Photos
Oh jeez. Oh boy. OK. Well, on the one hand, Gabourey Sidibe is not known for being funny, and so there were very few expectations forced upon her in the run-up to this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live. Just as when a professional athlete hosts the show and one anticipates a lot of fumbled lines and fouled dialog as the cast scrambles to carry the show to the finish line (get it? Sports stuff!), a “serious” actor is just supposed to get through their scenes as best/seriously as they can and let the comedians do the heavy-laugh-lifting. Gabourey Sidibe is considered an actor, right? She was nominated for awards for acting, right? Or was she nominated for awards in not being able to get through a single line of dialog without stumbling over words and then cracking up? Because if those were the type of awards she was nominated for, then this Saturday she would have WON ALL OF THEM.
I haven’t seen Precious, and I am sure there is SOME KIND OF REASON for the praise surrounding Gabourey’s performance in that movie, but her performance this weekend was some ruffff stuff. Like, there is not a single moment of the show that she made enjoyable or better. If anything, there were some perfectly decent sketches that were plugging along nicely and then had all the wind taken out of their sails when Gabourey joined in. Again, she isn’t expected to be “funny” because she was in a movie about “frowning” (right?) but sheesh! Although, we should have known, because she was even terrible in the the promos for this weekend’s episode. Even the promos!
Oh well.
Anyway, the best sketch of the night was the Danish theater company’s performance of The Story of Frank Sinatra:
It would have been even better without Gabourey! No offense! But it was still funny.
I also enjoyed this Who Wants to Be a Millionaire sketch, mostly because I enjoyed Keenan’s impersonation of Steve Harvey.
But again, AGAIN, Gabourey comes in and just stomps out the fun. Aw, we were having so much fun!
The Digital Shorts have been getting a little weird lately, and this week’s was the weirdest, but I have to admit that the singing SPOILER ALERT did get me, and it turns out that Gabourey is a much better actress when she is in a pre-taped segment with no dialog that features her spitting out cherries in slow-motion. OSCAR BAIT!
And I am posting the second incarnation of the Hamilton sketch, although I didn’t really like it, and it was way funnier when Drew Barrymore did it (which is a sentence I never thought I would type about anything Drew Barrymore ever did) but it is such a strange and risky (risky!) and funny character that I am just posting it so that they hopefully bring it back (hopefully on a show where it is not Gabourey Sidibe hosting).
But the very best moment of the whole night was John Mulaney on Weekend Update. What a hero!
What a bright spot! Dear Saturday Night Live, more of that, thanks. Love, people who like good things.
Otherwise the night was just a flop. Even MGMT was basically unwatchable. Or maybe just “MGMT was unwatchable.” The “even” may be unnecessary depending on what your initial stance on MGMT is/was.
Oof.
The thing about hiring unprofessional actors for major motion pictures is that you can get very surprising performances since unprofessional actors don’t have the baggage of their training, or methods, or career frustrations, or whatever. And with a good director, a talented cinematographer, and a clever editor, you can make people look very SERIOUS. The same is not true for live televised comedy, it turns out. If anything, I think this weekend proved that comedy in general is indeed harder than drama. At least, that is what I like to tell myself, when I see websites like sadstories.biz and seriousentertainmentnewswithnojokes.blogs getting all the hits.
WHOOPS, YOU GUYS, I FORGOT STEFON:
SORRY, STEFON!
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Just when I start questioning whether Samberg was ever actually really funny, he starts spitting cherries out of his mouth.
“…Gabourey comes in and just stomps out the fun.”
Oh, I get it. Because she’s always wearing shoes. That’s pretty low…
I’ve got my coat AND my hat.
P.S.
This is an expression that ought to catch on…
Oof, indeed. I needed a lot of Precioustinis to make this episode even somewhat enjoyable. Only good thing: Jenny Slate finally got a sketch for herself. That had a good couple of laughs, as well as the Steve Harvey bit, although the single best part was the surprise appareance by Brendan Frasier(Easter egg for the superfans). At least we know which side SNL is on in the gif-debate.
Teddy gram people!
throw up music!
Babys with Mozart wigs!
Human fire hydrants!
John Mulaney was the freaking best! I miss when he used to be on Best Day/Night Ever. In fact…
Dear Vh1, bring back the good stuff. (Mostly, just BWE.) Love, more people who like good things.
“You got a boner for nothing” was the best line of the night.
GIANT AGREE
Not to make this Debbie Downergum but the John Mulaney bit could have been much better. Everything from his CD is better than the tired, overwrought observations about a million-year-old tradition that everyone came to terms with circa the Bronze Age. They couldn’t have given him something better to work with? He seemed so jittery and befuddled. So did the audience. Better material for the lovely John Mulaney, please!
Also, no mention of Stephon?
