Believe it or not, there was a period in time and space where SNL was actually hysterical.
8.
Robert Johnston
for Mongo?
Nah; it’s for Hedley Lamarr. If ever a fictional character needed a candygram . . .
9.
Kildi
Plumbers….
10.
Krista
Beer r teh tasty.
11.
Robert Johnston
Believe it or not, there was a period in time and space where SNL was actually hysterical.
Personally, I’m of an age to know that there are former SNL actors who were funny–Murphy, Ackroyd, Chase, Curtin, etc.–but not quite old enough to have ever seen them as a significant part of the cast. I caught Billy Crystal once or twice first run, but boy has it been an abyss for the last 20+ years. I can’t remember laughing at SNL except for Weekend Update, which is generally passably funny but no better than decent late-night monologue fare, and the occasional Hartman impression.
12.
myiq2xu
Believe it or not, there was a period in time and space where SNL was actually hysterical.
Don’t forget, Star Trek used to be super cool too.
If the original SNL debuted today with the same scripts, it would probably bomb, because things are much more sophisticated. Back then, there was nothing like it.
Of course, the quality of the talent for the first few years was incredible.
13.
Keith
Mongo like candy.
14.
grumpy realist
OT, but it looks like some of the radio communications associated with the “Iranian attack” speedboats may have been a hoax:
If the original SNL debuted today with the same scripts, it would probably bomb, because things are much more sophisticated. Back then, there was nothing like it.
The Ultimate Sophistication is Simplicity.
Charlie Chaplain, the Marx Brothers, Samurai Deli and Bass-o-Matic were not funny because they were sophisticated.
The “sophisticated” potty-humor of today isn’t sophisticated or humorous, IMHO.
18.
Tara the anti-social social worker
Since we were discussing important rules named for Godwin, Goldberg, and cabbage, here are my rules.
The “Somebody, Somewhere” Rule:
For every stupid, evil, stereotypical or weird behavior available to humans, somebody somewhere has done it.
Tara’s Corollary to the “Somebody, Somewhere” Rule:
The fact that somebody somewhere has done it, is not necessarily a reason for panic, legislation, or gross generalizations about that person’s demographic group.
There are also the Cameron rules (named for super-wingnut Paul Cameron), the first of which is:
People are more easily suckered by crap with numbers in it than by garden-variety crap.
Obama is a safe first African-American presidential candidate.
Given that he is a conservative, he gave highest praise to John Edwards.
I know you all are tired of political conversations, but hell I have to work from now on .. . . took on two extra classes . . .this is the last you’ll hear from me . . aaaahhhhh…..
24.
calipygian
I can’t believe that “Filipino Monkey” is news to anybody. I first heard some asshole calling out to “Filipino Monkey, I’m coming to fuck your sister” on boring mid-watches in the Persian Gulf during the 91 war. And the old timers said that people calling out to the “Filipino Monkeys” were out there on Channel 16 when THEY were Seamen.
That people use Channel 16 in the Gulf and the Med like I use the commenting section of blogs isn’t a big fucking secret.
25.
Krista
Sigh. I got tired of reading all the political stuff, and wound up looking up clips of Mister Rogers on YouTube. I wish we still had him around — we need him more than ever.
While you, Krista, a Canadian, I think, seem to load your, ahem, canadianism on this blog, I was asking any awake in the US of A whether they had seen something.
Krista have you met Jen?
Also I know you have a sweet spot afa John is concerned :)
27.
Krista
incontrolados, maybe I’m tired, but I really haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about.
I prefer to be respectful towards the residents of the fifty-first state and not remind them that we don’t levy any taxes against them. I’ve always assumed that they could all counterbalance any of their income with the standard deduction, given that they’re impoverished by their socialist healthcare.
34.
tBone
boy has it been an abyss for the last 20+ years.
Bullshit. The Carvey-Hartman-Myers years can stand with anything from the show’s first 5 years, and the Ferrell cast was pretty damn good for a few years there too.
The reason everyone thinks the first 5 years were so amazing is because they only syndicated the highlights. Rent a disc or two from the complete 1st or 2nd season sets and you’ll quickly realize that the genius-to-crap ratio wasn’t nearly as lopsided as everyone thinks.
