed race woman. Plus, Maya is a much more likely choice. I suppose we will have Meghan Markle around for a while, so hopefully we'll get a Maya sighting in the coming years. Maybe when she gives birth to 7th in line to the throne. 

Edited May 23, 2018 by BoogieBurns

[TV Diva Queen]

23 hours ago, teebax said:

Count me in. I thought the episode was really weak, although I enjoyed seeing Lin Manuel and some of the cameos in the monologue. I had high hopes because I adore Tina Fey, but I didn't like much in this episode. I think the best part for me was Eric Trump's Big Wheel with an alarm. 

ETA: This one is my favorite of the BBQ woman memes. We had my graduation party Saturday night, and I had her added in to a picture of my male relatives (all black) sitting around a table eating. I won't post it here, but it was quite popular on my Facebook feed.

This is a good one!  My favorite is her spying through the window of the Oval Office and Obama is at the desk or phone.  

[BTBAM310]

On 5/19/2018 at 8:40 PM, saoirse said:

OMG OMG OMG - Fred's there! Are we going to get a Queen of England sketch? Normally I hate old cast members showing up, but I was thinking this week I'd love to see his crude Queen Elizabeth impersonation tonight...

I knew they'd be doing something for the royal wedding and was hoping he'd be there, so I got excited when he appeared during the monologue.  I was so pissed when they actually did the royal wedding sketch, and he wasn't included.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Highlights: Eric Trump (I'd watch a movie with Alex Moffat as Eric Trump), Lin Manuel-Miranda, WU, and RacistBBQ!Becky popping up. Twice. And I thought Chicago Improv was funny too. 

[proserpina65]

23 hours ago, peeayebee said:

As for Nicki Minaj, I guess the audience was full of her fans. I couldn't understand the lyrics, but was the first song referring to some feud she's having with someone?

I wondered if that performance would count as cultural appropriation.

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

Highlights: Eric Trump (I'd watch a movie with Alex Moffat as Eric Trump), Lin Manuel-Miranda, WU, and RacistBBQ!Becky popping up. Twice. And I thought Chicago Improv was funny too. 

Agree with this. I hope RacistBBQBecky is Feeling The Burn -- all over. Chicago Improv was my favorite, I burst out laughing at the one guy getting two Lou Malnati commercials, probably because I hear "Lou Malnoti" multiple times per day. Seeing Lin Manuel Miranda made that sketch worthwhile for me. I skipped Nicki Minaj, so I guess that's my comment on her act.

[camussie]

Show was an unfunny hot mess but kudos to the costume people pulling together the royal wedding outfits in just under 12 hours.   Impressive.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

Agree with this. I hope RacistBBQBecky is Feeling The Burn -- all over. Chicago Improv was my favorite, I burst out laughing at the one guy getting two Lou Malnati commercials, probably because I hear "Lou Malnoti" multiple times per day. Seeing Lin Manuel Miranda made that sketch worthwhile for me. I skipped Nicki Minaj, so I guess that's my comment on her act.

"The only show with real Chicago faces and bodies..."

It was also particularly funny to me because I have a group of improv friends who all moved to Chicago right after college to do improv.... some of them are still there. LOL. 

[dubbel zout]

20 hours ago, vb68 said:

20 hours ago, After7Only said:

They seem to be saying goodbye to him all season though with all the “ Kenan has been here forever” jokes.   

I agree.  It definitely felt like that. I still think it would be acknowledged if it was his last show. 

I think this season is when he broke Darrell Hammond's record as longest-tenured cast member.

[JZL]

That Soul Train meme was 10x funnier than anything on the show.

[helenamonster]

Count me in as someone who thought all the comments about Kenan's tenure meant he'd be leaving. I'm not necessarily surprised he's still staying, but I would've thought the absolutely grueling schedule would've gotten to him by now. It feels like most cast members leave either because they have other opportunities or they're just burnt out. I remember Tina saying in her book that after she came back from having her first baby she felt like she'd outgrown the show and just couldn't keep up anymore. I think Jane Curtin had similar feelings after getting married. SNL truly feels like a young, single, childless person's game for the most part.

23 hours ago, vb68 said:

This is exactly what I was thinking, too.  I have no idea what her schedule was like this past week with the musical and everything, but it definitely felt like she was less involved in the writing end of it. There being no biting social commentary on Update is kinda a giveaway, and none of the sketches rose to the level of "Meet Your Second  Wife" from her last show (with Amy) that had her writer's hand all over it.  i would have loved to see her respond to Che's girl scout joke.

I wish "The Friendship Song" hadn't been cut. I enjoyed that much more that several things that aired. I'm a little surprised in the sense that Nicki Minaj has been reliable with sketch work for them everytime she's been on before. Seems like they would want to throw a sketch her way.  

Someone I know through work said she's in the audience for every Mean Girls performance. I suppose she would've had to skip that this week, though. She's also filming the back half of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season four. But yeah, I was expecting an Update segment or something. Her prior hosting gigs were consistently stellar and a great showcase for her writing, so it just felt strange to not have that here.

Bummed they cut "The Friendship Song" but glad they posted it anyway--I too am surprised that they axed the one bit with Nicki, especially because she seems so game to do sketches. She's done one for every episode she's been the musical guest, and "The Creep" still slaps--I was always impressed that she did that when she was still on the rise but wasn't the least bit self-conscious about it, completely thew herself into the absurdity and was a highlight in a digital short packed to the gills with them.

