If anyone watched SNL this weekend, they would have noticed two things: Paul Rudd is like, the coolest guy in the world, and Justin Timberlake dances pretty well in high heels.
Here's one of the better sketches of the show (although we also loved the Samberg/Rudd "Everyone's a critic") where Justin rubs his butt all over Beyonce and we think, "How did Lorne Michaels figure out that weird dream we had back in 1999?"
Meet Michaela Watkins, newest member of the SNL troupe, doing her Arianna impression. And ha! It's pretty good. Especially how she incorporated her dorm room or whatever into her audition tape.
But if Lorne Michaels was going the political route for the rest of the season and trying to keep cashing in on the post-election viewership, why not hire a guy who looks reasonably like Obama? Not that there is anything wrong with Fred Armisen, but he just plays it so straight, and it brings up that issue of how do you make fun of a guy who represents real change and hope for our country? Blah bah. You guys know what I'm talking about.
But hey, at least Michaela will make a good Michelle Obama? And her Arianna is still way better than Tracy Ullman's.
CONTINUED »
Hey, one thing you can say about Sarah Palin is that she takes her teasing like a champ. Between all the Tina Fey-ism and the prank phone calls, the former beauty queen knows how to keep that Vaseline-induced smile on her face while gritting her teeth and asking for another.
Too bad you can't say as much for Keith Olbermann, who was subject to a parody on SNL this past weekend. While Olbermann's response wasn't quite at Wahlberg levels of disproportion (Olbermann starts with a compliment, goes for the kill, and then back to the compliment, which as any high school teacher will tell you, is the appropriate way to dole out criticism), he certainly had his feathers ruffled a bit, which is quite obviously the point when you go for character assassination.
Olbermann on his portrayal by the square-chinned Affleck brother, after the jump.
CONTINUED »
Not only are late-night comedians harder on John McCain than Barack Obama, but so are daytime talk show hosts.
But daytime and late-night shows have been an underrated factor in this campaign, and an undeniable advantage for Obama. Ellen DeGeneres, David Letterman and panelists on "The View" all confronted McCain, while Obama has basically joked and danced his way through such appearances, including a "Daily Show" stint last week in which Jon Stewart asked him about "the whole socialism/Marxist thing." If anyone doubts there is a liberal entertainment establishment, it has been vividly on display.
Maybe the truth of the matter is that Barack Obama would just be a better president, and it doesn't matter which softball show the candidates are on, John McCain just won't come off nearly as likable as his opponent.
Or maybe that Ellen character has something to hide from a McCain administration. Hmm…we haven't seen her with a boyfriend for awhile…
CONTINUED »
So a funny thing happened on the way to the SNL afterparty this weekend: Martin Eisenstadt, founder of the Eisenstadt Group political consulting firm and fanboy of Joe the Plumber, provided a detailed account of what went on after John McCain's cameo on NBC Saturday. On his blog. Because he is creepy as all get out.
As popular as John and Cindy were at the party, the real star was Joe. Over 6 feet, tan, with rippling muscles and a beaming smile of disbelief, he was like Mr. Clean at a soap convention
And it just gets better from there. Wait till you hear about SNL star Kristen Wiig and her desire to get her "pipes cleaned", lol!
CONTINUED »
Senator John McCain showed up for the cold open on Saturday Night Live this weekend, just like everyone said he would but no one would confirm because Lorne Michaels is a puss-ay.
Cindy McCain also makes an appearance, but is totally mute in fear of being bitch-slapped on live television. Adorable!
But what is up with John McCain's hands? I thought he's been in movies, why does he look so uncomfortable and antsy on TV? Wait, he sort of reminds us of someone…
See the original, after the jump:
CONTINUED »
Since Vegas is already paying off bets on Obama winning the election, the only thing left to gamble on is by how much the Illinois senator will win by. Or, if you are in a particularly risky mood, you could place your money on which candidate will appear on Saturday Night Live on November 1st.
John McCain hinted at an appearance, but won't confirm or deny anything, for fear that a no-show would equal another Late Night disaster of Letterman proportions. Barack Obama has already appeared on the show, the same time last year, for a sketch about Hillary and Bill hosting a Halloween party, but so far there isn't any confirmation about a repeat performance this year either, although rumors abound.
So far this season, all the guest-guessing has paid off: look what happened when the people clamored for Tina Fey, Sarah Palin, and Mark Wahlberg (all in the same episode, no less!). But Lorne Michaels refuses to confirm any appearances until he gets them "in the building," because at this point there have been so many cancellations (who? who??) that it's making the NBC producers look silly. Heaven forbid anything concerning SNL appears farcical.
No explanation necessary, but just in case you aren't one of the 100 cool kids who actually watch Mad Men, this video is from this week's SNL episode starring Jon Hamm as his cool 60s doppelganger, Don Draper. Draper is to pussy what James Bond was to…well, also pussy, but spying? Okay, Don Draper is to advertising what James Bond is to spying, and they both pick up chicks.
This is generally why we shun on giving explanations for these sort of things, fyi.
Also: Congratulations to Amy Poehler and Will Arnett on their new baby boy!
Angry matinee Newt Gingrich is up in arms, a couple weeks too late, about the Sarah Palin impressions on SNL. Which would totally be a reasonable thing for Sarah Palin to be upset about, but she obviously does not give an eff seeing as how she showed up on the program last week.
Also Newt demands apologies for Palin from CNN, Katie Couric, and everyone else in the media. Because they make him her look bad.
Video after the jump:
CONTINUED »
Another Weekend Update Thursday clip! But Fred Armisen knows how to channel his inner befuddled John King in trying to work one of those giant "magic" maps.
