Every episode of SNL features of course a famous celebrity, most commonly and almost exclusively actors, as its host. In addition, every episode also features a musical guest. The musical guests are no wash-ups, however, as they are often just as if not more famous than the host. During the course of the episode the guest will usually perform twice, exhibiting their newest music most often to promote an album release or to get a single to number one no the record charts. There is another aspect of SNL that the musical guests perform in, and that is in its skits. Recently the musical guests have performed in a skit during the episode in which they are featured and the skits have been just as funny as those performed by the host.
The last two episodes that have featured Rihanna have also featured a skit involving Rihanna and cast member Andy Samberg. Rihanna plays herself and Samberg plays a character called "Shy Ronnie." The two are a singing duet where Ronnie only mumbles until Rihanna leaves the room and then he lets loose his singing talent. This first video Shy Ronnie is from the first episode, and this second video Shy Ronnie 2: Ronnie and Clyde is from the more recent episode. Both episodes feature Rihanna in her usual element, singing, but she also does a small bit of acting as well.
When Diddy (Puff Daddy/ Sean Combs, his name changes a lot) was on SNL this past week he performed a skit, also with Samberg, called Blizzard Man. Essentially Diddy is himself and Samberg is an underground rapping superstar, in Diddy's eyes, who needs to come in and help Diddy with his album. The video, Blizzard Man, also features Diddy in his element like Rihanna but less so. He is not singing but instead solely acting. This gain in versatility puts him more into the overall theme of SNL in that he is performing humor in addition to his music.
Katy Perry was featured a few weeks ago and she performed a skit that did not have her anywhere near the music industry. Her skit has her as a young girl who is being interviewed on a show called "Bronx Beat" by two SNL cast members. The video Bronx Beat shows how Katy can act and be funny in a way that is completely unrelated to her singing.
The transition of musical guests from solely performing their music to acting in skits where they are singing to acting in skits where they are simply comedic is a good one in my eyes. I see it as a way that SNL is incorporating more stars and more humor into their show. It shows how funny musicians can be outside of their element and strengthens the episodes overall.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Bloopers
Although they seem like flawless comedic gods and goddesses every Saturday night when they perform, SNL cast members shockingly are human. I know, its weird but its true. From time to time cast members will blunder on a joke, start uncontrollably laughing, or even tell a bad joke. It is shocking to think that such an immortal show can have flaws. But, when thinking about these 'mistakes', are they really bad? Is it bad to associate human-like flaws with our favorites comedians? If anything, in my opinion, the presence of bloopers and mishaps only strengthens the relationships that the audience has with SNL cast members.
Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers were the two comedians that did the SNL skit 'Weekend Update' every episode. Amy has since moved on to a new show, but in their prime Poehler and Meyers would deliver hilarious news every weekend that had their own little jokes sewn into the script. From time to time, however, they would blunder on their jokes by either fudging the words or telling an awful joke. This clip Weekend Update Bloopers shows some highlights of the mess ups found on Weekend Update.
On many occasions during SNL, cast members have broken into laughter during their skits. Sometimes, this even prohibits them from performing until they regain their composure and try to continue on with their lines. This link Best Crack Ups shows the top 10 moments in SNL history where cast members have started laughing during a skit. Coming in at number one on the list is a skit called "Debbie Downer" featuring Rachel Dratch among others. The skit is a perfect example of when a cast member breaks into laughter and has trouble speaking her lines. She can't help but chuckle at the ridiculous things that she has to say. This is especially funny in this scene because the point of the skit is that Debbie says very depressing things that ruin everyone's mood. However, as Dratch can't help but laugh the otherwise extremely depressing things that she says seem hilarious and get the rest of the cast to laugh along as well.
All of these examples do not deteriorate SNL humor, as would be expected from a screw up in the show. They only add to the overall hilarity of the show because the audience gets the feeling that the comedians are enjoying their performances and find what they are doing funny. The audience is much more likely to laugh along at the something that the cast is noticeably finding funny, especially if that same cast member is laughing uncontrollably.
Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers were the two comedians that did the SNL skit 'Weekend Update' every episode. Amy has since moved on to a new show, but in their prime Poehler and Meyers would deliver hilarious news every weekend that had their own little jokes sewn into the script. From time to time, however, they would blunder on their jokes by either fudging the words or telling an awful joke. This clip Weekend Update Bloopers shows some highlights of the mess ups found on Weekend Update.
On many occasions during SNL, cast members have broken into laughter during their skits. Sometimes, this even prohibits them from performing until they regain their composure and try to continue on with their lines. This link Best Crack Ups shows the top 10 moments in SNL history where cast members have started laughing during a skit. Coming in at number one on the list is a skit called "Debbie Downer" featuring Rachel Dratch among others. The skit is a perfect example of when a cast member breaks into laughter and has trouble speaking her lines. She can't help but chuckle at the ridiculous things that she has to say. This is especially funny in this scene because the point of the skit is that Debbie says very depressing things that ruin everyone's mood. However, as Dratch can't help but laugh the otherwise extremely depressing things that she says seem hilarious and get the rest of the cast to laugh along as well.
All of these examples do not deteriorate SNL humor, as would be expected from a screw up in the show. They only add to the overall hilarity of the show because the audience gets the feeling that the comedians are enjoying their performances and find what they are doing funny. The audience is much more likely to laugh along at the something that the cast is noticeably finding funny, especially if that same cast member is laughing uncontrollably.
Jimmy McMillan
I recently came across a video which I thought deserved its own post. Although I am sure this was a one time SNL appearance, it was so hilarious and so well done that it gets its own special place on my blog. The New York state elections occurred recently, and despite his best efforts to win, Jimmy McMillan only received 1 percent of the vote. This may seem like a small number, but given his very controversial stance on things it is quite impressive that Mr. McMillan even got that many votes. If at this point you are very confused as to who Jimmy McMillan is, then this video will clue you in:
Jimmy McMillan
Mr. McMillan is the man now famous for representing "The Rent is Too Damn High Party." And no, this is not a joke. This man seriously ran for governor as shown in the video and apparently achieved a somewhat large following, if not only for amusement.
The good people of SNL, in their usual manner, saw Mr. McMillan in all of his glory and decided that he deserved a parody of his own during a recent episode of SNL. The below clip is of Kenan Thompson portraying Jimmy on the "Weekend Update" segment of SNL.
Weekend Update- Jimmy McMillan
The parody portrays McMillan in his usual attire (extensive beard included). It is funny, however, when compared to the original video because the things that Kenan says as McMillan are not so different from what the real McMillan actually said in his gubernatorial debate. Although slightly exaggerated in terms of the figures that Kenan uses, the general picture that he paints of McMillan is not overly made up. The ability to parody a political figure without drastically changing their actual behavior and still keeping it funny is a skill that SNL has mastered over its long history. What makes the skit so funny is the fact that McMillan actually said those things and acted in that way in a real political debate. It is not that SNL is making him into a funny character, they are merely accentuating those characteristics which he holds that make him humorous.
Jimmy McMillan
Mr. McMillan is the man now famous for representing "The Rent is Too Damn High Party." And no, this is not a joke. This man seriously ran for governor as shown in the video and apparently achieved a somewhat large following, if not only for amusement.
The good people of SNL, in their usual manner, saw Mr. McMillan in all of his glory and decided that he deserved a parody of his own during a recent episode of SNL. The below clip is of Kenan Thompson portraying Jimmy on the "Weekend Update" segment of SNL.
Weekend Update- Jimmy McMillan
The parody portrays McMillan in his usual attire (extensive beard included). It is funny, however, when compared to the original video because the things that Kenan says as McMillan are not so different from what the real McMillan actually said in his gubernatorial debate. Although slightly exaggerated in terms of the figures that Kenan uses, the general picture that he paints of McMillan is not overly made up. The ability to parody a political figure without drastically changing their actual behavior and still keeping it funny is a skill that SNL has mastered over its long history. What makes the skit so funny is the fact that McMillan actually said those things and acted in that way in a real political debate. It is not that SNL is making him into a funny character, they are merely accentuating those characteristics which he holds that make him humorous.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Presidential Impersonations
SNL has a long history of impersonating political figures on its show. Usually the skits involve recent political events or situations where political figures have done something funny. A common skit, however, is an address from the current president. No on has done this better than Dana Carvey. His impersonation of George Bush Sr. is spot on and creates laughs every time he does it. He is no longer on SNL, but a sample skit of his can be found by following the link below.
