Boy, Andy Samberg does a good Billy Bob Thornton, doesn’t he? Bill Hader is superb as James Carville, don’t you think? I’m trying to lead off this week’s SNL recap with some praise and positivity, but the show keeps conspiring against this strategy.
For the second week in a row, the cold-open consisted of Fred Armisen doing his increasingly half-hearted President Obama impersonation. This time, he played off this week’s Nobel Peace Prize announcement in a predictable way: “I won it for not being George Bush.” Merely stating a fact isn’t necessarily funny.
Early on we got a “Gilly” sketch, with Kristen Wiig doing her mischievous-kid routine, joined by host Drew Barrymore as an Italian version of same. The result: twice the mischief, half the laughs.
“Celebrity Ghost Stories”? Hey, look: Justin Long is doing a Matthew McConaughey impersonation! Gee, too bad — Matt Damon’s is better:
Hader made a valiant effort to wring some humor from one of his Vinny Vedecci, Italian talk-show host routines, but as was true for most of the evening, the writing failed him. I really like this character and his non sequitur setting — a Charlie Rose-style round table. But bringing on Barrymore as herself promoting her movie Whip It and having Vinny mistake it for the Devo song… sheesh, didn’t your uncle make that joke three weeks ago?
“Weekend Update”? Seth Meyers got in more Obama/Nobel Prize digs. Judging from this week and last, SNL seems to have settled on the idea that the way to do Obama jokes is to suggest he’s not getting enough accomplished quickly enough. The result is both pointed and pretty limited. Kenan Thompson fulfilled his apparently-contractual agreement to appear in drag every week by showing up here as Maya Angelou; I snickered at his version of an Angelou poem done in a Dr. Seuss rhyme scheme, but that’s just because Angelou’s real poetry is so lousy, this almost sounded good. It was during “Update” that Hader appeared as James Carville, the high point of a very slow night.
The only sketch I actually laughed out loud at was the ESPN Classic parody, coverage of a 1991 billiards tournament sponsored by Tampax. Barrymore and Wiig, as the pool players, were given nothing to play except some lousy pool-table schtick. But Jason Sudeikis, as a color commentator along with Will Forte, made a lot of amusing tampon puns — hey, this week, you had to take your chuckles wherever you could find them. Compared to the Larry King spoof later on, which revolved entirely around saying the word “weiner,” the tampon punchlines were high wit.
Musical guest Regina Spektor did nothing to dispel my belief that what she does is cross Tori Amos with Billy Joel. Nice voice, though.
Did I miss anything? Did anyone find the “Digital Short” — the fake commercial for a pair of cheesy magicians (Barrymore and Armisen) — funny? I sort of admired the final sketch, which had Forte playing a creepy-yet-seductive loon at a bookstore reading, but, once again, it wasn’t actually laugh-out-loud stuff.
Barrymore appeared in a lot more sketches than Ryan Reynolds did last week. She’s a trouper. Too bad the show this week let her down.
Agree? Disagree?
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This is shaping up to be the most boring, uneventful SNL season yet.
Agreed! From top to bottom, EVERYTHING was awful – the sketches, the guest host, the “digital short” about Matthew McConaughey. What a mess!
It’s nice they’re taking on the lie that is Barack Obama. Had the kid gloves on there for a while!
Lame comment.
Agreed.
Is that what your Mom called you? The lie.
Even while pointing out his complete lack of accomplishment after 11 months, it’s done with cult-of-personality respect. Don’t forget, they’re all in show business….
KIRSTEN WIIG IS OVERRATED!!!!!!! Her Gilly sketch is awful and drags on for way too long – I switch the channel evey time it comes on. They should focus on the three best comedians they have – Will Forte, Bill Hader, and Andy Sandberg – limit everyone else – especially Kirsten Wiig
THANK YOU! Gilly is the worst sketch ever, please let last night be the last one! I have sat through many annoying re-occuring characters in the past, but Gilly makes me instantly change the channel.
Thank you! Wiig is just these annoying, weird characters and Gilly is one of the worst! Please, SNL, find a new female lead! Wiig is just weird.
I agree she is but also Sudekis(liked him on 30 Rock, tho. Actually, just like 30 Rock) But Sandberg is overrated, Armisen and Seth Meyers also. But the problem ain’t screen talent. Lorne needs to be firing some writers, not short supply female talent. And bring back Maya Rudolph when you do Lorne!
I agree hate the Gilly sketches but SNL has done this forever; take something a tiny bit funny and drag it out and rehash it….over, and over, and over.
Kristen Wiig’s characters are all the same…and not even remotely funny.
Agreed, the writing seems off and I believe Drew Barrymore needed better characters to showcase her talents. There were some parts of the show that were watchable but nothing that was over the top funny. And, thanks EW for the clip of Matt Damon doing Matthew that was great! SNL, please bring us uberfans some great skits and comedic timing! How about more MTV4 sketches. This week’s Obama was lame at best and totally predictable as Ken stated here. Give us some funny and undeniably pop culture worthy and relevant material.
I vote we bring back Fire Marshall Bill!!!!!!!!!
Um…that was In Living Color.