35.
tBone
While you, Krista, a Canadian, I think, seem to load your, ahem, canadianism on this blog, I was asking any awake in the US of A whether they had seen something.
This sounds strangely familiar. Has anyone ever seen incontrolados and JWW in the same room?
36.
wasabi gasp
Is candygram code for when Cole’s boyfriend rolls up?
37.
DVDA
Candygram is clearly a dog whistle political term Cole learned from Karl Rove. :p
38.
DVDA
Candygram is clearly a dog whistle political term Cole learned from Karl Rove. :p
39.
Krista
While you, Krista, a Canadian, I think, seem to load your, ahem, canadianism on this blog, I was asking any awake in the US of A whether they had seen something.
We like you and all that, but you don’t have a vote in this president thing, right?
Hm. Okay, from what I gather, you’re saying that in an open thread, I was supposed to refrain from talking about whatever I wanted to talk about. The reason for this is because you, an American, were asking other fellow Americans about something political. And I, a Canadian, who you think has a “soft spot” for John, and who can’t vote in your country, and was flippantly polluting your discussion with non-political topics.
Is that about the gist?
40.
Robert Johnston
boy has it been an abyss for the last 20+ years.
Bullshit. The Carvey-Hartman-Myers years can stand with anything from the show’s first 5 years, and the Ferrell cast was pretty damn good for a few years there too.
Well, I specifically noted Hartman as an exception to the abyss, and the others you mention are really overrated. Not Sandler-Lovitz-Farley overrated–they didn’t make me want to smash my tv with a hammer when they were trying to be funny–but not particularly funny. Carvey was a passable talent who didn’t do great work outside of a couple of pieces that he did over and over until they were boring. Ferrel and Myers I simply didn’t find funny at all, though not actively unfunny like the three I mention above.
The reason everyone thinks the first 5 years were so amazing is because they only syndicated the highlights. Rent a disc or two from the complete 1st or 2nd season sets and you’ll quickly realize that the genius-to-crap ratio wasn’t nearly as lopsided as everyone thinks.
Nonsense. The reason the first few years were the best is because of the nature of the show. The show started with mostly good comedians who developed their comedy skills and went on to other things. Most of the good comedians on the show stuck around for a couple of seasons, and none of the good early comedians stuck around longer than 5-6 years (except Franken, who was definitely far better as a writer than as a player). High turnover is absolutely key to doing sketch comedy on a weekly basis; without it the show gets very stale very quickly. As the show became a mainstay, turnover lessened, players who weren’t particularly funny stuck around forever and those who were funny stuck around until they weren’t. The show became less funny as a result. It became a show where careers stagnated in the mediocrity of SNL if we were lucky and where people went on to make really bad movies if we were unlucky.
I’m judging the talent-to-no-talent ratio not on the early seasons, which I saw only occasionally in reruns; I’m judging by the post SNL movie and television careers of the SNL Players, because that’s what I’ve seen from the 70s cast. The only SNL graduates from the last 20-25 years to do quality work with at least a little consistency are IMO Hartman and Tina Fey–I’m not counting Chris Rock because SNL horribly misused him and he made his name in standup despite SNL, not because of it.
What SNL needs to do is institute a hard-and-fast policy that no one can be a full-time player for more than three seasons and a part time player for no more than three more seasons after that. Sketch comedy quality really goes downhill with overexposure and repetitiveness.
41.
tBone
High turnover is absolutely key to doing sketch comedy on a weekly basis; without it the show gets very stale very quickly.
Agreed, which is why, after the first five years, the show’s high periods have always followed a near-complete purging of the cast – 1986 and 1995, for instance.
I’m judging the talent-to-no-talent ratio not on the early seasons, which I saw only occasionally in reruns; I’m judging by the post SNL movie and television careers of the SNL Players, because that’s what I’ve seen from the 70s cast.
Well, I thought we were talking about whether or not the show was funny, not the relative talents of the casts or their post-show careers. Talent didn’t save the original cast from being trapped in some really shitty sketches, or from repeating the same bits ad naseum.
