Photos
Well, that was unfortunate! Although this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live did have its moments (Andre the Giant, specifically), the episode almost entirely comprised very long one-joke sketches that never seemed like they would end, and maybe they never even did end and we’re all still watching them right now and will be forever until we die. This is extra sad because Jason Segel was the host, and he is the best! I’m not sure if you share this experience, but it almost always seems like whenever I’m looking forward to a particular SNL host — Paul Rudd being a topical example of this — the episode always falls flat in a way that seems even worse than when it falls flat with a host I don’t care about. Not even because I was expecting it to be better, just because it actually IS worse than normal. Why does that happen? GUYS? We’re all praying for everyone who experiences this disappointment, I’m sure. I did think Jason Segel was very funny in whatever (usually small) role he was given in each of his sketches, but it’s hard for one man, under the weight of so many muppets, to save a sinking ship full of Vogelchecks. (And the RETIREMENT PARTY sketch?! I’m not even sure what the joke was supposed to be! That Kristen Wiig yells a lot? That a guy is drunk? Holy moly. I’d like to RETIRE from watching that sketch, right? SNL should hire me to write the jokes.) But, like I said, there were some good moments!
UGH, piano singing in the monologue! As we all know and definitely thought about when we saw Jason Segel headed toward the piano during the monologue, I do not like when hosts sing and play piano during their SNL monologues. I am also pretty sick of the muppets at this point. With those two things being said, though, I guess this was cute enough. I’m sure AMERICA loved it. Hahah. General dissatisfied angst is what everyone looks for when they read a review of something, correct? Check!
I liked the Regis auditions sketch. It was the first of MANY very long one-note sketches, but I do have a soft spot (formed by the screentest sketches) for sketches that are only for the purpose of everyone doing a million impressions. Though, these impressions were not very good? I mean, they were fine. But I wasn’t BLOWN AWAY by anybody except for Ricky Gervais, who was perfect. (Also Garrison Keillor.) (Also Zooey Deschanel.) (Also Kathie Lee.)
The “Kemper Pedic Bed” commercial was pretty funny!
Weekend Update had a few good moments, the first being “REALLY?!!?” with Seth and Kermit:
Aww, KERMIT! I enjoyed it, even with the Muppets overload I’m experiencing currently. And the second mentionable Weekend Update moment is, of course, the REAL LIFE Jon Huntsman with a bunch of jokes about loving New Hampshire!
Thank you, Mr. President!
I didn’t like the digital short this week, though it was certainly a lot better than last week’s. That is why I’m including it. Wasn’t it better than last week’s?!
I really do not like Vogelchecks sketches BUT I guess they are going to be with us forever, and also this one included Paul Rudd, so HERE IT IS! Hi, Paul Rudd! I love you, Paul Rudd!
I have no idea WHAT was going on with this “Blue Jean Committee” sketch. To be honest, I tuned out halfway through. So maybe it got super funny at the end, but only in a way that made sense if you were REALLY paying attention? Was that it? Hello?
And, finally, “Andre The Giant Picks An Ice Cream Flavor.” Short. Simple. Very good. Thank you and goodnight.
Florence and the Machine performed and had the same problems they had last time they performed on SNL: Not being able to sound great. Oh well! Better next time, Florence!
 |
 |
You Might Also Like
 This Week In GIFs |  Saturday Night Live: Paul Rudd And Paul McCartney |  Saturday Night Live: Anne Hathaway And Florence & The… |  Saturday Night Live: Zach Galifianakis With Vampire Weekend |
Leave a Reply
Sign inSign in with FacebookYou must be logged in to post, reply to, or rate a comment.
I actually really LIKED the show. It was a good mix of joke-joke-joke sketches (Regis) and character sketches (Retirement). One thing I noticed (this episode/this year?) is that the audiences have not been effusive (?) with their laughter. Case in point, I thought Kristen Wiig’s character was hilarious in the retirement party sketch but NO ONE in the audience was laughing, so maybe the viewer doesn’t think it’s as funny?
