SNL...Your Thoughts...

[Laser Battle]

What do people think of the current state of this legendary sketch show. I think it's unfortunate that Rob had to join the cast at such a low point. Last year was a pretty bad year, and this year appears to be worse.

Do you think it's the writing? Do you think Lorne is trying to change his ways to appeal to a teenage audience, to desperately increase his rating points?

I think the cast is all talented but it's still missing its top dog. Perhaps Rob will slowly rise to the top, but still, it seems like a cast of very talented secondary performers. There doesn't appear to be a Will Ferrel, Phil Hartman, etc... Someone that you tune in to watch no matter what sketch they're in.

I don't know, this has just been bugging me, an avid watcher and fan. I'd like to hear the thoughts of more experienced comedians, some of which even know Mr. Rob Riggle and perhaps can relay his thoughts on the show directly to this here board.

Thanks.

~ Steve

 

[yatesy]

While I think some of the sketches aren't quite up to snuff, I don't think it's so bad. Even when it's really funny, people still bitch.

 

[Ute Giddeon]

The cast and writers are so talented. But they're consistently under-rehearsed and don't have thier lines memorized. The skits are directed for stage instead of for the camera.

 

[MarkOn10th]

That Racial Tension Headache commercial made me laugh really hard.

 

[Fatal Triscuit]

I stopped watching after the Rodney Dangerfield tribute. What were they thinking! There is no reproducing Rodney. The audience didn't want to laugh you could tell.
The pubic hair shampoo commercial and Tina and Amy on Weekend Update was the only skits I thought were really funny.

 

[youngcat]

Personally, I have a hard time figuring out if I'm laughing at things because they are funny, or because It's Raj, Amy or Riggle doing the funny.

 

[Rory]

I think the news is better. Amy taking that show is like Steward taking the seat at the Daily show. So better and no half stepping gigling bullshit what's his name had.

But to me when you say the "Writing is bad or good" in terms of SNL I think it's important to quantify that in realm of, is it the process the show is putting the writer through the problem or is it the writer's themselves. The show is geared towards the formulas of prior success. Namely outlandish characters.

I think the process sucks.

The women on the show are totally kicking ass, they are much more confident and comimited then the guys overall. Because God dislikes me intensely everytime I channel surf I miss seeing Riggle and haven't caught him yet.

The talent of the players on show I think is very high on average, however I sense an overall fear of the audience affecting there playing, also it is all intimating and not acting. Hamond is an amazing impressionist but you don't have to do that to do that work. The Predidential debate sketch suffered most because both players seemed rushed, fearful or with a high success expectation going througth their heads, but most importantly they took themselves out of the characters that are based on the canidates. You need yourself that is why Ferrell could do Bush. to me.

And doesn't anyone on that show remember that making fun of the real world is funnier then making up a crazy town universe.

But still sketch that is not done live is even worse and it still has a lot of great moments.

 

[Whines]

I haven't watched this year or last. But I know that throughout my entire life, with rare exception, everyone I know has consistently bitched about the current year of SNL, and lauded whatever was going on about 5 years before.

I'd like to hear someone figure out what it's doing RIGHT. You say "running gags," "outrageous characters", "pop culture name-dropping" ---- but every other comedy show does that and no one gives a shit. Here's what's essentially true: SNL has held people's attention like no other television show -- sketch comedy or otherwise --- since it hit the airwaves. I'm sometimes baffled by that too, but it's true! So how come?

 

[Erik with a "K"]

I think the commercials have been the best thing about the show.

 

[BensonBelvedere]

For some reason I'm using the Matrix for an analogy(?)

At the risk of seeming like the complete geek I am, I'm going to use a Matrix analogy to describe SNL.


The first Matrix was a great movie because it was new and original, but after that every other movie started using bullet time fight scenes when it didn't even make sense in the reality of there movie. Then came the Matrix sequels, and they couldn't even heighten there own series, so the series got sequentially worse.

SNL started with an amazing cast, and as the years went on slumped and peaked. I grew up watching the Meyers/Carvey cast which then transitioned to Farrelly/Sandler then a little slump and the Will Ferral cast transitioned to now.

Unquestionably the performers are funny they're not to blame for the most part although they may be rushed like some people have mentioned, but when I've seen most of them do improv, they've been funny.

I do think the writing is to blame, but I also think they have there hands tied because they're trying to make sketches that could be movies and not just sketches. This has been the problem for awhile, but when Adam McKay was head writer they still managed to have great sketches once you sat through the reaccuring ones.

It may also be that SNL is just too damn big. Most of the great sketch groups have never gotten as big as SNL not even Kids in the Hall, and in there case it was a small group and the cast never really changed that much. Then again, what other sketch group has been around as long as SNL?

My point which I know I've taken a long time to get to is that SNL needs to stop trying to make sequels to the success it had, and reinvent itself. catering to teens is pointless there attention spans are growing increasingly smaller, and if your going to do political humor put some more thought behind it. When Dana carvey did Bush it was goofy and funny, but it was also real satire and often times showed how ridiculous that Bush administartion was as well.

Although this same advice could probably be applied to many things of TV. At least by adding Riggle there is some hope that they are moving in the direction of adding cast members that are good at sketch and don't necessarily just appeal to some demographic.

 

[Asaf]

There doesn't appear to be a Will Ferrel, Phil Hartman, etc... Someone that you tune in to watch no matter what sketch they're in.

