Which was the last skit? - Please, anybody? - Thank you. I've watched about 4 sketches, or actually, parts of them would be more accurate - what I've seen is so abysmally not funny, I can't even watch through to the end of them. Of what I have seen, seems like a wretched episode. & that's disappointing b/c I had anticipated better with Selena Gomez. I haven't seen Murders In The Building, but I've found her quite likable whenever I have seen her & I really could've sworn I'd seen her in some SNL skits...maybe when she's been musical guest. I don't go in for the music he's popular for either, but Post Malone is quite gifted & versatile. He's done some livestream events/ charitable gigs during Covid - music which isn't in keeping with that & they've been quite good! He did a Nirvana covers gig for World Health Organization. Black Sabbath "War Pigs", Alice In Chains *"Rooster" & some tracks w/Dwight Yoakam's band. I've also inadvertently caught him on a talk show or 2 & he was quite engaging in that setting, as well. Heart-Shaped Box. The whole gig is up on youtube, as well. - Travis Barker/ drums. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nixee4eoNkw - War Pigs - Slash (I'm going to run out of edit time to identify any more; not listed on the upload.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISuJrPQ3KA8 - Sturgill Simpson cover w/Dwight Yoakam's band. This was for the We're Texas relief fundraiser Matthew McConaughey organized for the winter storm. *Rooster performance used to have its' own singular upload, but there's only reaction videos now. However, there is still a New Year's Eve show up where he performed that & War Pigs end of show. Rooster is at 35:00 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS199h_OrLk
Hi all, I started watching SNL when it first arrived in 1975. It was fresh and innovative and had notable guest hosts and musical acts. Now it just seems tired. Most sketches aren’t funny and most musical guests are abysmal. My beagle can sing better than many of them. As for guest hosts, each season, I can count on one hand the number of guests hosts I’ve heard of. I rarely watch the show past Weekend Update or the first musical guest anymore. There’s nothing there to keep me watching. Yet I continue each Saturday night to tune in hoping it’s a rare gem, unfortunately most nights I’m disappointed. Maybe its time to retire this show. Its fallen so far from its pinnacle. John
That is basically the archetypical SNL post here at SHF. I’ve seen it thousands of times, and I always disagree. Gomez seemed a bit nervous, but I thought the show was funny overall, so I can’t agree with such sweeping generalizations and cliched reactions. There’s always something interesting and funny in every episode. If you didn’t find it funny, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t funny.
davnav, Watch some of the older SNL shown on NBC, Saturdays at 10 PM, then tell me the current day SNL is funny. Today’s SNL doesn’t hold a candle to past shows. There are SOME funny skits with today’s SNL, but the laughs are few and far between IMHO. John
The show has had its ups and downs over the years and while the best of the earliest years are classic, there sure were lot of misses on those 70s shows. The best skits tend to get shown over and over but the entire episodes? Often not so great, IMO.
You can watch entire episodes from the purported golden age on various streaming services, and it's instructive to do so. In between the occasional classic we all remember are multiple long-ass sketches that die a thousand deaths, not to mention snooze worthy musical guests. While everyone obviously thinks the cast from their college years is the best -- I will always have a soft spot for Myers/Carvey/Hartman/Hooks for that reason -- I would argue that for sheer dependability, the show's greatest era was Poehler/Fey/Dratch/Rudolph through Wiig/Hader/Sudeikis/Thompson. The current cast is maybe at two-thirds of that level. Also, the worst seasons were clearly '80 through'82,'85-'86, and the long dreary stretch of '92-'00.
For total volume of good stuff IMO it's hard to beat 1987-1991 (spring) Hans and Franz and Dieter were sketches that usually aired after Weekend Update; everything else was so good.
Are you really saying that the only people who think that SNL is funny now haven't seen any of the older episodes?
Humor is one of those things that isn't qualitatively constant, IMO. I'm sure a good many people weaned on the humor of the 1920s and 1930s found the humor on SNL when it debuted to be childish and puerile (much like how many of the people in their 20s and 30s when SNL debuted thought Dumb and Dumber was childish and puerile, btw). Also, one has to *get* the jokes in order to evaluate their effectiveness. Do all of the "I was there when SNL debuted!" SHF members who don't like the current lineup actually get all of the references (which often have to do with viral videos and memes)? Something tells me that the answer to this is "no."
Interesting piece of SNL trivia, Steve Martin is the only person (so far) who's made an appearance in every decade the show has been on. Not neccesarily as a host, but just appearing in some form.
I was agreeing with everything you wrote, but you lost me with your complete dismissal of the Ferrell/Hammond years. I like Ferrell a lot... I guess you don't. And Hammond's Bill Clinton is one of the best Presidential characters they ever did, consistently hilarious. The coverage of the 1998 election in particular (with McDonald's Bob Dole also being a fantastic caricature) was outstanding. McDonald was also one of the best Update anchors ever.
I generally have a positive for most of the cast. But I also have trouble saying I've laughed at any live sketch in months. I honestly only stick around for music guest, desk, some pre-shot pieces and even the paid tv ads. Something I don't see discussed here is I think the lack of funny comes from too many topics/opinions are off limits from management positions. I find Colbert, Seth & 3 Jimmy's also unwatchable in the past year and ratings drops of those 5 and SNL since 2020 and before show I'm not alone. The lineup for the season finale and how late they sometimes announces guests show that SNL must have a very high star refusal rate - 200+ guest must have declined that final show. Yet there's youtubers like JPShears that will have me on the floor howling and some view counts are weirdly high.
