When it comes to Saturday Night Live, the comments from Blogcritics readers are following a certain formula. There's at least one negative comment towards SNL in general every week I review the show, usually words to the effect of "Why is this show still on the air?" or "Where's the edge?"
Many of the same commenters appear with varying frequency - Lono, Al Barger, Baronius. Some people think I'm being too hard on SNL. Others wonder why anyone would still bother with the show.
As for the show's recent "memes" (as the e-kids e-say), "Dick in a Box" and Jake Gyllenhaal's monologue are mentioned with the most frequency. The Steve Jobs' segment of last week's Weekend Update is also doing well. The "please kill SNL" comments are always frequent. It's always nice to see the comments about SNL being as predictable as the show itself. Don't ever e-change, e-people.
Hardball with Chris Matthews - Different than the standard Hardball three-guests-and-Matthews-takes-the-piss-out-of-'em format as he and Hillary Clinton engage in mutual ass-kissing (not that kind, you sick freaks.) Better than usual for a cold opening and for Hardball, as it's about time this long-running sketch embraced a different format. Features censored swearing, which makes one wonder why Saturday Night Live doesn't hightail it to one of NBC's cable channels if it plans to rely more heavily on profanity.
Monologue - Jeremy Piven chats with a random audience member, talks about sexual relations with dolphins and cribs lines from the Alec Baldwin playbook. Good monologue, and I don't think the audience member was a plant from SNL's staff. SNL should really do this more. I wonder if the audience member got to keep the puppy and iPod Piven "gave" her.
Urigro - Urigro controls the quality of a man's piss. This wasn't much different from Dr. Porkenheimer's Boner Juice from a couple of seasons ago - remember Rob Riggle? Instead of "meatier" erections, the selling point here is "frothier, headier" urinations. This set the lowbrow tone for the night.
"NFL on CBS" - Andy Samberg plays a kid from the Make-A-Wish Foundation doing play-by-play. He says "That'll move the chain" a lot. Lazy ending, too - Samberg's character claims he has ADD, which in his case actually stands for "Automatic Death Disease." I wonder how many scripts were rejected this week so this could air as a leadoff sketch. Geez.
Article comments
1 - Lono
a mediocre show at best. I thought AFI was a boring ass disappointment. Being old, I don't really care for them. However, I have friends who swear they are the voice of a new generation. Just looked like a bunch of glam punks doing power pop.
Of course, the exact same thing was probably said about the Beatles, but AFI sucks.
The absolute best part of the show was during weekend update. At the end, they did a bit called 'oh really' and riffed about Mike Vick getting busted with pot in the airport. I was brilliant, and I seek to find it on youtube. I want to run an audio capture of just that bit to throw on my iPod. I haven't done that since 'Lazy Sunday'.
Piven did pretty good, he is a likeable guy and a great actor.
I fear this 'blizzard' bit of Samberg's is becoming a recurring bit (have seen it twice now). It doesn't have the legs in my opinion. I'd rather see Alec Baldwin do cameos as that scientist with a gift for dissing his peers, then overreacting wildly. Seriously, I love that bit.
2 - Baronius
(This is perfect. I have the opportunity to be unpredictable!) I saw the Caveman sketch, and thought it was really funny.
3 - Al Barger
I'm probably prone to being overly generous with the show, but this show was mostly fairly weak. I did, however, enjoy Hillary's meltdown on Hardball.
But the really interesting sketch was the unicorn. It's not the unicorn that's so special - it's only in the last few seconds. It's the mindset and resentment of the townspeople talking themselves into killing the goose that laid the golden eggs cause they resent needing them. Then there was Amy Poehler's guardian elf critter. This sketch will bear repeat viewings, I predict.
4 - Katie Cunningham
I LOVED the AFI preformance. I disagree with the writer who said AFI is milking the dark thing for all its worth. Davey Havok is writing these beautiful lyrics going with what he thinks and feels. Not just to appeal to the "emo era" going on arround us. I also remember Asking For It. Sure Im 14 but I have those cd's and they are as brilliant as the recent ones! Yes I am a real big fan of AFI but I do not believe the tech problem was meant as a sabotage plan. If it was they would have done it on both songs. AFI is the most amazing band out there. None of their songs suck. The band itself sends out a positive attitude by being straight edge and vegiterian/vegan. AFI kicks asss. If you disagree clearly you have never heard them before.
5 - mike
snl rules stop being so over critical.
6 - Crutnacker
Am I the only one who sensed that the cast hated Piven?
7 - AC3
AFI NEVER EVER stood for 'Asking for it' AFI fans would send fan mail with the title 'Asking for it' to AFI its been confirmed by the band SEVERAL times. you obviously didnt like them that much you didnt even know what AFI standed for.
8 - Rob
i hate people that complain about the skits being predictable... that's the point to some of them, because they are funny, and its funny to see that same character again.
it's just like debby downer... she does the exact same thing, but is still funny
blizzard man is hilarious, and i hope that they continue to make more blizzard man skits. Anyone that doesn't like it.. dont watch it.
sure the alec baldwin scientist skit is hilarious, i do love it. I love a lot of funny characters like that. BUT... they all do the same thing over and over and but slightly different.
so stop trying to rip on the blizzard man skit because it's "predictable"
notice how i said trying? because your negativity towards it is just retarded...
well i dont think i can make myself more clear..
9 - AFI ROCKS
AFI rocked that was the only reason I even watched this sarcastic peice of crap they call a show... I mean come on can it be any more pointless. They couldn't even hold it together for AFI's Miss muder performance.... I think this show should be cancelled an forgotten about. AN AS FOR AFI STANDING FOR "ASKING FOR IT" WELL YOUR A MORON IT USE TO STAND FOR "Anthems For Insubordinates"
10 - AC3
Anthems For Insubordinates? NO its been confirmed by the band "AFI Always stood for A Fire Inside."
moron.
11 - Sammi
AFI stands 4 A Fire Inside! who came up with Asking for it?