I think that Dratch and Poehler are very much that type of player. I think Rachel especially does incredible work with whatever she is given, even if it is a bit part or particularly bad writing.

I also think Will Forte will do really well this season. His Bush impression alone is laugh out loud funny while being incredibly spot on.

 

[Holmes]

There's always good people and not-so-good people and good writing and not-so-good writing. I really think that the problem is that people remember only the best of the past and compare it to everything that they see now.
Also, you can't compare SNL to Kids in the Hall or even to MAD TV, really. SNL is LIVE, for the most part at least, and that Really affects how it is set up. That's why there are so many talk show sketches and restaurants sketches and car sketches. A live production is really different from a taped one.

 

[noeld]

I think SNL's biggest problem is the breaking during scenes epidemic. It destroys scenes in my opinion. And even if they think it is a funny thing to happen here and there, it is happening in almost every single scene. Outside of that, I think the show is better than it has been for a while. I can't stress my annoyance at the breaking during scenes thing enough though. If I wanted to see that I would have rented a Harvey Korman video.

 

[MarkOn10th]

Rappin' about Rodney

I stopped watching after the Rodney Dangerfield tribute. What were they thinking!

I'm going to disagree with you on this one. I thought that bit was very tasteful, respectful, and still funny. What should they do to mark the passing of a mainstay of comedy? Remember, Rodney's career was linked with so many comics and actors from SNL generation.

And I thought Raj summed it up beautifully at the end of the segment, "I just wanted to hear those lines one more time."

Me too.

 

[dggoldst]

I haven't watched this year or last. But I know that throughout my entire life, with rare exception, everyone I know has consistently bitched about the current year of SNL, and lauded whatever was going on about 5 years before.

Yes!

 

[BSteuernagel]

What should they do to mark the passing of a mainstay of comedy?

They could have showed his monolouge from the show he hosted in '79 with a "Thank You, Rodney" at the end. I thought Hammond's impression stunk.

*******************************************************************************
79m Rodney Dangerfield / The J. Geils Band
...............................................................................

cold: host gets little respect from dressing room hog Father Guido Sarducci
mono: host does self-deprecating stand-up, solicits OK signs from audience
comm invest in the Niggerand, the gold coin mined by South African laborers
skit: host dreams he's the most popular donor at Dr. Shockley's House of Sperm
song: musical guest performs "Love Stinks"
news: BIM interviews Jerry Mathers & Tony Dow [real] about Vietnam death rumor
news Father Guido Sarducci interviews an Italian who underwent a race change
skit Manhasset- (host)'s relationship with 10 year-old (LAN) mirrors Manhattan
show: Road To Moscow- Curt Gowdy (HAS) & athletes mull USA Olympic boycott
misc GIR & JAC tell viewers that next week's SNL will be the 100th episode
skit: people in court play schoolroom pranks on a substitute judge (BDM)
song musical guest performs "Sanctuary"
comm: America On The Job- American Garment Inspectors Association is saluted

 

[Laser Battle]

I think that the show just isn't flowing as well because the whole cast is fairly new. I mean most of the main players were featured players for the majority of their time on the show, so I think that hopefully the shows are sort of in a creative "valley" but hopefully that means they'll just consistantly climb from there...or here rather. I notice a lot of new names on the writing staff, and I already mentioned the new cast, so maybe it'll be like '85 where everyone was settling back in.

I think a better question would be, not "is it good" but rather, "When do you think it'll be cancelled?"

Perhaps it will retire with Lorne?

 

[DJ Plan B]

I've been watching for pretty much the entire run of SNL - off and on - and I disagree. The quality has gone down progressively with little spots here and there of excellence. I think part of it is just the nature of the beast when you take something that was basically underground to begin with and then get all corporatized. Let's face it, Lorne Michaels isn't as willing to take the risks he used to.

That said, I watched the first episode this year and was falling asleep in the first half hour. I was pleasantly surprised to see some pretty good stuff after that, though I think it would be better to lead with the funnier pieces to keep an audience watching.

As for your final question, Will, I'd say it's because SNL is a cultural icon. It's like watching an old movie star age not so gracefully.

I haven't watched this year or last. But I know that throughout my entire life, with rare exception, everyone I know has consistently bitched about the current year of SNL, and lauded whatever was going on about 5 years before.

I'd like to hear someone figure out what it's doing RIGHT. You say "running gags," "outrageous characters", "pop culture name-dropping" ---- but every other comedy show does that and no one gives a shit. Here's what's essentially true: SNL has held people's attention like no other television show -- sketch comedy or otherwise --- since it hit the airwaves. I'm sometimes baffled by that too, but it's true! So how come?

 

[Asaf]

I think there is a better chance that it won't be shot live anymore than that it will be cancelled. I mean, why is it live still? It doesn't allow itself to be spontaneous. The skits are kept very tight as far as not needing to move around very much for the most part (which is why the talk show format was being done every other sketch for a while there). They don't allow for the thrill of fucking up that comes with being live except for the breaking up in the middle of sketches. So why is it live? I asked Tim Kazurinsky about this once and he said "Why do you think I brought in the monkeys?"

 

[Clearglasscup]

SNL ...my thoughts..

Only 2 things....Amy as white Politician's wife in the 'hood was funny. And I LOVE when Drunk girl makes her appearances on the weekend update..who is that that plays her ?