Also, Kristen Wiig’s dance in the New Jack Thanksgiving spot is the best. If a gif of that exists, I would watch it over and over until the end of all time.
if anyone is lacking in effusiveness it is the writers who come up with this garbage
To be fair, Kristin Wiig could read the phonebook and make it funny
remember when she did the character who would review movies? I give this movie a “whhhaaaa?!” and that one time, “The only happy feet are mine when I walked out of this movie. Oh brother!” Rad character.
I was not familiar with that sketch, but I just looked it up. I thought it was very funny, but you know what? The audience didn’t laugh at it. So you might argue that the problem is me or my taste. However, the audiences, like I mentioned in my previous comment, have been garbage throughout the season, and have also been quiet during other (more) objectively funny material. So….I say the problem is THEM. I also am a big Wiig fan, so I might see what I want to see. But you can’t argue that anyone is more committed to their characters than her.
why care what the audience does? how about you try to learn to assert yourself independently rather than rely on others for validation like some kind of needy emotions parasite
I was more using the audience as a barometer for how the general population likes a sketch and commenting on how audience laughter can inform viewer’s perception of the sketch. I have no problem saying that I think the sketch was funny, I’m just also saying that viewer’s perceptions of the sketch can be formed by audience behavior.
you worry about “fondue cheddar”
apologies for the quality…but maybe that will keep you from actually watching it until the end of time.
woops…here
But this is the EXACT same movement she uses in *any* of her funny sexy dances. Look up the soft-core porn aerobics video w/Drew Barrymore. Literally the same movement. And I’m pretty sure she did it in Bridesmaids when she was trying to get the attention of the guy from the IT Crowd.
I find her terribly unfunny because she does 3 things, overacts them to death and then Lorne puts them on repeat forever. There are so many funny cast members and every week it’s the goddamn Kristin Wiig show.
quit acting like you and Lorne Michaels are on a first name basis, guy
Thanks BMV! and @badideajeans, it’s probably not a useful exercise to defend an opinion so I won’t. But I’ll just say I think she is the one of the funniest performers out there, and as a performer myself, I appreciate how committed she is to all of her characters. If there were a KristEn (I”D BEEN USING AN “i”) Wiig show, I would watch the hell out of it.
No, I’m not attacking your opinion. Sorry if it came off that way. I’ve just been watching her do the same schtick every Saturday for what feels like a decade… and it makes me insane.
I’d love to get her on her own show, if only to get her off SNL so funnier women in the cast can get more exposure.
Anyone else notice that Andy Samberg was dressed as Carl Sagan in the digital short?
My boyfriend did! He’s kind of a nerd.
I did and that’s why I loved it so much forever.
Yes. And I loved it.
The short got extra laughs from me because it came off the heels of me hearing a bunch of people trashing the new Twilight movie and talked about the chess between honeymoon sex montages with a bunch of “how is chess sexy?” questions.
I got pissed because it was obvious that Edward moved his piece INTO check, and that is not allowed. Also, Bella saying “I win” instead of “Checkmate” really pissed me off. More than anything, what really pissed me off is that thanks to this movie the rules of Chess have been changed forever and I just have too deal with it.
Where can I get a chess set that sparkles in sunlight?
Paul Rudd and Jason Segel sticking their tongues down each others throats was both disgusting and hysterical all at the same time.
it was gross
They’re pretty.
the hair pulling!
The retirement party sketch was just awful. But the “Red Flag” commercial was pretty good.
“Red Flag” was a re-run, but you’re right on with the retirement party. That might be the single least funny sketch SNL has ever produced.
No no. Every “DogShow” sketch with Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon is worse.
I thought the Regis replacement sketch was hilarious. Who knew Sudeikis had it in him? That was brilliant.
Monologue was good, but (secretly) can’t wait for Segal to finish his Muppet promoting, would’ve liked to see what else he would’ve brought sans saccharine singing.
How is it possible to be sick of the Muppets?
I didn’t see it but there seems to be a lot of dudes kissing, so I highly approve!
SNL: America’s favorite source of tired, unfunny, pretty homophobic dude on dude kissing jokes.