And the post-SNL career metric falls apart if you really look at it. The original cast produced a handful of classic films, but they were also responsible for some truly awful crimes against cinema. And News Radio vs. Kate & Allie? Need I say more?
If you look beyond the main casts to bit players and writers, it gets even more interesting. You can’t throw a rock in today’s comedy world without hitting someone who worked for SNL in the ’80s and ’90s. Ben Stiller, Larry David, Conan, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Stephen Colbert, and the list goes on and on. (Granted, not all of them enjoyed the experience.)
Now, having said all this, I’ll happily admit that the show has been utter shit for the past several years, and I wholeheartedly agree with you on this:
What SNL needs to do is institute a hard-and-fast policy that no one can be a full-time player for more than three seasons and a part time player for no more than three more seasons after that.
42.
myiq2xu
Those first few years had the most depth of talent, even if later years had some pretty awesome stars.
Belushi, Radner, Curtin, Chase, Murray, and Akroyd were all top talent, and the writing was first class too.
When SNL came out primetime television comedy was Happy Days, Lavern & Shirley, and Three’s Company. SNL was edgier and racier. They pushed the envelope, even when they weren’t funny. There were only three networks and no cable or satellite alternatives, so Saturday late-night (after the local news) belonged to them.
It’s impossible to recreate the era when SNL emerged, and today the talent pool is diluted by the wealth of competition.
43.
srv
I don’t know about SNL or Second City being racier than Three’s Company.
and today the talent pool is diluted by the wealth of competition.
Outside of South Park, I can’t think of anything that’s funny on TV. Comedy is extinct on TV, and has been for a long time.
44.
D-Chance.
OK, just clicked through CNN… I can forgive Giuliani and Huckabee and the talking-points crap (no taxes, conception to natural death, yaddayaddayadda), but…
a red-hot poker up the ass of the freakin’ genius at CNN who came up with the concept of “Battle Bowl 08”. My God, they make Fox News look like the responsible cable news network with promotion as crass and juvenile as that.
45.
D-Chance.
If this is true, Obama WON’T get my vote. No one will who doesn’t pledge to end that stupid ban on internet gambling.
46.
Sensitive Pony Tailed Girly Man
Achtung Steeler Fans! Tonight at 8 EST, How to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, by Coach of the Year Bill Belichick. It’s really as hard as some would lead you to believe.
And Washington Crybaby Johnnies, please watch the ENTIRE lesson, as the Jags will do a guest spot on the subject of losing with dignity at the end of the program.
That is all.
47.
Sensitive Pony Tailed Girly Man
Crap. It’s NOT as hard as some would lead you to believe. That does it, I’m sending the Red State Consultants over to configure an Edit feature for youse folks.
Sorry Kista — you took me more seriously than I expected. I thought the Jen ref would make it clear, but sadly, I was wrong.
Please look at my new puppy pics and wonder at their cuteness, if nothing else. They are crappy pics, I know, but it’s all I can offer.
And if you decide that you need one of them more than anything in the world, I would trust you, and pay for the shipping. (BTW — that’s the highest compliment I ever give anyone.)
Also, just to clarify, I have no doubt that I will find them happy homes locally, so I’m not looking for homes at all at the moment, especially just yet. So, it’s just my apology.
49.
Krista
No problem. It’s easy to misconstrue people’s meanings when one can’t hear their tone or see their facial expression. And the Jen ref flew right over my head, actually. :)
The puppies are head-explodingly adorable. I wish I could have one….sigh. Someday. Where we both work full-time, it wouldn’t be right to have a puppy. Poor little thing would be alone all day. If you could scratch every single one of them behind the ears for me, and kiss the tops of their furry little heads, I’d appreciate it.
I think it’s pretty clear that I am female, but you nailed it on another thread — I have kept this handle, even with the hot link, just because it is neither male nor female. If someone clicks on it, well then it is clear, I think. I appreciated your stating that females may not make it clear and the reasons why.
Thanks for taking a look at the pups. They are a joy. I want these weeks to stretch out. I don’t want to let them go, though I know I must.
I will do as you asked and will make sure they know it’s from you — they won’t get it, but hey, I’ll tell them anyway.
