Saturday Night Live (SNL) 2020-2021 46th Season Thread

Lorne is on the phone with Jeff Goldblum.

 

Replacement musical guest, Jack White! I approve.

Jack White tapped as last-minute Saturday Night Live musical guest to replace Morgan Wallen | Daily Mail Online

 

Not that I agreed with all that he said in his opening monologue because I didn't, but I have to say that Bill Burr certainly took that usually boring opening monologue to an unusual new level. Now, with that said, I'm pretty sure that Lorne and the NBC brass will catch some hell for Bill's tone and comments.

So far this weeks show may prove to be one of the most "uncomfortable" episodes in SNL history, with all of the controversial topics. Jack White is currently lightening the load, thankfully!

 

Jack White rules!

 

Jack was great with his first performance - sounded like Led Zeppelin and early AC/DC blended together at times.

 

"Take out your grandparents. Take out your weak cousin with the ashthma..."LOL!

Thought his monologue was great. Refreshing change from the celeb cameo laden, audience WHOOOO-ing like kids at a Michael Jackson concert at the jokes they expect to hear, typical monologue segment.

 

Bill Burr is a natural treasure.

I don't watch SNL, but I checked out a few clips and loved it. Seeing people, who don't get his shtick, lose their minds on Twitter is gold.

 

I've watched Jim Carrey do Biden for the last two weeks, and I have to say I prefer Woody Harrelson's Biden. I'm sorry he wasn't available to do Biden.

Not a Jack White fan. I don't get it. Others obviously do. He has a big following.

 

I thought Jack White was amazing on SNL tonight. He channeled some Prince in the first song and a little EVH on the second song.

Bill Burr: funny guy, strange guy. 52 and really never heard of June being “Pride” month because he’s 52?

also: pumpkin ale sucks.

 

The Jim Carrey experiment is a failure. He's just not funny in this role.

 

Kenan Thompson has lost a ton of weight.

 

Thoroughly meh episode aside from Jack White and Burr’s monologue.

 

I thought it was a very weak episode, even Weekend Update - which I usually enjoy - was pedestrian. And the Kate McKinnon bit was tedious. Jack White sounded like he does on every song I hear of his. yawn.

I really wish they’d go back to the filmed-at-home format if this season’s first two episodes are any indication of what a studio-bound setting is like.

 

The drummer’s kit in Jack White’s band broke my brain. Never seen a set-up like that ever..

 

Maya’s Kamala was less Maya and more Kamala. I think she has her down now.

 

I see your indignation with this as sincere. Funny, I don't see the problem with it.

If the audience were paid as "extras", and, they were not aware it was a condition of their attending, that alone should let them off the hook.

They were compensated for doing extra duties, which most Americans at this point would be willing to do in everyday life without compensation: that is, allow themselves to be health screened.

The audience also knew they were going to be in the presence of other strangers, but, all of whom were also being screened and presumably, not admitted in if they failed.

So, they already knew what was being asked of them when they agreed to just come and enjoy a free show. What they were not aware of, was they would also get compensated for their time, which they were already willing to give.

I don't see an ethics breach here; help me understand.

 

I thought this was a much better episode than last week's. Kinda surprised there was so much venom in the monologue and Weekend Update, but I like that kind of humor, so I really enjoyed it. They were all in this week, which is why it worked better. Last week, they were walking on eggshells, which never works.

I am a big Jack White fan, and he didn't disappoint.

 

Daru Jones is the drummer. I think he's been playing with Jack for several years. Yeah, that setup is eye catching. Gimmicky for sure, as he has to stand up/lean forward to hit the toms. But it's visually interesting, and I thought the performances were great.

 

I thought the PC mafia sketch should have been funnier. Great premise. Bad writing and execution. It came across like a table read.

I'm just not a Pete Davidson fan.

So much of the first two shows was just not funny. They could have been. They just weren't. Heading toward Idiocracy level banality. Fast.

 

She's funny too - btu she's not on SNL.

Again this is about risk, rewards and the rules.

They know the rules and worked AROUND them. You know there's NO REASON for people to sit in that studio and watch that cruddy show while risking getting a disease that is ravaging the country. The rules in NYC are no large gatherings for BS like watching people fart around with poorly written comedy.

I feel it's unethical - I never said it wasn't technical NOT illegal. Again, it's like a Ferris Bueller situation - but this time with lung damage and death as the risk - not that mom and dad might ground you.

I've lost a lot of respect for a LOT of people during this pandemic.

And hey, if you think it's all above board and done with an open heart then we are in disagreement.

 

Your perception seems to be they are following the letter of the law rather than the spirit. I don’t think you are wrong.

 

The cold open was better than the last one, I guess because they did a little better on the personality quirks of the two. And making the fly into Biden was pretty funny. One problem is the Pence guy doesn't sound anything like Pence, but at least he looks enough like him.

 

Last night's episode was pretty dire. Also didn't see a trace of Cecely Strong, Melissa Villasenor, or Bowen Yang in any of the sketches.

It's remarkable how much one of the new girls looks like Aidy Bryant.

 

I thought Sports Debate was funny, and I also liked the Sam Adams Pumpkin commercial. I guess this time of year they always have to do some pumpkin bit, but they'll likely never top the Autumn's Eve Pumpkin Spice Douche one.

Bill Burr was decent. He at least seemed to interact with the other people and not stare at the prompter the whole time. He did more of that in the Don Pauly sketch, which wasn't very funny.

 

Okay. I can work with that. We can agree to disagree. We have a body in DC that (when it's working right) follows these same principles until their Supreme oversight re-interprets the principles, then it's up to them to abide by the new paradigm...or change the rules further to say they don't matter. Same for 50 states.

So, one assumes these rules were in place all over New York where audiences would gather otherwise, not just to single out 30 Rock? And, they thought the rules they made were explicit enough to serve people operating within their own best interests; after all, who would take the extra effort of "replacing" a whole audience with "paid extras", undergoing the strict health protocols that would make assembling in such a manner, relatively risk-free, according to our own rules - just to have people laugh at a live comedy show? I mean, that's ehhh, plausable, but...nobody would do that, riiiight?

This is similar legal logic, that makes it unnecessary to write laws forbidding flying cars.

So, here comes Lorne in his mask, social-distancing with a room full of suits in masks, looking over the rules and regs in place, and like a proper think-tank, they work within the letter of the law to, as you said, challenge the spirit of it. And that's okay in America, even if it doesn't fly with, say...gorts: the law gives you a ban on lemons, and you find a way to not break that, and still come up with lemonade.

And if we know one thing about Saturday Night Live...it's so full of itself, it will use insect-hive-like diligence to keep their traditions alive, whether the show isn't funny or it's not on a Saturday, or it's not even live (hell, it doesn't even have to happen at night). There will be a monologue, it will mention how great it is to be in New York City, the hosts' most famous project, and Keenan Thompson will get up on that stage just to escort Pete Davidson off. And, these are the hills the show is willing to die on, because they are so convinced these things are more important to The World At Large, than any other considerations happening in their lives right now (and what the hell, if there is anything else, they can write a last-minute script about it, execute it poorly, and bail in the middle of it). In truth, the only thing SNL ever learned from the 1968 Democratic Convention is that "The Whole World Is Watching"...and they took it to mean, their show.

So the law told them why they couldn't have an audience...and they just worked around the rules to the point where they could. And so, if you're not wither of those two bodies I mentioned at the top...I'm sorry, I just don't see the ethical dliemma.