One of my funny quirks (well, it's funny to me) is that I tend to sleep through Saturday Night Live episodes at times. That's why you didn't see an Alec Baldwin/Christina Aguilera review from me last week. I did manage to catch everything from Weekend Update on, and it seemed more of the same from Lorne and the gang.
That might sound ludicrous considering Baldwin hosting and six cameos. I've been accused of rehashing the past too much with earlier SNL reviews, but how else can you explain cameos from Steve Martin, Martin Short, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, and Paul McCartney? The only cameo appearance that didn't tie in with SNL's past was Tony Bennett's, and that only came about due to Alec Baldwin playing him as a recurring character.
I will review the Baldwin episode when it is rerun, since SNL is improving. It's obvious Baldwin is being groomed for Most Frequent SNL Host in History status. I have the feeling he'll host fifteen more times before the show gets sick of him twenty-five years from now.
Oh, this week we had cast members in turkey suits introducing Ludacris as musical guest. So SNL isn't thoroughly obsessive about its past, then? Huh?
Ludacris was a pretty damn entertaining host. I wasn't expecting much from the man — combination hosts/musical guests are a mixed bag and there's a tendency for a general-interest sketch comedy show to "go black" whenever there's a black host. Ludacris' SNL episode is no exception, but he carried the show. While not a classic, none of the sketches were of "Big Wigs" quality — well, aside from a sketch about a lesbian cruise, and even that wasn't too offensive. SNL wasn't trying to top the orgiastic self-love of last week and it would seem churlish if it did.
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Article comments
1 - Al Barger
Cameron, it seems like you're just looking for excuses to carp on SNL. Particularly, it seems like YOU'RE the one obsessing on past SNL glory much more than the current cast and writers. You're reaching back to last week to bitch about a couple of cameos, but the continuing prospect of cool cameos is a commercial selling point for the show. Plus, the rivalry between repeat hosts is a perfectly good avenue for satirizing star egos. Plus, you're REALLY reaching to complain about them dressing people up in turkey outfits at Thanksgiving.
Tony Bennett's presence was not just because of the Alec Baldwin sketch- though that would be a perfectly good reason. Bennett also has a big network special coming up, which includes a duet with Christina Aguilera. Thus, he was there to sing with Christina- which worked out better than I might have guessed.
You seemed to miss out with the Blizzard Man sketch, in that the point was not so much the bad rapper but watching the real rapper totally getting into something so actively awful.
Also, Maya Rudolph ROCKS. It seems particularly silly to complain about "overacting" in a sketch comedy show. Such a thing is much more about caricature and parody than about "realistic" acting.
SNL RULEZ!
2 - Cameron A.
So what do you want in the Matthew Fox/Tenacious D review, then? You don't like something in my writing style or review of the show. What don't you like?
3 - jose
and will forte was way funnier as bush - the new guy was flat. yes forte played it whiney, cuz he was playing a whimpy whiner.
4 - Me
Your comments, "A few years into his Saturday Night Live tenure, it's obvious Kenan Thompson isn't that good a cast member." is wrong. Sorry to have to tell you this. Please contact anyone who studies the art of acting to understand further. Thanks.