I have to agree with you. I felt what he delivered was solid (after the second viewing when my roommate came home and watched it), but the bit paled in comparison to everything else that has ever come out of John Mulaney’s mouth.
Stephon was awesome. I’ll mention it!
I have to disagree with Gabe concerning MGMT. Having not listened to the record (not out of dislike for MGMT, just cause I’m lazy and enjoy the music I already have) I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the performances much. Brian Eno was fine, but I really enjoyed the first song, Flash Delirium. Also they had the crazy eyes dude, who stole the show.
Crazy eyes dude was THE BEST.
Crazy Eyes dude was a total blessing, and their performances were cool. I’m not Dr. MGMT or anything, but I liked the sound their voices and instruments made very much.
Oh man, I could only make it through about half of the first song and completely skipped the second song.
“Thank you, Mr. DVR.” – my ears
agreed. I was watching and waiting for the catastrophic event that made MGMT’s performance oof-worthy, but it never came. I think they did a great job, and manage to be somewhat accessible while maintaining a nerdy weirdness.
I find their transitions sounded great. I really enjoyed the MGMT performance. But then again, I’m not a writer for Videogum… so I get to enjoy stuff.
A. Origami
B. Brazil
C. Horserashes
D. Papirikans
I can’t wait to read “Angels and Dominicans”.
I didn’t watch this because I was too busy TRIPPING BALLS IN THE PARKING LOT waiting for the Phish 3D concert movie to come out.
Oh wait, that was one of only 60 or so banner ads that will flash along the screen through the course of the day that each individual person may or may not see today? Don’t mind me. This trip is going to a weird place.
I feel like the 30 Rock writers and SNL writers have some sort of inside joke about Jamaican nurses. Bobsled..
gabe, you have my sword, but the night clearly belonged to stefon. high-waisted midgets (little people) with tight red pants and big asses? i’m already there
finally answering the question: “WHAAAAATT?”
But the very best moment of the whole night was John Mulaney on Weekend Update. What a hero!
I lit up like a Christmas tree when he was announced. I LOVE John Mulaney SO MUCH! His album The Top Part was in my car for about a month straight. His interview on PRI’s The Sound of Young America is also really good.
More MULANEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!
The Top Part was in my car for about a month straight.
To clarify, I drove to and from work everyday and the cd never left my car’s cd player, meaning I listened to it over and over again. Not that I just put it in my car, like, on the seat, and then after a month I took it out.
“The Top Part was in my car for about a month straight.”
TWSS
Precious made me want to cry and throw up simultaneously. I think it goes in the same category as The Passion of the Christ, and that category is “Egad, I’m Never Watching This Again”.
Unwatchable: based on the novel “No Discernible Comedic Talent” by Sapphire.
im gonna give her a break for being someone who got a part in a movie with no previous acting experience at all. so snl is basically the second time shes ever tried to act. and it was live in a format that even the professional actors frequently have trouble making funny.
by “professional actors,” i meant the cast of snl
Alright.. So.. let me get this right, MGMT sucked, despite being awesome, and the 3 minute routine on Girl Scout Cookies was awesome..?
That is correct.
What about Stephon? I think that was the highlight of the night. Teddy Graham People and Human Fire Hydrants!
New Yorks hottest club is Crease. Club promoter Tranny Oakley has gone all out… This place has everything – lights, psychos….. screaming babies and Mozart wigs.
Best ever!!!
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Who is a product of parental misguidance? Gabourey Sidibe? Wasn’t she, like, twenty-six when she made the movie Precious? Or are you talking about the girl who played her daughter?
Gabourey Sidibe’ mom is on record saying that she is happy her daughter is morbidly obese because otherwise she wouldn’t have gotten the role on precious.
by the way SNL, here’s a tip: get Monique next time.
http://celebrifi.com/gossip/Gabourey-Sidibes-Mother-Alice-Tan-Ridley-Says-She-Wants-Her-Daughter-to-Lose-Some-Weight-1876253.html
http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/mom-of-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-sings-in-subway-201082
the point you are making is mindblowingly unclear.
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soooo… lets exclude fat people (even if they are talented) from TV because if they’re not on TV the problem of morbid obesity isn’t a problem still? Am I getting it?
Yeah, if we are going to exclude fat people from show biz because they also need medical help, we are going to have to exclude alcoholics, sex addicts, painkiller addicts, anorexics, bulimics, etc. All of these conditions are unhealthy and might kill you. Or, we could not use personal health as a reason to include or exclude entertainers from entertaining us. We aren’t their doctors.
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Take a deep breath, christrash! I think people were just a little confused about the point you’re trying to make (muscle guy included). Also, this whole thread has been making fun of Gabourey Sidibe’s performance on SNL, so she is not being protected by anyone. No matter what her mom said, Gabourey is a wealthy adult who has many options open to her if she decides to lose weight. Let her help herself and join us in insulting her terrible comedic acting skills.
i have no idea what you’re trying to say here. but i get the feeling that i disagree.