You’re probably right. It’s an easy joke, but still I’m desperate and will take what I can get. No matter how pathetic and petty the eye candy is.
I too loved kermit in the “really” bit. He’s the best muppet. And the Regis replacement sketch was so good, especially “Kathy Lee” scooting by with her wine. We’ve had enough of the disgusting kissing family, but we’ll never have enough of SNL.
I had such a crush on Kermit when I was a kid. That’s probably what makes me such an enthusiastic furry to this day.
Vogelcheks, go away. That one-note has rung its course.
Andre the Giant may be top three sketches of the year so far.
Florence not sounding good? Really? I actually and literally said to my wife during the show, “wow, unlike some bands on this show she sounds insanely good.” Wonder what Stereogum thinks.
Regis & Kelly was solid. And I thought that was the best SNL Short of the season too.
Ricky Gervais was spot on awesome, though. And even though he’s really proven to do one thing great in his short SNL stay so far, Jay Pharoah’s Denzel is hysterical. Also, too little Taran Killam.
I cannot explain why I laughed as hard as I did at the Blue Jean Committee sketch. There were literally no jokes whatsoever in it, but it had me in stitches. Also I laughed at the Retirement Sketch? Not the Jason Segel parts, the Kristin Wiig parts. Whatever. I’d been drinking.
I liked it, too. Bobby Moynihan’s reaction shot made the sketch for me.
Oh my god I loved the Blue Jean Committee sketch too. The “some people say I’m a good lyricist. What do you guys think?” and Paul Rudd’s reaction shot and that catchy “Massachusetts Afternoon” song (seriously, it was ridiculous, I had it in my head all night)…
I though Kristen Wiig was hilarious in retirement. I was dying. Until the very last time she went on stage, then it seemed like overkill. But the first two times: very good
I want to sit on a porch and drink cinnamon beer with Jason Segel. So I liked this sketch.
What is WITH SNL & the gross family sketches? In the ’90s it was that family that chewed each other’s food, in the aughts we get the Vogelcheks. SNL is like the annoying kid in middle school who repeats the same joke, louder & louder, until he’s sure that EVERYONE in the room has heard it.
To be serious, though, this is the best season of SNL in years.
Andre the Giant was my highlight and I think I’ve figured out my costume for next Halloween.
I’m loving that SNL is willing to get weird. The Blue Jean Committee, Retirement and Andre the Giant sketches were just WEIRD. They didn’t always work joke-wise, but everyone was into it and committed to whatever. It was just so nice to not have an entire hour and a half dedicated to a fake talk show or 10, or a band singing stupid jokey songs. Blue Jean Committee was a stupid song but it was different somehow. The only low moments were the Vogelchecks (though again they just all commit to those scenes, which is kind of awesome) and Paul Brittan’s awkward announcer during the Regis sketch (maybe something was up with the cameras or cue cards? He’s usually more on point) but overall a solid episode.
Also having Huntsman on and the chess sketch both made me laugh harder than I had any right to laugh. When Samberg bites the glass in front of Olivia Wilde I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe, and I can’t really explain why.
A thousand times yes to this. Weird abstract > Kristin Wiig mugging.
Kelly, totally agree about pretty much everything in this post. I love love love Jason Segel, but I thought that he was generally underutilized in this episode.
Also wasn’t super impressed with Florence and the Machine, but I might be the only person on earth who doesn’t really like her music. Is she supposed to sing out of tune occasionally when she performs? But I will say that I like her enthusiasm – she has pretty great stage presence.
She seemed really nervous; that took a lot of the majestic, other-wordly energy out of her performance.
Did Kelly say she was sick of the Muppets? Dammit, the Muppets are not Whitney! They may be everywhere and in your face right now but dammit I missed the little felt monsters.
What’s hard to do is look past and ignore the Disney Machine’s money-grubbing licensing frenzy that comes with and detracts from the thing everyone was initially excited about: Another original Muppet movie that is not an adaptation of something else, helmed by Jason Segel and co.