Dana Carvey as Bush Sr.
Carvey exaggerates the accent and hand gestures of Bush Sr. to bring attention to the humorous aspects of his persona. This is best seen in the bit where Carvey doesn't say anything for a while but only communicates through various hand gestures which Bush Sr. presumably does.
Will Ferrell also does an impersonation, in this case George W. Bush, and when he did it on SNL it was one of the funniest skits they did. An example of this impersonation can be seen in the first minute of the link below.
Will Ferrell as George W. Bush
Most recently, Fred Armisen does an Obama impersonation which is in my opinion not as good as those of Ferrell and Carvey, but is still a crucial part of SNL (doing an impersonation of the president), so it is featured in many episodes in a similar way to how the Bush impersonations were frequented on the show. Armisen's impersonation can be seen in the link below.
Fred Armisen as Obama
Why do we like these impersonations so much though? I think it is because of the way that by impersonating the president, the most important figure in American culture, SNL brings down the president to the level of the ordinary American. He is someone, maybe not just like us but similar, who has flaws and humorous characteristics. Also, by laughing at the president, if you don't agree with some of his decisions it is a good way to vent those emotions. For those reasons SNL will most likely keep doing presidential impersonations for the duration of the show.
Dana Carvey as Bush Sr.
Carvey exaggerates the accent and hand gestures of Bush Sr. to bring attention to the humorous aspects of his persona. This is best seen in the bit where Carvey doesn't say anything for a while but only communicates through various hand gestures which Bush Sr. presumably does.
Will Ferrell also does an impersonation, in this case George W. Bush, and when he did it on SNL it was one of the funniest skits they did. An example of this impersonation can be seen in the first minute of the link below.
Will Ferrell as George W. Bush
Most recently, Fred Armisen does an Obama impersonation which is in my opinion not as good as those of Ferrell and Carvey, but is still a crucial part of SNL (doing an impersonation of the president), so it is featured in many episodes in a similar way to how the Bush impersonations were frequented on the show. Armisen's impersonation can be seen in the link below.
Fred Armisen as Obama
Why do we like these impersonations so much though? I think it is because of the way that by impersonating the president, the most important figure in American culture, SNL brings down the president to the level of the ordinary American. He is someone, maybe not just like us but similar, who has flaws and humorous characteristics. Also, by laughing at the president, if you don't agree with some of his decisions it is a good way to vent those emotions. For those reasons SNL will most likely keep doing presidential impersonations for the duration of the show.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Commercials
Every now and then SNL will include in its show a parody of a commercial. These may either be a real commercial from current television that they find funny (see "Shake Weight" commercial posted below) or their own creation which makes fun of a type of store (see "Marble Columns" commercial posted below). Both commercials are funny because of either the images they use or the accents; the same general type of humor in most SNL skits. Each, however, also satires part of American culture by pointing out funny aspects of it.
Shake Weight Commercial - SNL
Actual Shake Weight Commercial
The Shake Weight commercial from SNL mimics the As Seen On TV product of the actual shake weight. It is a arm toning device designed for women. SNL took the actual commercial, accentuated the somewhat sexually suggested action that the Shake Weight requires, and made their own commercial. Their commercial takes the original Shake Weight and essentially turns it into pornographic material by offering the Shake Weight commercial on loop for men to watch. The premise of their idea is that the actual Shake Weight infomercial is by itself sexual enough to be pornography. This idea is very funny and points out the ridiculousness of the commercial that actually aires on television. SNL here is representing the American people in its views on the commercial. In this way SNL is trying to reach American society by representing its ideas and opinions on other features of American culture. In this way, SNL can represent American humor because it itself is a part of the American society that makes up the humor.
