Saturday Night Live is off to a bit of a rocky start this season. Last week's season premiere opened with the very well done Sarah Palin/Hillary Clinton sketch. Former cast-member, Tina Fey, returned to play Palin. The sketch was a bit of a media sensation, and its popularity overshadowed the mediocrity of the rest of the episode. That was not the case this week. There was no outstanding sketch to make viewers forget that the rest of show wasn't up to par. James Franco hosted, but the blame really lies with the writing. Frequently the sketches were lacking originality and imagination, making for a less than thrilling show.
Cold Open: "McCain Recording Session" (Grade: D)
A fairly obvious dig at John McCain's ad campaign. Basically McCain's approved any ad that showed Obama in a bad light regardless of whether or not there was any truth behind them. Bill Hader did the voice-overs in a super sarcastic tone. Darrell Hammond has not yet come up with a character for McCain, and basically plays him the same way he played Dick Cheney. This is the kind of sketch I'm afraid I'll see as the cold open every single week. Apparently everyone involved with SNL is more concerned with their political agenda than coming up with something funny.
Opening Monologue: James Franco (Grade: B)
James Franco is taking a break from Hollywood and is enrolled in Columbia University's MFA Writing Program. The sketch revolved around Franco trying to be the normal college student but not being able to break away from his movie star status. Jason Sudeikis had a funny bit as the RA who was no longer the big man on campus after Franco's arrival.
"The Cougar Den" (Grade: D)
Once again SNL falls back on the tried and (sometimes) true talk show sketch. "The Cougar Den" is a cross between "Coffee Talk," "Pretty Living," and the short-lived "Bronx Beat." Three middle-middle aged society women sit around talking about their lives, while smoking and sipping cocktails. The main problem with this sketch is the over-acting. It seems like everyone thinks they are being a lot funnier than they actually are. Casey Wilson completely overdoes her "older lady" voice. Amy Poehler has done a variation of this character so many times, it doesn't seem fresh in any way. Cameron Diaz made a cameo as a "cougar" who scored a hot young boyfriend (Franco). I'm not sure why Diaz was there. Maybe they are so in need of female performers they have find anyone willing to come on the show.
Article comments
1 - Dick Cheney
Oh, come on. The opening McCain commercial bit was hilarious and you know it. Try watching it again without your political agenda blinders on.
It was an excellent satire of the sleazy, dishonest commercials coming from the McCain/Bush team that even Karl Rove has said were lies.
"Barack Obama wants to give tax cuts to pedophiles." "I'm John McCain and I approve this message."
2 - Carl Rove
Hey, "Dick Cheney", if that is your real name. How dare you accuse the writer, Sherry Lipp (if that is her real name), of being a biased Republican. Maybe she lives in an area where they aren't showing those offensive, lying McCain campaign commercials. If you haven't seen the commercials, then you wouldn't understand how funny the sketch was.
"Barack Obama has fathered two black children, in wedlock." "I'm John McCain and I approve this message."
3 - John McCane
Hold on, you two. This is John McCain and I've been assured by the Bush team that is writing my commercials attacking Barack Obama that they are all true.
My new commercial is about how Barack Obama wants to enslave the white race & take away our Bibles and guns. I'm John McCain and I approve this message.
4 - Brad Laidman
Don't get me wrong - the show sucks - but why exactly is pot humor too immature to do? Especially, given the fact that Franco is essentially reprising his latest role in Pineapple Express, which was both fairly immature and extremely funny.