The Trend Continues...SNL Still in Search of Real Humor

Do you remember when Saturday Night Live was funny? I remember funny reruns, but I can't say I've seen a live episode that was that funny. Maybe they should cancel it and go with Friday Night Reruns for a few years in the hopes they figure out what's funny again.

Do you remember when Saturday Night Live was funny?

Yes, actually, I do. The glory days were obviously before my time, but I was amused by live episodes of Dana Carvy, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman.

Maybe they should cancel it and go with Friday Night Reruns for a few years in the hopes they figure out what's funny again.

Now that is a good idea!

 

I would settle for a decent parody of Rush Limbaugh. SNL has done hilarious send ups of presidents, candidates and celebrities throughout their long run; most of them have been amazingly close charicatures. When it comes to some though, they seem to settle for the pathetic. They have never done a decent send up of Rush Limbaugh. Apparently to them, all they have to show is a fat guy in a belly warmer tie.

There are some who explain SNL as "generational humor", implying that it will usually only appeal to the 20-somethings no matter what cast they feature. I know I laughed with various casts through the 70s, 80s and into the early 90s, but it seems the mid-90s to the present has not been able to do the same for either my kids, or the 20 somethings I know.

I don't understand NBC, they cancel great shows like Freaks & Geeks without giving them a chance, but hang on to SNL long after embarrassment should have allowed.

i wonder how much of matt's outrage arises from the skit's depiction of limbaugh and how much is actually attributable to the slightly deprecating mention of the drudge report a few moments earlier.  yall musta not seen the segment to which he's referring?  compared to other elements it contained, i'm guessing the limbaugh scene would not have been the most upsetting; the references to and descriptions of red state voters were much more inflammatory altho ultimately the enraged santa who wasnt gonna deliver presents to 'dumbf**kistan* was clearly lampooned for his foolish generalizations and bias.

i rarely watch snl...i cant see the tv from where i sit...but i generally listen to it.  i did happen to see this particular episode.  while it may have fallen short of greatness, it certainly was more entertaining--as has generally been the case with this season's productions--than the real losers of the past.

when snl first aired, it was much more savagely political than it has been in a long while.  i'd love to see it regain some of that again.  the limbaugh scene--while perhaps exceeding the boundaries of good taste--was pretty tame compared to back in da day.  limbaugh put himself at risk of being lampooned by his behavior. he was not seeking treatment at the time his drug use came to light.  he, more than anyone, should realize that those who throw stones better keep up the premiums on their glasshomeowners policies.

I for one, would love to see a great send up of Rush Limbaugh. As I have said in my blog, Parody & Satire should know no bounds. On the other hand, if your going to do a parody of someone, at least make sure the talent is there to do it well. Look at the 2000 presidential candidate sketches for example, those were done so well that I often see quotes from them attributed as things Bush and Gore actually said (lol). There was a time that SNL set the standard for political satire. Sadly, now they seem to be wallowing in the vomit that their "Rush" fell into.

There was a time that SNL set the standard for political satire. Sadly, now they seem to be wallowing in the vomit that their "Rush" fell into.

if limbaugh had shown any of the same concerns for his targets, i'd be more easily persuaded.  in the context of the overall piece and its message--which was that both sides of the conflict are equally deluded--having limbaugh volunteer to be santa for the red states (or the idea of him being santa at all for any reason but the fact the suit might fit him without alterations) would hadly make sense to anyone who isnt on drugs.   rush as santa?  you smokin crack again?  is he?

ive made a fair living at times writing or overseeing the creation of parodies.  like i said, it may have been overly mean-spirited, but so is he.  that doesnt invalidate the underlying joke. i doubt limbaugh, drudge or anyone but moore's partisans would lose any sleep over a similar segment in which michael moore ate himself sick.

i doubt limbaugh, drudge or anyone but moore's partisans would lose any sleep over a similar segment in which michael moore ate himself sick.

Good point.