Let’s just hope Segal was allowed to be funny and subversive without too many studio notes. I’ll even take sophomoric dick jokes. Honestly, I was surprised the Muppets even showed up bc of exactly what you just said.
I enjoyed this episode more than any other this season. I guess there’s no accounting for EATING GLASS!
Olivia Wilde’s cameo was super weird. The audience didn’t get excited for it (shame on you, audience) and she didn’t say a word for the entire 5 seconds she was on screen, so I’m sure some people were just like “Oh yeah, that’s another one of the cast members.” I loved it. And by “loved it” I mean I would like to ask Olivia Wilde something real quick if anyone has her phone number or whatever.
I thought that was her. And then I forgot all about even seeing her and thinking that.
I thought the joke with the Blue Jean Connection sketch/song was its hyper-specificity to the town in which they were performing? Like how most bands are all, “Detroit is our favorite city!”, when they’re playing in Detroit? But also it seemed like they were from the town they were playing in? The direction was weird though, in that Paul Rudd or Florence sans Machine would pop up on the edge of the frame in a shot of the band, and then we’d get a full shot of them watching the show? I still liked it though, so…
I thought the joke was that they were local guys who were about to make it big on the national circuit, but all their songs were hyper-specific to that exact area. When they’re first introduced, the woman says they just signed with a major label and were about to go on tour?
Also, I loved it. Especially when Paul Rudd made his asshole Wet Hot American Summer face. I love that face!
How has nobody mentioned Taran Killam’s 100% on-spot Ashton Kutcher impression and Fred Armisen’s incredible George Lopez? Between that and his Eminem impression from last season, I’m declaring Taran Killam to be the most underrated current SNL player.
The problem with Taran and Jay Pharoah is that they have little more than mimicking skills to bring to the table. So I might laugh at them, but really I’m laughing at the accuracy, not any added insight or humor. If you look at Kristen Wiig’s Cathy Lee, you see accuracy, but more importantly you see heightening so that the impression becomes this unique character that has its own momentum aside from its source.
I used to think this about Bill Hader. But he’s improved 100% as an impressionist, and I love him. So I’m willing to give them a chance. Although Pharoah REALLY irks me. He’s doing an Eddie Murphy impression ALWAYS.
Taran is super underrated, esp when you consider that he’s been around a long time & he has live sketch experience from MadTV. I think they’re using him an appropriate amt for a new featured player, but I expect him to be one of the big SNL stars in a couple years.
I know they mentioned it in the opening monologue, but the Muppets have been around since SNL’s inception (specifically The Land of Gorch skits in season 1). So by proxy, the Muppets are as SNL as long-time hosts Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, and 30 Rock (which has SNL cast members on it and is BASICALLY the Muppet Show).
So BACK OFF, KELLY! The Muppets have a movie coming out that ISN’T a remake of another movie in Muppet skin (Christmas Carol, Oz, etc) because Disney has no idea what to do with them, and they’re all really excited about it! IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN.
*** ‘because Disney has no idea what to do with them’ should have been inside the parentheses. I’m just so pro-Muppet I got too excited and made a grammatical mistake.
WHOOPS
‘because Disney has no idea what to do with them’ should have been inside the parentheses.
I’m just so pro-Muppet I got too excited and made a grammatical mistake.
yup x 300,000
The Blue Jean Committee sketch felt kind of like a re-tread of the Bottle of Sparkling Apple Juice sketch with Bryan Cranston which I really loved. But yeah, the joke was unclear and the whole thing fell flat.
But did you get it?
“As we all know and definitely thought about when we saw Jason Segel headed toward the piano during the monologue…”
Is it weird that this is exactly what I thought when he walked over to the piano? “Kelly Videogum is SO not happy right now”. Gahd, i’m such a fanboy. Clearly.
http://ygn。me/hENu17p polo only $18
Whoever wrote this hopefully isn’t getting paid to write. Anything. Anywhere. Have to love the pretentious douche bag that actually speaks without knowing! It’s like magic trick!
“Oh an article about each SNL skit”
NOPE
“Ooooh some idiot bitching about his likes and dislikes…”
YUUUUUUP