Dear Gabe,
You are a smart guy and I love you like a monster father, but hearing Stefon say “Wesh” and “Joaquin Phoenix” over and over again on Hulu last night made me giggle so hard that now, I find myself no longer frightened by the forthcoming events of 2012. A biological change, maybe. A magical change, definitely. At times like this, we need to all embrace the magic.
Love,
T.E. (Teddy graham Eagle)
p.s. A gif of Stefon saying “WHAT?” would be perfection, plz!!!
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Host: Jane Lynch
Musical Guest: Kid Cudi
You’re welcome SNL. Now go make the calls.
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I am going to completely agree with you on MGMT. I can even hear how Flash Delirium could be an awesome song, and then they just go do something else.
As for the rest, don’t you know how hard a life Gabourey has had? How could you say those things!
(J/K – I know from the monologue now that Gabby is not Precious. Also from common sense.)
I, for one, found her mostly adorable. She just seemed so likable that I didn’t really care how well she was pulling it off. I was having fun watching her having fun! Also, I watched Precious for the first time only two hours before, so it was just a pleasure to see Gabourey outside of her depressing, sad character. The opening monologue song was very appropriate.
I guess the lesson here is that SNL is fantaaaaastic if you watch Precious immediately beforehand.
AGREED. I adore Gabourey Sidibe and really have NOTHING but great things to say about her. I think she’s fantastic, such a breath of fresh air, and my best friend in my dreams.
I really like what I see of her in interviews and I was delighted by her enthusiasm. I was rooting for her, but ayayay.
Agreed. Def’s not the best host SNL has ever seen but she did a good job. At least she wasn’t January Jones.
I completely disagree. I actually think Gabourey did a great job (and I loved the promos too!) I will concede that she seemed very nervous, and that she is in the same vein as athletes who are just not trained performers. Yes, she was nominated for an Oscar, but I don’t know that she’s an Actress like Meryl Streep is an Actress. I think prior to Precious she was just some girl that auditioned and happened to be really good in the movie.
So I actually considered it more of a Jon Hamm type deal, where I was excited but not sure which was this was going to go, and was pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately for everyone she wasn’t a surprise comedic genius and she doesn’t have cool ice running through her hot, delicious, smoky veins – ahem, sorry got carried away with the image of Jon Hamm’s veins filled with icy BBQ sauce or something.
Basically, I just saw a girl from an underrepresented group getting her moment and trying really hard. I know I’ve heard her say how much it is a dream of hers to work with Tina Fey and how she idolizes her, so I could see how much this must have meant to her. Yes, she stumbled over lines, but I did laugh at a lot of the things she did. And you have to admit that Gabourey’s attempt was miles ahead January Jones’ paralyzed deer in the headlights show.
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Why are you bringing race into it? Can’t we just disagree about who was better (and more to the point, whose sketches were better)? I liked January Jones episode more than Gabe and some of you did, but this one killed it, whether Gabourey was occasionally off her game or not.
Stefon? “Buzz Buzz…you got a boner about nothin’”…Genius grandma yelling to the boys on the stoop?…weekend update killed overall…CHERRY BATTLE? It was a good episode, IMO. No affirmative action required.
Just to prove I’m not a jerk: I agree with you, she was great in the wikipedia grandma yelling at the boys on the stoop. That was good. Every time she slammed her hand down on the window sill I cracked up. Upvote for that one scene. And the Bill Hader gay club scene dude was hilarious. See? We can come together like brothers and sisters and find common ground.
Yeah, the grandma episode was good because of the hand slamming.
Actually, I was talkin’ ’bout fat girls.
Listen, I have a picture of a fat girl in my mirror.
I have a fat girl in my mirror.
I’d much rather hang out with Gabby Sidibe than January Jones and that has absolutely nothing to do with race.
Does it have anything to do with you being a chubby chaser?
MGMT deserve to be up voted for not taking the safe route: making another Oracular Spectaular. Go art!
You deserve to be down voted for justifying lame music, bro
who are you calling bro, whiteboy?
“bro” is not a racist term, but “whiteboy” sure is
Agreed. Love the first album, but yay to something different.
I came home and turned on my tv JUST AS John Mulaney was being introduced and basically freaked out. I LOVE JOHN MULANEY! I’d love if they’d make that into a regular segment. The Girl Scout bit wasn’t the funniest thing ever, but I’d put my name on a petition for more John Mulaney screen time.
I heard that Hannibal Buress got to do some stuff on Weekend Update during dress rehearsals last week that got cut out of the show for time, so I take that as a sign that SNL is going to feature more of its (HILARIOUS) writers on the show.