To me Rush and Moore are two sides of the same coin. They are both entertainers who use their party politics as their source. One huge difference between them though, Rush lost his excess weight. Fat jokes against Rush worked a few years ago, but now they are just evidence that the joker is not up with the times. On the other hand, because of how outspoken he has been against "Dope Smoking, Long Haired, Good Time Rock & Rollers" his prescription drug situation is definitely a fair target.

My first posting was not against SNL for parodying Rush, or even this episode (since I didn't see it, I can't really comment on it specifically). It was merely my opinion of SNL parodies in general, with what I have seen of their send ups of Rush Limbaugh as the example.

A great parody would maybe be a commercial of the Rush Limbaugh Weight Loss Program (due to current laws, these pills cannot be offered in Florida). ;~D

A great parody would maybe be a commercial of the Rush Limbaugh Weight Loss Program (due to current laws, these pills cannot be offered in Florida). ;~D

wish id thought of it first dammit.  

Perhaps the part about Belushi and Farley would make more sense if they had set themselves up as the moral compass of America and America's "Truth Detector", but they didn't. Rush may want to pretend he's different from he everyday drug addict, but he's not. He broke laws and lied about it. This parody wasn' t a big deal at all.

yall musta not seen the segment to which he's referring?

I did.  I saw the entire thing, and I didn't find it very funny at all.

As the previous commenter noted, Farley and Belushi were comedians, they didn't set themselves up as some uber right straight laced law abider like Rush has. 

 

if limbaugh had shown any of the same concerns for his targets, i'd be more easily persuaded. in the context of the overall piece and its message-

Here again we have someone who never listens to Rush Limbaugh, but will pontificate on him like an expert.  You dont really have a clue what Limbaugh says, you just parrot the left's lines on him, right?

Please provide quotes where limbaugh has mocked someone for their addictions/problems (other than being a liberal).  And dont take it from Mikey Moore's site, or out of context.  You can always take something out of context and twist it anyway you want as we have seen on this very site.

Do you remember when Saturday Night Live was funny?

The first years when SNLwas on were the best.  I remember the coneheads, Land Sharks, Chase doing Fords pratfalls!  Even into the early 80s it was good, but soon ran down hill.  I see I dont have to waste my time checking out the recent editioins.  Whether you love or Hate limbaugh, I fail to see the humor in a skit like this.  Even if it was Mikey Moore, I would fail to see th humor, but then I guess I have more class in my Pinkie than the current cast and crew of SNL combined.

SNL hasn't been funny since Mike Myers left. I think it's DOA. I don't watch it anymore. I prefer MAD TV.
The parody of Rush is just an example of the celebrity door swinging the other way. That's the cost of celebrity status. When things go bad, stuff like this is never far behind.
I personally think he gets what he deserves here. With all his "lock up the drug abusers" ranting on his radio show.

It's definately tasteless, but so is he.

With all his "lock up the drug abusers" ranting on his radio show.

Can you quote that Show?  He archives all his statements on his site, so it should nto be hard to do.  However, I have never read this, so it is news to me.

And as I stated previously, it would be in bad taste regardless of the victim, whether I agreed with the person or not.

Well, give SNL some time. They go through cycles...you had the brilliance of the Eddie Murphy, John Belushi, Dan Akroyd, Chevy Chase and Steve Martin years and then mediocrity. Then you had the brilliance of the Dana Carvery, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Kevin Nealon, Adam Sandler and Jan Hooks era. Then again, you had mediocrity. While maybe not as strong as the former golden years, I felt the cast that included Will Farrell, Chris Kattan, Horation Sanz, Daryl Hammond and the others wasn't that bad. Will Farrell was definitely the glue that kept it together. Ever since he left, they've began to slip into mediocrity...so we wait for another cycle.

In the meantime, I will watch MadTV which still has that quirky irreverant humor (much like the very early In Living Color episodes)...

Will Farrell was definitely the glue that kept it together. Ever since he left, they've began to slip into mediocrity...

My Sons love him, but I really cant stand him.  However, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy - now those guys crack me up all the time!

Also, they seem to have soured on it as well, and would rather watch Mad tv.  Guess it is a generational thing.

Will Farrell was definitely the glue that kept it together. Ever since he left, they've began to slip into mediocrity...so we wait for another cycle.

