Friday, June 18, 2004
HOW TO FIX SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
A little while back I wrote a brief entry about how painful it has become to watch Saturday Night Live the past couple of years. What once used to be a weekend staple for me has turned into something I try to avoid. Yes, I often find myself watching an infomercial for a grilling machine or a juicer instead of attempting to sit through an hour and a half of bad sketches.
I grew up during the reign of Dana Carvey and Chris Farley, of Phil Hartman and David Spade. Now hey, I understand they’re not on the show anymore. In fact, a couple of them are dead. I know those days are long gone, but still, why has the show gotten so damn bad lately? What can be done to fix it? That’s what I’m writing about today. I don’t claim to have all of the answers, but I think I have a few ideas that could at least help. I’ll write a bit about each point, and I’ll start with....
The Writing
I have to be honest here. The writing stinks. It isn’t funny. When the performers stoop to cracking up in the middle of sketches in an effort to get cheap laughs, that means that the material itself isn’t doing the job. SNL used to be cutting edge. It used to be brave and expand the boundaries a bit. I would suggest going back to that. Push the envelope! Don’t be afraid to write sketches about things some people will find to be in poor taste. Remember, the show has never been geared toward adults who have lost their sense of humor. It has always been youth oriented, centering on fresh, original material. Now, I love topical jokes as much as the next person, but don’t be afraid to show us something that hasn’t been seen before. Experimentation is the only way this show will be able to evolve.
The Talent
Ok, this is hard for me. There’s a lot of very talented people on Saturday Night Live. And while I think some of it is because they aren’t getting quality material, there’s a few who just aren’t cutting it. Namely, Horatio Sanz.
Horatio Sanz has got to go. I’m sorry, but I don’t see what is so goddamn hilarious about him yet. Is it because he’s fat? That’s not funny. If he wants to be the funny fat guy, he has to do something with his body. Watch old Farley tapes and learn, Horatio.
Maya Rudolph...consider this your pink slip. You have a lot of potential, but you haven’t done much on SNL worthy of keeping you around. Take a year off, explore what you want to do with your career in comedy, then come back if you feel like you might be able to contribute more.
There’s a few others who need to step up their game. Fred Armisen, Finesse Mitchell and Seth Meyers, to name a few. I see something in you all. You may not be the stuff legends are made of, but you could at least make me laugh if you tried harder. If not, just leave now. Lorne could spend the money pursuing other performers.
The Hosts
The people who get chosen week in and week out to host SNL are some of the luckiest people in the entertainment business. Just to step on the stage of studio 8H should be considered a huge honor. Therefore, when I see hosts like Donald Trump whore the limelight to sell his latest book, it pisses me off. That pompous son of a bitch ruined what could have been a good episode of SNL by constantly...constantly....constantly talking about himself. I had to turn the damn television off. It wasn’t entertaining, it was ANNOYING! I understand that SNL is a promotional vehicle, but this was out of hand and, quite frankly, ridiculous.
The great thing about being a larger than life personality is going on SNL and mocking yourself and the attention a little bit. For instance, when Jennifer Aniston hosted the show, she played a loud, intrusive paparazzi on the red carpet. It was funny because she got to throw it back in the faces of all the photographers and gossip columnists who intrude into her personal life on a daily basis. That’s something the Donald Trumps of the world should do on the show. Not inflate their own egos at the expense of the viewing public.
What’s Missing?
There’s a few things I think the show could use. First of all, I’d like to see some Asian or Middle Eastern influence portrayed. Not because I’m one of those people who bitch and moan about the lack of diversity on television. I’m not. But when you’re talking comedy shows, there’s not a whole lot better than a funny Asian. Seriously, is it possible that we can get Margaret Cho to be a cast member? I love her. She’s very willing to poke fun at stereotypes and skewer her own background. What about the winner of NBC’s own Last Comic Standing? Dat Phan is small, dorky and energetic. I really do believe that the show could use people like this to shake things up a bit.
Secondly, good impressionists are sorely absent. Darrell Hammond is great, but we’re approaching election season. SNL has always prided itself on great political satire, but this year is going to be horrible. It NEEDS someone who can imitate GW Bush. It isn’t being done well right now. It NEEDS someone who can imitate John Kerry. It isn’t being done well right now. And honestly, it NEEDS someone who can mock Osama bin Laden. Those three, coupled with Darrell Hammond’s Dick Cheney could make for some very funny moments this November.
Impressionists are also great for the regular sketches on the show. Take a look over at MAD TV’s Aries Spears. He is tearing the crowd up with his imitations of Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Cosby and Evander Holyfield. That’s the kind of stuff I want to see--prominent figures in sports and entertainment made a little harmless fun of. Another MAD TV personality is Frank Caliendo. He is an amazing impressionist, if you haven’t seen him. He has nearly killed me with his routines as John Madden and George W. Bush. He can flawlessly impersonate many, many others and it’s too bad he’s on MAD TV. Check him out if you haven’t heard of him. He’s really talented.
Lorne Michaels
Finally, I want to say something about Lorne, the executive producer of Saturday Night Live. The buck stops with you, Mr. Michaels. You’re the man responsible for bringing Saturday Night Live to the air and keeping it alive when things looked worst. The time has come again for you to shake things up and get this show back on track. Sink or swim, Lorne. Sink or swim.
DETROIT PISTONS 2004 NBA CHAMPS
Congratulations to the Pistons and their fans all over the country. It's been great following them through the long season and extremely rewarding being able to share in their championship over the Lakers. Good work, guys! And best of luck next year!