Yeah! and Michael Richard’s Battle Boy!
no katie it wasn’t. It was the sketch that got damon wayons kicked off the show cuz he changed Fire Marshall Bill into a very VERY gay man.
I enjoyed the point made by the Westfield University (I think that was the name) commercial. But yeah, the Tampax/slacks remark was the best! The weiner skit was pretty lame
Thanks for posting the article, was certainly a great read!
SNL really does need to change the writing team…the last time I enjoyed SNL was when Tina Fey was head writer
I agree. When you consider the caliber of writing on shows like The Office or 30 Rock, the so called “writers” on SNL right now should really be embarrassed.
“..but that’s just because Angelou’s real poetry is so lousy..” Although I don’t appreicate poetry at all, I can’t wait to see the reaction to that brave critical nugget.
A while ago, Maya Angelou had a line of poetry greeting cards for Hallmark. Tennyson, she aint.
poets have to make money. do you know how many brilliant authors wrote in serial magazines–a way to make money–centuries ago? poe, melville, hawthorne, dickens, etc.
He should be careful… Fiona Apple will rip his head off for the Angelou comment.
Last week was better.
I thought the singer was HORRID. Too much Nobel Peace prize bashing. Also Seth added the joke about Rush AFTER the Carville skit-way too much.
The “singer” was miserable. Aftert about 6 bars I hit the ffwd. I didn’t even last the long into the second song.
Countdown for the regular guest hosts: I’m betting December when Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin or Justin Timberlake are invited back on. For that matter, I’d rather see Timberlake on at 10pm doing comedy variety than watching these sad sad performers.
I agree with you. I read Timberlake is heading to Boston Oct 18th to start shooting that Facebook movie. Maybe since he’ll be near New York he’ll at least pop in for one of his SNL cameo’s.
I’d say next month – November sweeps.
Also, why does SNL put people on when they have a movie or a special coming on instead of someone topical. Sure, Megan Fox made sense because she is in the news, but Drew Barrymore? Would she be on this week if she hadn’t directed a movie coming out in the theaters. For that matter, they should get Jesse Eisenberg or Woody Harrison or Emma Stone.
Uh, it’s pretty much tradition that the host does the show as part of the publicity tour for his/her latest project.
Plus that fact that Drew’s been on several times — beginning when she was 7! She’s an SNL fave.
That’s kind of the point.
Ohhh man, Woody Harrelson would’ve been awesome to see.
Megan Fox was promoting “Jennifer’s Body”
That movie tanked so bad that she didn’t even mention it.
Guess what? Stars also appear on talk shows usually only when (gasp!) they have something to promote.
I still watch SNL out of habit, but I laugh more in one 30 minute episode of the Colbert Report than I do in ten SNLs. And god forbid they do get a laugh, because then they beat the joke to death with recurring, one-joke characters. (Target lady once: funny. Target lady eight times: yawn).
SNL starts at 10:30 here, I turned off the TV by 10:45. They are sliding back into the Anthony Michael Hall days!
I stand by the fact that this show hasn’t been funny since 1984….when Billy Crystal and Martin Short left.
Yes, there were moments with Adam Sandler, Farley, Hartman…..but nothing was in the same league as the original cast and the Eddie years.
I thought it was a great show and I
adore Regina Spektor. I thought last
week was slightly better, but it’s always up and down that’s sketch comedy. It doesn’t seem like SNL is Ken Levine’s cup of tea ever. It’s an hour and a half long how many times do you laugh in a movie?
Ken Tucker wrote this. Ken Levine has his own blog.
This is not a movie! This is an hour and a half long sketch “comedy” TV show. You are supposed to be laughing with every sketch because they are supposed to be frickin’ comedic!
What do you like about Regina Spektor – her screeching or her off-key singing?
gee, you hate maya angelou and regina spektor? why are you such a bitter old man? and if you have no taste, why are you an entertainment writer? spare us.
Hahahahahahahaha!
Agreed!
Spot on, Ken…Maya Angelou is unbearable. UNBEARABLE! And Regina Spektor? Good on Letterman once a year doing that Christmas song. But other than that? Blech.
Oh wait, that’s Ronnie Spektor. She’s good. Snicker!
You’re talking about Darlene Love. You’re a hot mess aren’t ya!
I have no idea how Armisen thinks he can get away with such a lazy no-effort impersonation of the president. He ISN’T even trying, and clearly no one on the show seems to care. He should be fired and replaced with someone who will actually put some effort into the job. Pathetic.
Armisen was better at getting Obama’s voice and cadence last season. This season it doesn’t even seem like he’s trying.
This week was bad, which has been the case with every episode so far this season. There were a couple of funny moments, such as Drew’s opening of past Barrymore actors, Kenan’s Maya Angelou, and the best was Hader’s James Carville. But despite the few laughs these provided, the show was mostly not funny. And once again Jenny Slate proved that she is no match for the great Michaela Watkins.
It is so obvious that an effort is made by SNL to NOT look or sound like Obama since they don’t really want to say anything negative about him. You can’t be this unwilling to go all the way in a skit and still be funny. Give it up if is going to be this halfhearted.
I completely agree. SNL loves him…so of course they aren’t going to make fun of Obama or make him look bad in any way…
Oh, I forgot, Hollywood is so much smarted then the rest of us.