Will Ferrell is utterly talentless, as was Chris Kattan. Their years were held together by Tim Meadows and Darryl Hammond, and kind of Horatio Sanz, but he's hit or miss as far as being funny goes.

The new SNL greatness is going to be led by Seth Meyers, who did a hilarious John Kerry during the 2004 presidential debate sketches.

Also, Mad TV's Bobby Lee is maybe the funniest individual I have seen in my entire life.

ParaTed2K

When it comes to some though, they seem to settle for the pathetic. They have never done a decent send up of Rush Limbaugh. Apparently to them, all they have to show is a fat guy in a belly warmer tie.

I agree. I don't think Rush Limbaugh is "hands off" topic, but every human regardless of political swing can be parodied without degrading the person.

There are some who explain SNL as "generational humor",

SNL is not "generational humor" in my opinion. I was barely a little girl during the "golden years" of SNL with Gilda, Chevy, Steve, etc. I have seen the reruns in my adulthood, and think they are hilarious!

kingbee

i wonder how much of matt's outrage arises from the skit's depiction of limbaugh and how much is actually attributable to the slightly deprecating mention of the drudge report a few moments earlier.

Did you notice the article didn't site Matt Drudge's outrage. It was a "senior production" source that was outraged.

the limbaugh scene--while perhaps exceeding the boundaries of good taste--was pretty tame compared to back in da day.

I simply do not buy this. It is most certainly tame in humor, but not taste.

ParaTed2k

Look at the 2000 presidential candidate sketches for example

Those were hilarious regardless of political affiliation.

kingbee

(or the idea of him being santa at all for any reason but the fact the suit might fit him without alterations)

Uhmmmmm....it would need alterations. If you knew anything about Rush, you would know this.

ParaTed2k

A great parody would maybe be a commercial of the Rush Limbaugh Weight Loss Program (due to current laws, these pills cannot be offered in Florida). ;~D

Fat jokes against Rush worked a few years ago, but now they are just evidence that the joker is not up with the times.

   

Outstanding!SNL should give you a job!

Dr.Guy

Here again we have someone who never listens to Rush Limbaugh, but will pontificate on him like an expert. You dont really have a clue what Limbaugh says, you just parrot the left's lines on him, right?

Thank you for saying this. The whole time I was reading certain comments, I kept thinking, "there is no way they have ever listened to Rush." Course I am a "mega-dittohead" since my high school days in the late 80's.

Even if it was Mikey Moore, I would fail to see th humor, but then I guess I have more class in my Pinkie than the current cast and crew of SNL combined.

I agree. The skit would still not be funny with Mikey Moore.

thatguyinslc

I prefer MAD TV.

Me too, for now. I do get offended and disgusted by them every once in a while, though. Sometimes MadTV pushes the envelope into perverted, imo.

 gr00vy0ne

so we wait for another cycle.

I hope you are right.

Did you notice the article didn't site Matt Drudge's outrage. It was a "senior production" source that was outraged

the article contained a link to the drudge report where the unnamed source was quoted and published. we're to conclude drudge posted to show his disagreement with the contents? 

I simply do not buy this. It is most certainly tame in humor, but not taste.

you've forgotten aykroyd as a demented nixon, drunk and weeping while talking to lincoln's portrait?   belushi's savage impersonation of a very seriously drug-damaged joe cocker?  canteenboy's seduction by his boyscout leader? 

Uhmmmmm....it would need alterations. If you knew anything about Rush, you would know this.

if i wasnt aware of his lil fat boy innerchild, would i have found the other rush parody idea so funny? 

 

Can you quote that Show? He archives all his statements on his site, so it should nto be hard to do. However, I have never read this, so it is news to me.

SHOW: RUSH LIMBAUGH (9:00 PM ET)

October 5, 1995, Thursday 11:15 AM
LENGTH: 3252 words
HEADLINE: DISCUSSION OF NO BOUNDARIES TIES; THE NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY
BOOK LISTS; DRUG USE; MEDICARE; WAGES IN AMERICA
ANCHORS: Rush Limbaugh
BODY:
HOST: Rush Limbaugh
RUSH LIMBAUGH

Excerpt:

Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country. And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up.