Like I said, I wasn’t asking you to adopt one — the cheery pics were my way of saying sorry. Like some pups and kittehs, I can be a bit mean on the surface, but as soon as I know I have screwed up, I bring something and dump it in apology.
Take care.
Comments are closed.
Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!
bago
Apple Core.
Pooh
Bobba Fett
myiq2xu
for Mongo?
srv
I miss Land Shark
myiq2xu
Pantygram?
TheFountainHead
Scrambled Eggs r teh tasty.
srv
No. Candygram
Believe it or not, there was a period in time and space where SNL was actually hysterical.
Robert Johnston
Nah; it’s for Hedley Lamarr. If ever a fictional character needed a candygram . . .
Kildi
Plumbers….
Krista
Beer r teh tasty.
Robert Johnston
Personally, I’m of an age to know that there are former SNL actors who were funny–Murphy, Ackroyd, Chase, Curtin, etc.–but not quite old enough to have ever seen them as a significant part of the cast. I caught Billy Crystal once or twice first run, but boy has it been an abyss for the last 20+ years. I can’t remember laughing at SNL except for Weekend Update, which is generally passably funny but no better than decent late-night monologue fare, and the occasional Hartman impression.
myiq2xu
Don’t forget, Star Trek used to be super cool too.
If the original SNL debuted today with the same scripts, it would probably bomb, because things are much more sophisticated. Back then, there was nothing like it.
Of course, the quality of the talent for the first few years was incredible.
Keith
Mongo like candy.
grumpy realist
OT, but it looks like some of the radio communications associated with the “Iranian attack” speedboats may have been a hoax:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/005061.php
Great, we’re all going to get pwned into starting WWIII.
paradox
The football is on late tomorrow, I have to fokkin’ work in the yard, there is no escape.
Jake
Bogeyman.
srv
The Ultimate Sophistication is Simplicity.
Charlie Chaplain, the Marx Brothers, Samurai Deli and Bass-o-Matic were not funny because they were sophisticated.
The “sophisticated” potty-humor of today isn’t sophisticated or humorous, IMHO.
Tara the anti-social social worker
Since we were discussing important rules named for Godwin, Goldberg, and cabbage, here are my rules.
The “Somebody, Somewhere” Rule:
For every stupid, evil, stereotypical or weird behavior available to humans, somebody somewhere has done it.
Tara’s Corollary to the “Somebody, Somewhere” Rule:
The fact that somebody somewhere has done it, is not necessarily a reason for panic, legislation, or gross generalizations about that person’s demographic group.
There are also the Cameron rules (named for super-wingnut Paul Cameron), the first of which is:
People are more easily suckered by crap with numbers in it than by garden-variety crap.
Bustednuckles
SNL,
“Would you like to touch my monkey?”.
demkat620
Pepsi, no Coke.
eglenn
The webcomic “Questionable Content” has a tangental idea called Quantum Fetish Mechanics
incontrolados
Anyone watching Shelby Steele on Moyers?
incontrolados
He basically confirmed John’s point.
Obama is a safe first African-American presidential candidate.
Given that he is a conservative, he gave highest praise to John Edwards.
I know you all are tired of political conversations, but hell I have to work from now on .. . . took on two extra classes . . .this is the last you’ll hear from me . . aaaahhhhh…..
calipygian
I can’t believe that “Filipino Monkey” is news to anybody. I first heard some asshole calling out to “Filipino Monkey, I’m coming to fuck your sister” on boring mid-watches in the Persian Gulf during the 91 war. And the old timers said that people calling out to the “Filipino Monkeys” were out there on Channel 16 when THEY were Seamen.
That people use Channel 16 in the Gulf and the Med like I use the commenting section of blogs isn’t a big fucking secret.
Krista
Sigh. I got tired of reading all the political stuff, and wound up looking up clips of Mister Rogers on YouTube. I wish we still had him around — we need him more than ever.
incontrolados
While you, Krista, a Canadian, I think, seem to load your, ahem, canadianism on this blog, I was asking any awake in the US of A whether they had seen something.
Krista have you met Jen?