PS: Please, Rasheed, re-sign with Detroit.
A little while back I wrote a brief entry about how painful it has become to watch Saturday Night Live the past couple of years. What once used to be a weekend staple for me has turned into something I try to avoid. Yes, I often find myself watching an infomercial for a grilling machine or a juicer instead of attempting to sit through an hour and a half of bad sketches.
I grew up during the reign of Dana Carvey and Chris Farley, of Phil Hartman and David Spade. Now hey, I understand they’re not on the show anymore. In fact, a couple of them are dead. I know those days are long gone, but still, why has the show gotten so damn bad lately? What can be done to fix it? That’s what I’m writing about today. I don’t claim to have all of the answers, but I think I have a few ideas that could at least help. I’ll write a bit about each point, and I’ll start with....
The Writing
I have to be honest here. The writing stinks. It isn’t funny. When the performers stoop to cracking up in the middle of sketches in an effort to get cheap laughs, that means that the material itself isn’t doing the job. SNL used to be cutting edge. It used to be brave and expand the boundaries a bit. I would suggest going back to that. Push the envelope! Don’t be afraid to write sketches about things some people will find to be in poor taste. Remember, the show has never been geared toward adults who have lost their sense of humor. It has always been youth oriented, centering on fresh, original material. Now, I love topical jokes as much as the next person, but don’t be afraid to show us something that hasn’t been seen before. Experimentation is the only way this show will be able to evolve.
The Talent
Ok, this is hard for me. There’s a lot of very talented people on Saturday Night Live. And while I think some of it is because they aren’t getting quality material, there’s a few who just aren’t cutting it. Namely, Horatio Sanz.
Horatio Sanz has got to go. I’m sorry, but I don’t see what is so goddamn hilarious about him yet. Is it because he’s fat? That’s not funny. If he wants to be the funny fat guy, he has to do something with his body. Watch old Farley tapes and learn, Horatio.
Maya Rudolph...consider this your pink slip. You have a lot of potential, but you haven’t done much on SNL worthy of keeping you around. Take a year off, explore what you want to do with your career in comedy, then come back if you feel like you might be able to contribute more.
There’s a few others who need to step up their game. Fred Armisen, Finesse Mitchell and Seth Meyers, to name a few. I see something in you all. You may not be the stuff legends are made of, but you could at least make me laugh if you tried harder. If not, just leave now. Lorne could spend the money pursuing other performers.
The Hosts
The people who get chosen week in and week out to host SNL are some of the luckiest people in the entertainment business. Just to step on the stage of studio 8H should be considered a huge honor. Therefore, when I see hosts like Donald Trump whore the limelight to sell his latest book, it pisses me off. That pompous son of a bitch ruined what could have been a good episode of SNL by constantly...constantly....constantly talking about himself. I had to turn the damn television off. It wasn’t entertaining, it was ANNOYING! I understand that SNL is a promotional vehicle, but this was out of hand and, quite frankly, ridiculous.
The great thing about being a larger than life personality is going on SNL and mocking yourself and the attention a little bit. For instance, when Jennifer Aniston hosted the show, she played a loud, intrusive paparazzi on the red carpet. It was funny because she got to throw it back in the faces of all the photographers and gossip columnists who intrude into her personal life on a daily basis. That’s something the Donald Trumps of the world should do on the show. Not inflate their own egos at the expense of the viewing public.
What’s Missing?
There’s a few things I think the show could use. First of all, I’d like to see some Asian or Middle Eastern influence portrayed. Not because I’m one of those people who bitch and moan about the lack of diversity on television. I’m not. But when you’re talking comedy shows, there’s not a whole lot better than a funny Asian. Seriously, is it possible that we can get Margaret Cho to be a cast member? I love her. She’s very willing to poke fun at stereotypes and skewer her own background. What about the winner of NBC’s own Last Comic Standing? Dat Phan is small, dorky and energetic. I really do believe that the show could use people like this to shake things up a bit.
Secondly, good impressionists are sorely absent. Darrell Hammond is great, but we’re approaching election season. SNL has always prided itself on great political satire, but this year is going to be horrible. It NEEDS someone who can imitate GW Bush. It isn’t being done well right now. It NEEDS someone who can imitate John Kerry. It isn’t being done well right now. And honestly, it NEEDS someone who can mock Osama bin Laden. Those three, coupled with Darrell Hammond’s Dick Cheney could make for some very funny moments this November.
Impressionists are also great for the regular sketches on the show. Take a look over at MAD TV’s Aries Spears. He is tearing the crowd up with his imitations of Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Cosby and Evander Holyfield. That’s the kind of stuff I want to see--prominent figures in sports and entertainment made a little harmless fun of. Another MAD TV personality is Frank Caliendo. He is an amazing impressionist, if you haven’t seen him. He has nearly killed me with his routines as John Madden and George W. Bush. He can flawlessly impersonate many, many others and it’s too bad he’s on MAD TV. Check him out if you haven’t heard of him. He’s really talented.
Lorne Michaels
Finally, I want to say something about Lorne, the executive producer of Saturday Night Live. The buck stops with you, Mr. Michaels. You’re the man responsible for bringing Saturday Night Live to the air and keeping it alive when things looked worst. The time has come again for you to shake things up and get this show back on track. Sink or swim, Lorne. Sink or swim.
DETROIT PISTONS 2004 NBA CHAMPS
Congratulations to the Pistons and their fans all over the country. It's been great following them through the long season and extremely rewarding being able to share in their championship over the Lakers. Good work, guys! And best of luck next year!
PS: Please, Rasheed, re-sign with Detroit.
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