And here’s where the disconnect is for me. I love so many of the SNL writers and so many of the cast members, so I should probably really love SNL, right? I just kind of tolerate SNL most of the time…
Joke’s on me though, because I still watch or DVR it every single week without fail. NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER SURRENDER!
Full-on agreement. With that staff the show should be so much better. Has this crew seen a funny sketch that they haven’t absolutely pounded to death? The ESPN womens’ sports guys, the kissing family, what up with that, the court reporter, the scared straight guys, “Greg is not an alien”, Gilli, Lawrence Welk.
I think the current assemblage of SNL has the charm and polish of a high school graduation week senior talent show. They mug, they preen, they giggle and flub their lines, and we love it because aww look at how cute they are with their little comedy shows. In this setting, Gabourey Sidibe was in her element. She’s a kid! Fine, she’s 43 years old or whatever, but she’s only done one film. She’s green. She’s loving life and loving fame. She has an adorable personality, and who gives a crap if she wasn’t a comedic genius? Who on this episode was radiating comedic genius? Gabby was guest to the weekly slumber party and she was cute and they were all cute together, and Fred Armisen did his little Barack Obama blackface routine, and everyone giggled and went to bed. And MGMT sucked? They were no Ke$sha, but I thought their sound was sharp.
And yes, I realize Ke$sha is no Ke$ha.
I think Cherry Battle was the best thing I’ve seen on SNL this year. And the crazy eyes guitar player in MGMT was the second best.
It would have been better if the music was that song “Cherry Bomb” that Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning did in that movie
“Hello Daddy
Hello Mawm
I’m your
ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bawwmb!”
Couple of things. She was not good, but people like her so. Also, I had hever heard MGMT before, and I will not again. ALSO, JOHN MULANEY IS THE BEST. His joke about playing “What’s new Pussycat” dozens of times, is probably one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot of funny things. The best.
I really enjoyed whatever I saw from SNL this weekend (I was vigorously enthralled in some nachos I picked up on the way back to my room). MGMT did exactly what my college newspaper review of Congratulations predicted they’d do (shrink back from fame and make music they WANT to make). The Story of Frank Sinatra killed me. And UConn Spring Weekend was mentioned in Weekend Update (though technically he could be referring to Yale or Brown’s Spring Weekends too)
That is such a college newspaper thing to write.
MGMT is good. The new album is great, and I salute them for making it. Good performances too. Hearts.
I finally forced myself to watch Precious and really liked it; it was kind of an inner-city Private Idaho I guess? I do think Gabourey is funny and charming in interviews, but she’s no stage actress. She’ll be fine in scripted comedies.
Maybe I am just drinking crazysauce, but this is the second week in a row where I have really enjoyed an episode of SNL, only to get online Sunday and Monday and find out that almost every blog I read disagrees with me. Stop making me doubt my own taste, internet!
LOL, this happens to me all the time regarding SNL.
I felt weirdly, patronizingly proud of Mulaney watching him on WU. “Awwww, look at Mulaney in his lil blazer! Good for him!” But for real, he’s the best ever and they should probably just put an hour of his stand up on every Saturday instead of SNL (or at least do some kind of experimental half hour long sketch that is just “What’s New Pussycat” in his honor).
I don’t get the Mulaney love. It was like watching Rivers Cuomo delivering a Jerry Seinfeld routine. But I’ll give him this, he was sharp and alert the entire time. If we worked together and were at a corporate retreat and we were all forced to play Pictionary, I would totally choose Mulaney for my Pictionary team. Absolutely.
He’s a really great standup (his album The Top Part is one of the best of last year, IMO), plus, he made this, which is the best thing ever:
http://vimeo.com/7118220
I’ll admit he wasn’t, like, HILARIOUS on SNL or anything, it was basically an Andy Rooney piece but with slightly more intentional jokes, but I mean, it’s SNL. Expectations are low. I think everyone being excited about it is more “Yaaay! They put a funny person on TV! And he’s not even famous really! That means sometimes the world is just!”
best line: “Well I respect Oliver Platt, but I wouldn’t want to use the bathroom after him.”
Or was she nominated for awards in not being able to get through a single line of dialog without stumbling over words and then cracking up? Because if those were the type of awards she was nominated for, then this Saturday she would have WON ALL OF THEM.
You’re such a baby, Gabe. She flubbed TWO lines in the entire show.
Used to love your comedy, but lately you just seem like my angry grandpa.
The best skit of the night was 1) Stefan on Weekend Update, cause Stefan is amazing. Gay dudes love that shit. 2) the alarm clock skit with Jenny Slate (cause Jenny is hilarious) “bad boys, bad boys – what you gonna do. wake up.”
The Frank Sinatra sketch was funny for the first minutes.
Wake up. You got a boner about nothing.