Also I know you have a sweet spot afa John is concerned :)
Krista
incontrolados, maybe I’m tired, but I really haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about.
Loading my Canadianism? What does that even mean?
incontrolados
you are Canadian, no?
incontrolados
Loading my Canadianism?
We like you and all that, but you don’t have a vote in this president thing, right?
Tara the anti-social social worker
Quantum fetish mechanics. That’s frighteningly plausible.
Ninerdave
Do not taunt happy fun ball.
myiq2xu
Canada is part of the United States, they just don’t pay taxes or vote here.
demimondian
I prefer to be respectful towards the residents of the fifty-first state and not remind them that we don’t levy any taxes against them. I’ve always assumed that they could all counterbalance any of their income with the standard deduction, given that they’re impoverished by their socialist healthcare.
tBone
Bullshit. The Carvey-Hartman-Myers years can stand with anything from the show’s first 5 years, and the Ferrell cast was pretty damn good for a few years there too.
The reason everyone thinks the first 5 years were so amazing is because they only syndicated the highlights. Rent a disc or two from the complete 1st or 2nd season sets and you’ll quickly realize that the genius-to-crap ratio wasn’t nearly as lopsided as everyone thinks.
tBone
This sounds strangely familiar. Has anyone ever seen incontrolados and JWW in the same room?
wasabi gasp
Is candygram code for when Cole’s boyfriend rolls up?
DVDA
Candygram is clearly a dog whistle political term Cole learned from Karl Rove. :p
DVDA
Candygram is clearly a dog whistle political term Cole learned from Karl Rove. :p
Krista
Hm. Okay, from what I gather, you’re saying that in an open thread, I was supposed to refrain from talking about whatever I wanted to talk about. The reason for this is because you, an American, were asking other fellow Americans about something political. And I, a Canadian, who you think has a “soft spot” for John, and who can’t vote in your country, and was flippantly polluting your discussion with non-political topics.
Is that about the gist?
Robert Johnston
Well, I specifically noted Hartman as an exception to the abyss, and the others you mention are really overrated. Not Sandler-Lovitz-Farley overrated–they didn’t make me want to smash my tv with a hammer when they were trying to be funny–but not particularly funny. Carvey was a passable talent who didn’t do great work outside of a couple of pieces that he did over and over until they were boring. Ferrel and Myers I simply didn’t find funny at all, though not actively unfunny like the three I mention above.
Nonsense. The reason the first few years were the best is because of the nature of the show. The show started with mostly good comedians who developed their comedy skills and went on to other things. Most of the good comedians on the show stuck around for a couple of seasons, and none of the good early comedians stuck around longer than 5-6 years (except Franken, who was definitely far better as a writer than as a player). High turnover is absolutely key to doing sketch comedy on a weekly basis; without it the show gets very stale very quickly. As the show became a mainstay, turnover lessened, players who weren’t particularly funny stuck around forever and those who were funny stuck around until they weren’t. The show became less funny as a result. It became a show where careers stagnated in the mediocrity of SNL if we were lucky and where people went on to make really bad movies if we were unlucky.
I’m judging the talent-to-no-talent ratio not on the early seasons, which I saw only occasionally in reruns; I’m judging by the post SNL movie and television careers of the SNL Players, because that’s what I’ve seen from the 70s cast. The only SNL graduates from the last 20-25 years to do quality work with at least a little consistency are IMO Hartman and Tina Fey–I’m not counting Chris Rock because SNL horribly misused him and he made his name in standup despite SNL, not because of it.
What SNL needs to do is institute a hard-and-fast policy that no one can be a full-time player for more than three seasons and a part time player for no more than three more seasons after that. Sketch comedy quality really goes downhill with overexposure and repetitiveness.
tBone
Agreed, which is why, after the first five years, the show’s high periods have always followed a near-complete purging of the cast – 1986 and 1995, for instance.
Well, I thought we were talking about whether or not the show was funny, not the relative talents of the casts or their post-show careers. Talent didn’t save the original cast from being trapped in some really shitty sketches, or from repeating the same bits ad naseum.