[Pete Martell]

5 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I wondered if that performance would count as cultural appropriation.

Some people did feel it was appropriation, although the response from many fan comments I read is that one of her grandparents or great-grandparents was Asian. 

Not that this has anything to do with that, but one of the things I did laugh at (whether it was the show's intention, I have no idea) was when they included Kate's Kellyanne in that long Palin sketch but had no real role for her beyond muttering sideways (which I guess was something the real Kellyanne does). I couldn't help thinking about the early appearances of Kate's Kellyanne when they tried to make her the moral backbone of the Trump White House. Their political writing is just a mess.

Edited May 22, 2018 by Pete Martell

[Writing Wrongs]

I loved Bishop Curry's reaction to Kenan's impersonation (at 4:13):

https://www.today.com/video/meet-michael-curry-the-bishop-who-spoke-at-the-royal-wedding-1239136323970

[rmontro]

On 5/20/2018 at 8:22 AM, Ottis said:

Nicki Minaj was lip syncing, correct? I never understand lip syncing rap songs. 

A lot of rap is like doing tongue twisters IMO.  I would think it's probably just as difficult to remember all those lines and "spit" them properly as it is to sing on pitch.  It's just a different type of skill.  As for Nicki Minaj, I have no idea if she was lip syncing or not.  I do recall thinking at one point that there was a tape providing another part.

I don't have much to comment on the show overall, other than I would expect a better episode for one that Tina Fey was hosting.  But I guess it's the end of the season and everybody is tired.

I did enjoy the end of the year "jokes too offensive for Weekend Update", that's getting to be a nice tradition.

Edited May 22, 2018 by rmontro

[theatremouse]

It looked and sounded to me like Minaj was live, all the backup vocals were lipsynched as was Playboi Carti. There was some overlay on Minaj too, so some recording of her own voice played on top, but the main lyrics and such she sure as hell seemed to be doing live.

[WAnglais1]

I know I'm not in the demo, but Minaj I will never get. #OldWhiteGuy

[lou ann b]

I read a comment on SNL'S FB page from someone speculating that Kenan could be passed the baton by Lorne one day and become exec producer. I actually kinda like that idea. He certainly knows what it takes to get the show on air and everyone there loves him. We shall see. 

[JZL]

Kenan jokes that he can't quit because he has kids in private school now.

[rmontro]

6 hours ago, theatremouse said:

It looked and sounded to me like Minaj was live, all the backup vocals were lipsynched as was Playboi Carti. There was some overlay on Minaj too, so some recording of her own voice played on top, but the main lyrics and such she sure as hell seemed to be doing live.

That was the impression I got as well.

[nowandlater]

On 5/21/2018 at 6:07 PM, helenamonster said:

Count me in as someone who thought all the comments about Kenan's tenure meant he'd be leaving. I'm not necessarily surprised he's still staying, but I would've thought the absolutely grueling schedule would've gotten to him by now. It feels like most cast members leave either because they have other opportunities or they're just burnt out. I remember Tina saying in her book that after she came back from having her first baby she felt like she'd outgrown the show and just couldn't keep up anymore. I think Jane Curtin had similar feelings after getting married. SNL truly feels like a young, single, childless person's game for the most part.

Someone I know through work said she's in the audience for every Mean Girls performance. I suppose she would've had to skip that this week, though. She's also filming the back half of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season four. But yeah, I was expecting an Update segment or something. Her prior hosting gigs were consistently stellar and a great showcase for her writing, so it just felt strange to not have that here.

Bummed they cut "The Friendship Song" but glad they posted it anyway--I too am surprised that they axed the one bit with Nicki, especially because she seems so game to do sketches. She's done one for every episode she's been the musical guest, and "The Creep" still slaps--I was always impressed that she did that when she was still on the rise but wasn't the least bit self-conscious about it, completely thew herself into the absurdity and was a highlight in a digital short packed to the gills with them.

 

I've heard countless interviews conducted by Howard Stern in which he posits that the weeks must be grueling. And cast members do say it's grueling.

And it must be grueling.

BUT...they only have 21 production weeks a year. That means 31 non-production weeks. (They probably start working a few weeks before the season? Does anybody know?)

I've recalled interviews where Bill Hader was flying in for the table read on Wednesday then driving to Connecticut Thursday and FRiday, then doing the dhow on Saturday (this was because he was working on the Larry David movie Clear History. Bob Odenkirk was recently on Kevin Nealon's YouTube hiking show. And he said he'd fly to Chicago between the table read and Saturday, which just seemed bizarre.

I don't want to belittle what those 21 weeks entail. Because then it would be like those people who don't want to give teachers a raise because they only work 9 months a year. It must be a lot of work. But I would think that for somebody like Kenan, who doesn't seem to have any non-SNL alumni stuff going on, that it would be a piece of cake to do the show by now.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 21/05/2018 at 6:10 AM, Tachi Rocinante said:

Ditto to the person above who said DeNiro is better with no lines.  For someone who is so talented he absolutely sucks eggs on a live stage.  That's why, for me, Pacino is the better actor.

I have to wonder though, how do you not get Sam Waterson to play Mueller. The guy would be perfect, plus the Old Glory Robot Insurance sketch is a classic.