I'm not going to lie to Blogcritics readers: the John C. Reilly/My Chemical Romance episode of Saturday Night Live was disappointing. The early comments about the show on Saturday Night Live's forums are incredibly negative about SNL. Some of them are comparing the unfocused quality of the current season to 1980-81. Referencing 1980-81 is the SNL equivalent of Godwin's Law: there are other ways to criticize SNL rather than referencing that season, but I feel Doumanian's Law ends any credible discussion about the show.
The 1980-81 season of SNL was terrible, but I've actually seen episodes and sketches from that season. I have my doubts about people referencing Doumanian actually having watched any of the episodes and sketches from her short run. Trust me, Ebersol's run wasn't much better and he had a four-season tour with the show.
Is the 2006-07 season bad, though? It's not great so far. The John C. Reilly/My Chemical Romance episode felt like a throwback to the Ferrell era of Saturday Night Live, with all the highs and lows more common to his run of SNL than to any other. How surprising, then, that Will Ferrell interrupted John C. Reilly's monologue with his James Lipton impression. There was gay kissing in a sketch about a fat lady stuffing her hurt for a boyfriend with Mexican food, with Reilly playing the typical Chris Farley role.
There was a lazy credit crawl in an otherwise serviceable sketch about a homoerotic swimming instructor. The credit crawl has been SNL's Kryptonite since at least the 1980s. Weekend Update, although good this week, felt like a mélange of Norm MacDonald jokes and Fey/Fallon banter. Hell, after seeing the credit crawl to the "bearshark" sketch, I expected the bearshark to host Hey, Remember the 80s? Essentially, this was an episode written for the Ferrell pro tem in mind.
There were some things to like about this episode: a running series of short sketches ("McMillan Family Moment") about a father getting angry over how to eat an Oreo were damned decent, utilizing a progressive storyline with each sketch. First, the father gets pissed off at his son, then as a Big Brother, and finally bitches to his father over the "family tradition."
The SNL Digital Short ("Harpoon Man") was funny enough, with the fake blaxploitation music and credible use of breaking the fourth wall. A man in an orca suit is never a reliable narrator. Weekend Update is coming along nicely.
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Article comments
1 - Lono
a couple of thoughts - what is a credit crawl?
That being said, I am a HUGE fan of SNL. I have missed probably no more than 5 in the last 29 years. Last night was better than the bulk of last years. Also I am so tired of everybody bagging the show. Every single year I can ever remember watching SNL I remember the media bagging on it.
That is a cheap and easy out. Clearly SNL has a HUGE impact still on pop culture... since it has two off shoots on NBC.
I think the issue is that it takes a few years for us to appreciate a great SNL year. I think my favorite SNL that I can remember was the one with Soundgarden and Jim Carrey. If you can youtube the 'ride the snake' bit, you should. It was the funniest skit since Heather Locklear and Mike Myers doing 'Timesavers'.
We lost a lot of talent this year, and I kinda feel like we are starting over again. That's fine. Obviously Samberg has the potential to be a huge breakout star... of course... so did Jim Breur. He is doing my dishes right now, so potential doesn't mean too much.
Plus, we got a pretty sweet Will Ferrel cameo last night... so I ain't complaining.
2 - Lono
next week will be great. Except for Beck. I can't respect him anymore since I found out he was a Scientologist. Somehow, I don't mind finding out public figures/ role models are philanders, drug addicts, wife beaters, or Republicans.
However, once I find out someone is a Scientoligist... I lose all respect for them. I am still reeling from the news that Jason Lee (from Earl, and all the Kevin Smith movies) is one too.
There is one notable exception. Lisa Marie Presley is one, and I don't hold that against her. I can't imagine how much being Elvis' kid fucks you up... but I wouldn't hold it against her if she went all Patti Hearts on us
3 - savesnl
It was easily the best show of this season.
This season does not approach the levels of badness that the 1980-81 season dumped on us. Hell, it's not even 1994-95 bad.