And the post-SNL career metric falls apart if you really look at it. The original cast produced a handful of classic films, but they were also responsible for some truly awful crimes against cinema. And News Radio vs. Kate & Allie? Need I say more?
If you look beyond the main casts to bit players and writers, it gets even more interesting. You can’t throw a rock in today’s comedy world without hitting someone who worked for SNL in the ’80s and ’90s. Ben Stiller, Larry David, Conan, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Stephen Colbert, and the list goes on and on. (Granted, not all of them enjoyed the experience.)
Now, having said all this, I’ll happily admit that the show has been utter shit for the past several years, and I wholeheartedly agree with you on this:
myiq2xu
Those first few years had the most depth of talent, even if later years had some pretty awesome stars.
Belushi, Radner, Curtin, Chase, Murray, and Akroyd were all top talent, and the writing was first class too.
When SNL came out primetime television comedy was Happy Days, Lavern & Shirley, and Three’s Company. SNL was edgier and racier. They pushed the envelope, even when they weren’t funny. There were only three networks and no cable or satellite alternatives, so Saturday late-night (after the local news) belonged to them.
It’s impossible to recreate the era when SNL emerged, and today the talent pool is diluted by the wealth of competition.
srv
I don’t know about SNL or Second City being racier than Three’s Company.
Outside of South Park, I can’t think of anything that’s funny on TV. Comedy is extinct on TV, and has been for a long time.
D-Chance.
OK, just clicked through CNN… I can forgive Giuliani and Huckabee and the talking-points crap (no taxes, conception to natural death, yaddayaddayadda), but…
a red-hot poker up the ass of the freakin’ genius at CNN who came up with the concept of “Battle Bowl 08”. My God, they make Fox News look like the responsible cable news network with promotion as crass and juvenile as that.
D-Chance.
If this is true, Obama WON’T get my vote. No one will who doesn’t pledge to end that stupid ban on internet gambling.
Sensitive Pony Tailed Girly Man
Achtung Steeler Fans! Tonight at 8 EST, How to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, by Coach of the Year Bill Belichick. It’s really as hard as some would lead you to believe.
And Washington Crybaby Johnnies, please watch the ENTIRE lesson, as the Jags will do a guest spot on the subject of losing with dignity at the end of the program.
That is all.
Sensitive Pony Tailed Girly Man
Crap. It’s NOT as hard as some would lead you to believe. That does it, I’m sending the Red State Consultants over to configure an Edit feature for youse folks.
incontrolados
Sorry Kista — you took me more seriously than I expected. I thought the Jen ref would make it clear, but sadly, I was wrong.
Please look at my new puppy pics and wonder at their cuteness, if nothing else. They are crappy pics, I know, but it’s all I can offer.
And if you decide that you need one of them more than anything in the world, I would trust you, and pay for the shipping. (BTW — that’s the highest compliment I ever give anyone.)
Also, just to clarify, I have no doubt that I will find them happy homes locally, so I’m not looking for homes at all at the moment, especially just yet. So, it’s just my apology.
Krista
No problem. It’s easy to misconstrue people’s meanings when one can’t hear their tone or see their facial expression. And the Jen ref flew right over my head, actually. :)
The puppies are head-explodingly adorable. I wish I could have one….sigh. Someday. Where we both work full-time, it wouldn’t be right to have a puppy. Poor little thing would be alone all day. If you could scratch every single one of them behind the ears for me, and kiss the tops of their furry little heads, I’d appreciate it.
incontrolados
I think it’s pretty clear that I am female, but you nailed it on another thread — I have kept this handle, even with the hot link, just because it is neither male nor female. If someone clicks on it, well then it is clear, I think. I appreciated your stating that females may not make it clear and the reasons why.
Thanks for taking a look at the pups. They are a joy. I want these weeks to stretch out. I don’t want to let them go, though I know I must.
I will do as you asked and will make sure they know it’s from you — they won’t get it, but hey, I’ll tell them anyway.
Like I said, I wasn’t asking you to adopt one — the cheery pics were my way of saying sorry. Like some pups and kittehs, I can be a bit mean on the surface, but as soon as I know I have screwed up, I bring something and dump it in apology.
Take care.