If you're a black living in the inner city--and--and I firmly believe that, no matter what your race, if you have children--or even if you don't--you don't want to be surrounded by drug infestation. You don't want your kids running around being tempted by the quick profits of drug sales or the quick high of drug use. And if the cops are in these neighborhoods and ridding these neighborhoods of these people, then that's good and you ought to be happy about it.

What this says to me is that too many whites are getting away with drug use, too many whites are getting away with drug sales, too many whites are getting away with trafficking in this stuff.

The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we're not putting others in jail who are breaking the law. The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too.

That's how you deal with this, ladies and gentlemen. And I guarantee you that everybody's going to look at this and draw the wrong conclusion. They're going to say, America's racist.

We're unfairly targeting blacks.' I think blacks ought to be dis--unhappy--whites ought to be unhappy about this. If--if white people are getting away with this stuff, they're tempting your kids, they're tempt--they're--they're in the process perhaps of getting into your neighborhoods. This stuff is des--is destructive.

you've forgotten aykroyd as a demented nixon, drunk and weeping while talking to lincoln's portrait? belushi's savage impersonation of a very seriously drug-damaged joe cocker? canteenboy's seduction by his boyscout leader?

No, you have forgotten.  The Demented Nixon, but not drunk.  The drug damaged Cocker?  Where you high then?  He did a great Cocker!  Even Cocker joined him in one episode!  Your rememberance is severely warped!

if i wasnt aware of his lil fat boy innerchild, would i have found the other rush parody idea so funny?

Again you show your ignorance and are not even ashamed.  For satire to be funny, it has to have an element of truth, and that skit did not.  They can run it as Rush is a public figure, but it was not funny because it was meant to be hurtful, and did not contain any truth. 

Before attacking those you do not agree with, wouldn't it be a good idea to know what and why you are attacking them?  because if you just lash out, as you and they did, you will always be shown to be ignorant and insensitive, and not do a thing to your intended victim.

Have you not noticed that the barbs are Mikey moore were well aimed because we took the time to check him out?  Guess not, (sorry shadesofgrey), since Liberals know every thing anyway.

The Demented Nixon, but not drunk. The drug damaged Cocker? Where you high then? He did a great Cocker! Even Cocker joined him in one episode! Your rememberance is severely warped!

"nixon" was holding a drink in his hand and mourning the impending demise of his presidency.  it was based on a kissinger memoir in which he (kissinger) described nixon as appearing to be intoxicated. 

belushi's 'cocker' was spot on because it so accurately mimicked cocker who by that point had deteriorated to the point where he was nearly spastic and vomited on stage while performing.  cocker had no choice but to go along with it--and therein lies the cruelty--he was an unbookable act at that point because of his overly excessive drug and alcohol use.

Before attacking those you do not agree with, wouldn't it be a good idea to know what and why you are attacking them? because if you just lash out, as you and they did, you will always be shown to be ignorant and insensitive, and not do a thing to your intended victim.

considering you didnt even see the segment youre slamming, you might wish to consider your own advice.

Again you show your ignorance and are not even ashamed. For satire to be funny, it has to have an element of truth, and that skit did not. They can run it as Rush is a public figure, but it was not funny because it was meant to be hurtful, and did not contain any truth.

and you know this because you saw it? (unashamed ignorance, my ass)

SHOW: RUSH LIMBAUGH (9:00 PM ET) October 5, 1995, Thursday 11:15 AM LENGTH: 3252 words HEADLINE: DISCUSSION OF NO BOUNDARIES TIES; THE NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BOOK LISTS; DRUG USE; MEDICARE; WAGES IN AMERICA ANCHORS: Rush Limbaugh BODY: HOST: Rush Limbaugh RUSH LIMBAUGH

Oops!  Your slip is showing!

http://www.bestoftheblogs.com/2003_10_11_bestof.html

considering you didnt even see the segment youre slamming, you might wish to consider your own advice

Wrong again!  you like that! I did.