Since Sarah Palin was everyone's favorite guest-star (after Mark Wahlberg) on Saturday Night Live last weekend, she might have some job prospects waiting for after she loses her VP bid.
"Any television person who sees the numbers when she appears on anything would say Sarah Palin would be great," said veteran morning-show producer Steve Friedman, citing the double-digit ratings gains her appearances on "Saturday Night Live" and "CBS Evening News" generated. "The passion she has on each side, love and hate, makes television people say, 'Wow, imagine the viewership.' "
Of course, no one is making any firm offers yet, because there's still that snowball chance in hell that the Republicans will be able to steal this election, but let's just say that after months of watching washed-up celebrities duke it out on Viacom-owned channels, we'd love to see a I Heart Hockey Moms reality contest of some sort. First prize? Adoption by Sarah Palin and a renaming to Zamboni.
Does anyone else get the sense that these Weekend Update Thursdays only work because of YouTube and Hulu and the ilk? Because it's doubtful anyone watches this program on its own, but it is really convenient to have bite-size clips of it ready in the morning. Sort of like SNL itself? Discuss.
Anyway, Will Ferrell gave his promised cameo on the show last night, with a marked return of his President Bush character. It was funny! Especially when he referred to Sarah Palin and Barack Obama as "the hot lady and the Tiger Woods guy."
See for yourself, after the jump:
CONTINUED »
Saturday Night Live is becoming a Kuafman-esque Ouroboros, with pretend feuds leaking out onto the stages of Jimmy Kimmel and the like, so you can no longer tell who is actually mad about their SNL caricatures, and who is just pretending to be mad so they can show up for a cameo. And that is totally fine, according to Alec Baldwin, who took out some space at Huffpost to declare his support of Lorne's decision to have VP nominee Sarah Palin drop-in for a cameo this week.
Except, no one said it was a bad idea Alec. So just chill out CONTINUED »
So the other big guest drop-in on SNL this week besides Marky Mark was VP candidate Sarah Palin, finally making good on her promise to stand next to Tina Fey for five minutes with an awkward smile. But did you notice the 30 Rock star never appeared on stage with Palin for more than .05 seconds?
Perhaps because Fey has come out so so so vocally against both Palin as a political figure (If she wins I'm moving off this planet) and personally (easiest impersonation since Sling Blade).
Below, compare Fey's two-second dash next to Palin, and compare to Amy Poehler's Hillary Clinton, when faced with the real senator from New York:
CONTINUED »
Did we call it or did we call it? (We called it.) Two weeks ago, back when it actually seemed like Southie-bred Marky Mark really didn't like that impression Andy Samberg did of him on Saturday Night Live, talking to animals, we bet that it was just going to escalate until Wahlberg was forced to come onto the show and do a self-deprecating cameo. With his super hulk rage on Jimmy Kimmel's show on Thursday, where the third-nipped gent threatened to beat Samberg "in his big fucking nose," all signs pointed either to latent anti-antisemitism, or a drop-in on SNL's episode, which also featured a not-so-secret Sarah Palin appearance. So did Wahlberg swallow his pride and show up?
Yes he did. What's that all about?
CONTINUED »
Let's place our bets now, what will be the biggest tension-builder on Saturday Night Live tomorrow? Will it be Josh Brolin hosting to promote his George Bush-slamming W. movie (which he's already slated to do an impression of during the show) while Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin cameos on the same episode? Or will it be Andy Samberg getting punched in the face by a disgruntled Mark Wahlberg?
We guess the former: Wahlberg would never sully his "good name" by appearing on such an uncouth program as SNL *McCain eye-roll*.
(Clip starts at 4:50)
How apropos: here we are discussing whether or not Republicans make better punchlines than Democrats, and then Weekend Update's Thursday sketch comes out featuring Kristin Wiig as that creepy McCain/Palin supporter. Is it a novel use of Kristin's mumbly, confused character? Not really.
But if you were going to line up a group of Obama supporters and McCain supporters, given what you know about the current state of these political rallies and all, who makes an easier parody?
Below, the original clip of the crazy lady who took a moment off of feeding her 100 cats to ask Senator McCain a question.
CONTINUED »
Marky Mark had his panties all in a funky bunch last night on The Jimmy Kimmel show, still pissed about that Saturday Night Live sketch where Andy Samberg impersonated him talking to animals.
After Kimmel plays some of the video, Wahlberg, with absolutely no trace of humor whatsoever says, "When I see that kid, I'm going to crack that big fucking nose of his."
You'd think growing up on the tough streets of Boston with a third nipple would have given Mark a little bit of training with chilling the eff out:
Besides the Tina Fey as Sarah Palin run, the funniest thing on SNL this season was last week's "Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals" sketch, where Andy Samberg hams up the Boston actors mannerisms for a deceptively simple plot of…talking to farm animals. It's already become a meme, in part because the impression of Wahlberg is not a dead likeness: in fact, it would be hard-pressed for someone before this sketch to nail down exactly what Marky Mark sounds like. But now with the ultimate soundbite of "say hello to your mudda for me!" teens across the nation are repeating the lines ad nauseum, just in time for the release of the Wahlberg-vehicle, The Happening.
So is the three-nipped gent happy about this gentle ribbing that brings his Entourage-producing persona onto the public radar? Nope:
CONTINUED »
SNL's Weekend Update moved to a new spot in lieu of the upcoming elections, and last night marked the first time the precursor to The Daily Show featured a mid-week special, hosted by Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler.
Was it funny? Meh. Was Bill Murray there? Ye-op:
Editorial Director
