SNL's Continued Downward Spiral Thread

This episode already sucks.

 

When did Stiller and Lorne kiss and make up?
On the other hand, we really don't need an Anna Faris encore.

 

Stiller hosted the show in '98, so it's been a while.

 

According to one of the commercials for her new film, Anna Faris is a comedic genius.

 

OK, that's two consecutive solid sketches.

The Comment Section was funny, and Jay Pharoah's Chris Rock impression was better.

 

I would go to that Chris Rock show. I've found it funny so far.

 

Running behind, but this Comments Section skit is gold.

 

And Jay Pharoah should be in every goddamn sketch. This guy just kills in everything.

 

SNL is such a generational thing.
You know what I think? Most of the early stuff is horribly overrated and the people who think it's great are a) those who lived through it at a young age; and b) young people who want to show off by proving they can appreciate older stuff.
Don't get me wrong - some of it is great, but for the most part it's garbage. And you know how I know? It doesn't hold up today. Good comedy is as funny today as it was then; I don't find most of the classic SNL skits funny at all. The Samuri? Stupid. Cheeseburger Cheeseburger? Stupid. Coneheads? Stupid.
But these are my opinions. Of course, everyone goes ballistic when classics get shitted on, so i'm sure this will incite a riot.
But can everyone please stop acting all high and mighty about how SNL has been in a downward spiral? It hasn't - it's the same it was when it started; a home run skit, great commercial bits, something mildly funny, a skit or two that 'smart/older' people love and 'regular/young' people hate, a skit or two that 'regular/young' people like that 'smart/older' people hate, and some stuff people forget which, contrary to popular belief, exist in every season.

 

Flawed thinking. To judge the early stuff, you have to understand the context of the early stuff. When they were doing that material, Letterman hadn't even made his TV debut. People were laughing at Freddy Prinze saying, "It's not my job" and Harvey Korman and Tim Conway cracking each other up on the Carol Burnett Show. The idea that a network would give a show to unknown subversives, who would use the time to sweetly sing, "Let's Kill Gary Gilmore For Christmas" was outrageous. People became stars from a graveyard time slot that ordinarily didn't even have network programming.

We were four years removed from Red Skelton and Ed Sullivan having network shows. People watch the Smothers Brothers shows today and wonder why it was so controversial back in the day. But it was.

Context. Very important.

 

So why not put the new seasons into context? Times have obviously changed, but everyone's pining for SNL to challenge authority when it's impossible to do so.
There aren't too many lines to push anymore because it's all been covered. People aren't shocked when a TV show challenges the issues; in fact, it's almost more surprising when a show doesn't.
I don't think the show is better or worse than it was in the past; I just think it gets shit on unnecessarily.
There are some absolutely amazing skits from the early shows, but a lot of it is garbage. I think if you gave it a rewatch and an honest review, you'd realize that; but it's more fun to remember it being great.
I will say this - the inconsistency of Weekend Update is incredible. That slot has been brilliant and Seth Myers just doesn't bring it like the anchors of the past (except Colin Quinn).
And I don't understand the love affair with Jay Pharoah. No one here has every actually seen the man perform; we've heard the stories and maybe seen a YouTube clip. Yes, he crushes impressions of Obama (still don't get why he doesn't do him on the show), Chris Rock, Will Smith, etc., but can he do anything else? And before you say "Well, he doesn't get the chance," do you ever stop to think he doesn't get the chance because he's not very good? Hader is a terrific impressionist and destroys every skit he's in; Pharoah obviously is not, but since everyone would rather bitch about how terrible the show is, it's easier to point out that he's not being used properly as opposed to saying he might not be as good as everyone thinks.

 

Context is important. SNL was pretty much it in its day. It was that or Johnny Carson.
Now you have entire cable channels devoted to comedy, channels where you can say "shit," channels and other daily shows that have used up all the good current events material by the time Saturday rolls around.