4 - Al Barger
Some of your judgments against this episode of SNL seemed arbitrary, or just a difference in taste. I LIKED the singing bearshark. That's some good surrealistic flavor. You have to have balance with that, as it just gets blase if you go straight to left field with every sketch. But they don't do it that much.
And I was right anxious for Harpoon Man to get hold of that damned narrator. Thank you, Harpoon Man.
5 - Cameron A.
Lono mentioned the Heather Locklear episode (in particular Fred Wolf's sketch where she makes anti-Semitic remarks) and the Jim Carrey episode. I've honestly felt 1993-94 and 1995-96 were uneven years for the show, but not as bad as the season that sandwiches them. That Locklear sketch is a classic, though, I have to admit that.
I understand that some of my comments on SNL are arbitrary, Barger, since I don't think anyone can avoid subjectivity altogether in a review of a sketch comedy show (or of anything). I just felt the bearshark sketch went in two or three different directions, and the ending was a bit of a copout ("hey, this could be an allegory!") They could have done more with the idea, but at least it wasn't Big Wigs.
6 - Joan Hunt
Congratulations! This article has been selected for placement on Advance.net
7 - Ellen
I'm worried about the Hugh Laurie episode next week, too. Laurie is so classy and cool, and obviously a veteran of British comedy. I hope they don't put him into some lame, childish sketches! He's better than that.
8 - Brian
Bearshark was great, the Kim Jong-il is supposed to be terrible -- that is part of what makes it funny. 2 A holes was good. All in all, a very funny episode.
Stay in school, dummies.
9 - John R.Sims
Relating to the comment about Gary Numan.He has an excellant new album out called,"Jagged".Being a fan of his since the tubeway army days,I heartfully recommend it.He was touring North America not long ago and It would have benn awesome to have him on SNL again.Besides,he really sings his songs!
10 - Al Barger
Whereas I thought the bearshark sketch successfully went a couple of different directions, and was of only modest length in doing so. They got their licks in and stopped.
The ending about how this was all some kind of meaningful symbolism was completely unrelated to the rest of it, but a cute sideways swipe at artistic pretensions, and a clever final twist to tie it off.
Also the cold opening with Brit Hume interviewing President Bush was an especially good hit on ol' Bushitler. After Hume lays out facts and quotes at some length about how bad we're looking in Iraq, Bush answers not much more than "yes" as to whether we would still come out succesful. "That's good enough for me" says Brit Hume. End of interview.
11 - Landon Moore
I have to say that you made a lot of sense. I watched the episode that you were talking about and your right. As soon as I finished reading, I went and watched it again. It really isn't that great at all. Good writing my friend, good writing.
12 - Harpoon Woman
"Amy Poehler's Kim Jong-il impression is terrible"
This has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever read. Bad impression? I doubt you've ever even heard Kim Jong-Il speak. And even if you have, he speaks Korean, and she is speaking English.
What's funny is that a small white woman is portraying a guy who wants to be feared by the world. Her characterization is fine. And it makes me laugh just seeing her wild-eyed look. Perhaps the writing in Saturday's sketch wasn't so great, but it had nothing to do with Amy's impression.
13 - Cameron A.
This has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever read. Bad impression? I doubt you've ever even heard Kim Jong-Il speak. And even if you have, he speaks Korean, and she is speaking English.
From Wikipedia
He is also said to have received English language education at the University of Malta in the early 1970s, on his infrequent holidays in Malta as guest of Prime Minister Dom Mintoff.
Thanks for trying to hoist me on a petard, though! I appreciate it, anonymous person with an allegedly humourous handle!
Seriously, I don't buy the "it's supposed to be bad" excuse for Poehler's Kim Jong-il parody. I like Bobby Lee's Jong-il more than Poehler's, since his version doesn't come across as Hank Kingsley with slanty eyes.
14 - Kathy
Well, I dont really agree with the article. I am disappointed in SNL recently, but I thought this was one of the better episodes.
I do agree that bearshark and Kim Jong-Il were two horrible sketches. But, I thought that the one where Reilly was dressed as a woman was hysterical, as well as the colonial willamsburg sketch.
I was pretty impressed, but only because no longer do I expect SNL to ever be very funny.