Don Roy King's problems with directing SNL were fully in evidence this episode. During the "Jon Bovi" sketch (You Can't Do That On Television's "opposite sketch" concept applied to music), there were a LOT of shots where the two dumbass headbangers looked completely and directly at the cue card, suggesting bad cue card placement. This would have been ignorable if not for the next sketch suffering from much the same problem. King might have extensive experience with live television, but SNL is not Good Morning America. I know people criticize SNL for relying on cue cards, but rarely has the problem been this noticeable. The cast really needs to relearn the fine art of memorizing lines, fast.
The sketches themselves were all over the map. Taped "New York City Stories" segments were fair to very good. It's nice to see Fred Armisen play Martin Scorsese, Lou Reed (though his impression of Reed is shit), and Fran Lebowitz. Amy Poehler was good as Patti Smith and Yoko Ono, but her Rosie Perez seemed more like Björk. Things like Kenan Thompson in drag ("call me Virginiaca") mothering a budding wigger and an incomprehensible local news sketch that had no point to it should not have passed dress rehearsal.
Weekend Update was better this week than last, partly due to the improved quality of jokes and partly due to Hader's O'Toole impression. While there was nothing too notable about Update bar Hader, a decent segment featuring Fred Armisen ripping off Ugly Betty ("Fugly Betsy") plunged in quality when Maya Rudolph brought out her Charo impression. It's Thanksgiving here in Canada, and I smell ham!
After Weekend Update, the bottom completely fell out of SNL. A "NASCARettes" sketch reminded me of the worst sketches from 1994-95 — women (and one man) being run over by fast cars is just not a funny concept for sketch comedy. I fully expected one of the NASCARettes to find gold coins in a railing or yell "HOLY SCHNIKEYS" at one point. "Big Wigs" — female corporate executives with big hair, it's such a subtle concept — was just too out there, not to mention how Jaime Pressly and Poehler both sounded like Nicole Sullivan's Vancome Lady. As for a sketch featuring a Kuato from Total Recall, that just came out of left-field and was bizarre for the sake of being bizarre. Add to that a gratuitous Darrell Hammond Governator impression and you've officially lost me.
Article comments
1 - Victor Lana
I hate to say it, but this show is in more trouble than Mark Foley at a Boy Scouts picnic.
2 - Joan Hunt
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I'm going out on a limb here and stating the cue cards have ALWAYS been a problem, after the first couple of truly fantastic casts left, that is. Throwing a show together in a week, with last minute changes means cue cards are necessary for the guest stars, but the regular cast SHOULD be better than to have to rely on them.
3 - Cameron A.
What would be considered "the first couple of truly fantastic casts" to you, Joan? I'm curious.
Frankly, I think even the original cast relied on cue cards to some extent (the myth is that they bring more "immediacy" to the show, which is crap) but they were good enough actors that you know they didn't have to DEPEND on them. A lot of the "good" castmembers could also write their own sketches, something that you don't see as much on SNL. That's still no excuse for somebody like Will Forte to stare at cue cards like they're deer roadkill.
4 - Baronius
Cameron, there's not much excuse for somebody like Will Forte.
I realize they had Jaime Pressly on the show, so there was going to be some Earl-type humor, but have you noticed how often the show resorts to making fun of the hicks (i.e. non-New Yorkers)?
5 - El Bicho
I must be missing the gag, but what would be the point of David Herman and Artie Lange cameos? Also, how does MADtv have initial superiority?
I know everyone romanticizes the past, but every cast has used cue cards, and without knowing the behind the scenes activities, you don't know if this sketch was added at the last minute.
What's the incentive for SNL to change their ways? It's been crap for years and people keep watching. If you really want it to improve, give it some tough love and stop watching it.
6 - Cameron A.
Lange and Herman played the Deliverance rednecks during a first-season episode of MADtv. I was referencing how the first few seasons of MADtv were better than what SNL was coming out with back then. Then again, that's a feeble in-joke and I should really stop making them.
By the way, I did stop watching this show for a few years after the 2001-02 season and have been an on-again-off-again SNL fan since around 1993. I've heard the "SNL is crap" comments for years and you're entitled to them, El Bicho, but this is the second week in a row you've posted to say what amounts to "IT'S CRAP AND WHY DO YOU WATCH IT?" Is it me you're bothered with or do you just think SNL is in terminal decline?
7 - El Bicho
Actually last week I said it wasn't cutting edge comedy anymore. This week I said it was crap. Two different things. Everybody Loves Raymond certainly isn't cutting edge, but it's funny within the sitcom confines.
You don't seem to happy with SNL from the past couple of reviews. Why do you keep torturing yourself?
8 - Cameron A.
Last week you also openly wondered why anyone complains about SNL, comparing the complaints about the show to complaints about Rolling Stone magazine. You're still inferring that it's not worth the time to criticize the show.
I'm not happy with SNL the way it is now. That's because the show, while better than it was a few years ago, still isn't near as good as it could be with the cast it has now. I still think this year the show's going to continue to improve, something I haven't felt about this show for more than half a decade. If I didn't think there was an upside to SNL, I wouldn't be writing reviews about the season. That said, it's not like I'll be watching for the entire season if the sketches become as bad as they were in 2003-04 or 2004-05.
9 - wait..what
no matter what high end writters or believed to be funny people think! i laughed my ASS off on that episode, from the cider, to the Nascarettes! i cant wait to see it again! its not about being smart comedy (which im in no way against) but theres no danger in it being funny or silly or even stupid, maybe its that some of the audience is getting older and its time for them to go watch some random movie in the hallmarck channel, but for the new audience ( relativley new ) that was gold, and if gold to you tv scholars is as said 'shit', then this is shit-tastic!