SNL Mom Jeans
SNL Marble Columns
These two commercials do not mimic any actual commercial, but carry on the idea that SNL is making fun of a culture which it is a part of. The "Mom Jeans" commercial plays on the idea of and American society which promotes certain aspects in mothers and that each mother fits a certain mold. This plays off the idea of the American dream and of a homogenous middle class, and satires both in the commercial. The features of the jeans are what SNL uses to satire the culture; the elongated fly and high waisted/ unflattering nature of the jeans come together to form an overall hilarious (but somewhat true) picture. The "Marble Columns" commercial makes fun of the mom and pop type of store often owned by immigrant families. The stores often sell items which are intended for the middle class, as in this one Mike is selling marble columns so that you will seem rich. This commercial also satires the American dream in its making fun of people actually willing to buy these columns in order to seem wealthy, the end goal of the dream. SNL parodies the columns by putting them in ridiculous places throughout the commercial such as in a bathroom or along your driveway. All of these commercials show how Americans like to laugh at themselves and reflect on their culture and its sometimes flawed/humorous aspects.
Shake Weight Commercial - SNL
Actual Shake Weight Commercial
The Shake Weight commercial from SNL mimics the As Seen On TV product of the actual shake weight. It is a arm toning device designed for women. SNL took the actual commercial, accentuated the somewhat sexually suggested action that the Shake Weight requires, and made their own commercial. Their commercial takes the original Shake Weight and essentially turns it into pornographic material by offering the Shake Weight commercial on loop for men to watch. The premise of their idea is that the actual Shake Weight infomercial is by itself sexual enough to be pornography. This idea is very funny and points out the ridiculousness of the commercial that actually aires on television. SNL here is representing the American people in its views on the commercial. In this way SNL is trying to reach American society by representing its ideas and opinions on other features of American culture. In this way, SNL can represent American humor because it itself is a part of the American society that makes up the humor.
SNL Mom Jeans
SNL Marble Columns
These two commercials do not mimic any actual commercial, but carry on the idea that SNL is making fun of a culture which it is a part of. The "Mom Jeans" commercial plays on the idea of and American society which promotes certain aspects in mothers and that each mother fits a certain mold. This plays off the idea of the American dream and of a homogenous middle class, and satires both in the commercial. The features of the jeans are what SNL uses to satire the culture; the elongated fly and high waisted/ unflattering nature of the jeans come together to form an overall hilarious (but somewhat true) picture. The "Marble Columns" commercial makes fun of the mom and pop type of store often owned by immigrant families. The stores often sell items which are intended for the middle class, as in this one Mike is selling marble columns so that you will seem rich. This commercial also satires the American dream in its making fun of people actually willing to buy these columns in order to seem wealthy, the end goal of the dream. SNL parodies the columns by putting them in ridiculous places throughout the commercial such as in a bathroom or along your driveway. All of these commercials show how Americans like to laugh at themselves and reflect on their culture and its sometimes flawed/humorous aspects.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Monologue
I shall start this blog in the same way that Saturday Night Live starts every show, with a monologue. There is something surprisingly soothing about seeing your favorite actor/comedian/musician etc. by themselves on stage. There are no characters to be played or songs to be sung, but instead what we see is unfiltered personality flowing through whomever graces the stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Whatever their background in performing is, they are now on a sketch comedy show and they try to act accordingly. The funniest shine while the not-so-funny attempt and everyone has a laugh either way.
I think that the American people greatly connect with this portion of SNL because they see performers out of their usual element trying something new (most of the time), and because of that see themselves as equals with the host. The monologue takes the "glow" off of a star, and for a few minutes they are just like us; this is usually seen in any awkward moments that occur during their speech. This reflects the American Dream in that all of us want to be the best. In the moments where our Hollywood stars are mere "humans" like us, we can see ourselves as their equals and experience pure bliss.
Another aspect of the SNL monologue that is appealing to audiences is the fact that it is a break from the routine skits that the permanent cast members perform. It is a chance for the host to showcase their own comedic abilities and have their own personality involved. While some of the skits in SNL can involve aspects of the host's life, the monologue is a time where they have the stage completely to themselves and can share with the audience whatever they like. This change of pace is appreciated by the American audience which often gets fed up with repetition. Also, the audience gets a chance to hear the latest news regarding the host's life.
The monologue starts off every episode of Saturday Night Live, and this monologue has now started off my blog. In the same way that SNL's monologue is a chance for viewers to see the host by themselves, this monologue too has been a chance for me to show you what my writing is like and what this blog will be like. Hopefully you have enjoyed it and will read the rest of my posts.
-Peter
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