Bernie Mac / Good Charlotte
April 5, 2003
Kenneth Hayashi (hayashikm1@mybluelight.com) said:
Hi Stooge,
This is Ken Hayashi from Jordan Davidson’s SNL Message Board. I was
wondering if you could help me out. I just wanted to ask you why you think SNL
is better than Mad TV. The competition between SNL and Mad TV has been
well-known. Many people on Jordan’s board say that Mad TV is a rip-off of SNL,
which I don’t really agree with. On the other side, Mad TV fans claim that SNL
is overrated and relies on guest stars to get high ratings. I was wondering if
you could tell me why you prefer SNL over Mad TV, and why you think SNL is the
overall better show. Do you agree with the claim that SNL is overrated and
depends on guest hosts to bolster its ratings? What makes you keep watching SNL
even though this season has been very mediocre?
I was hoping that you could help me, since you’ve been watching SNL longer
than anyone else on Jordan’s board has. Thanks for your time. Hope to hear
from you soon! Keep up the good work with the reviews!
Thanks again,
Ken Hayashi
I actually used to watch Mad TV regularly before I knew about SNL. I don't think Mad TV is a complete rip-off of the show, at least not when it started out. In its earlier seasons, it was good and its style was very different from SNL. But since about 2000, Mad TV has really changed and gotten a lot worse and made me completely lose interest in it. That was around the same time that I discovered SNL and started watching that on a regular basis instead.
I like SNL better because it think it's generally funnier, has better characters, better castmembers, and it’s live, which adds more of an exciting and unique feeling.
I disagree about the show being overrated; I would say the show is actually underrated nowadays. It seems that whenever I read a comment about the show that's not on an SNL site, it always "the show hasn't been good since the early 90's" or "it hasn't been good since the 70's.", etc. But I think it’s always like that, where people say that SNL hasn’t been good since (insert season here) no matter what season it is, even during the great late 80’s/early 90’s era. I think the same will happen with the current cast. They get bashed by critics now, but years down the road, people will look back at this cast and say that it was great and how the current cast (whoever they’ll be then) isn’t as good as this cast was.
About the show relying on guest hosts for better ratings, that probably has some truth to it, especially when they're a really big name like Britney Spears, The Rock, or John McCain. But I don't think it's that bad because those kinds of hosts can sometimes turn out to be good.
I'm too big a fan of the show to stop watching just because of a pretty weak season. I don’t think this season is one of the worst ever, but it’s definitely a step down from the last few seasons and I have faith that it will get better next season. And occasionally, they still have excellent episodes like the Christopher Walken and Nia Vardalos episodes.
About me watching SNL longer than anyone else on the board, I’m not sure who told you that but I've actually only been watching since 1999. I've learned a lot of knowledge about the show since then from watching new episodes and old repeats, and from SNL fan sites. I know others on the board, like Mario Lanza, have been watching it much longer than me.
_______________________________________________________
(COLD OPENING) A Message from President Bush
Highlights:
- I usually don’t like the behind-the-desk Bush openings, but this one was short and sweet, and had some great one-liners from Parnell.
- The applause from the audience at the beginning. Looks like they’re starting to appreciate Parnell’s Bush.
Lowlights:
- I’m getting tired of Parnell opening every episode. I think the last castmember to say the opening line other than him was Darrell, and that was way back in January.
Additional Notes:
- None.
(MONOLOGUE) Bernie Mac
Highlights:
- Ah, classic stand-up monologue! I knew they’d do one with Bernie hosting.
Lowlights:
- None.
Additional Notes:
- None.
(SKETCH) Sully & Denise
Highlights:
- Finally, another Sully & Denise sketch. I’ve been waiting a long time for this.
- Bernie’s character was good.
- Horatio’s usual funny cameo as Frankie.
- Sully and Denise making out on the Jumbotron.
Lowlights:
- A little below usual Sully & Denise standards. This was still good, but felt like something was missing.
Additional Notes:
- None.
(NEXT WEEK) April 12: 2003: Ray Romano
He’s very funny, and did an excellent job hosting before in 1998-99. I’m looking forward to seeing him again, and I hope we’ll be getting our second stand-up monologue in a row.
(SKETCH) "Brain Busters"
Highlights:
- Jimmy and Horatio’s dumb answers.
- Bernie’s reactions.
- The “What’s Happenin’” part.
- Hilarious ending.
Lowlights:
- None.
Additional Notes:
- None.
(COMMERCIAL) Hot Sauce Carry Purse
Highlights:
- A funny premise, and good execution.
- Always good to see the host in the pre-recorded commercial.
Lowlights:
- None.
Additional Notes:
- None.
(SKETCH) Loud people at the movies
Highlights:
- The old man from the ghetto.
Lowlights:
- The ending was weak.
Additional Notes:
- None.
(MUSICAL PERFORMANCE)
No comment.
(WEEKEND UPDATE) Fallon & Fey, Gene Shalit, Drunk Girl, U-S-Amen
Highlights:
- The Pat Stoner joke.
- The Rosie O’Donnell joke.
- The U-S-Amen bit was dumb at first, but had me rolling a few minutes into it. I can’t explain why, except that I’m officially convinced now that Forte can make anything funny.
Lowlights:
- The sunglass hut joke.
- The usual bad Gene Shalit segment.
- Drunk Girl was weaker than usual tonight.
Additional Notes:
- Tonight, the end-of-Update cameo guy comes out dressed as a magician and puts Jimmy’s pencil in his hat.
(SKETCH) "The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary"
Highlights:
- As a diehard Three Stooges fan (as you can probably tell by my screen name), I was excited to finally see a Three Stooges sketch on SNL. Actually, I heard they did one before with Joe Piscopo playing Curly, but I’ve never seen that one before.
- Jeff was great as Curly, and Kattan was pretty good as Larry (at least he didn’t get to say much).
- Bernie Mac was funny as the black Stooge.
- The bits with Woody Harrelson were funny.
Lowlights:
- They should’ve done a little more with this.
- Parnell’s Moe impression could’ve better.
Additional Notes:
- “Now Museum, Now You Don’t” really does sound like it could be a Three Stooges title.
- It looked like Kattan really got hurt when he fell on the side of the chair.
(SKETCH) I Want a Cigarette!
Highlights:
- A few funny lines.
Lowlights:
- Kinda weak, and their voices got annoying after a while and made it hard to understand what they were saying.
Additional Notes:
- None.
(SKETCH) "Second Time Around"
Highlights:
- None.
Lowlights:
- I was afraid they’d bring this format back again. The Glenda Goodwin character was good in the lawyer format, but the talk show format is a weak one for her. Besides, Maya & Rachel already have their recurring public access show sketch together with Wake Up Wakefield. No need for another bad one.
Additional Notes:
- At the end, Glenda said that her guest next week will be Joan Petricelli, who was also “next week’s guest” in the last Second Time Around, and who Nia Vardalos played in the first Glenda Goodwin sketch.
(COMMERCIAL) Swiffer Sleepers
Aw, not this again.... This ad wasn’t funny the first time. Stop repeating it.
(SKETCH) Saddam’s meeting
Highlights:
- Jeff’s heavy sweating.
Lowlights:
- Very weak. Barely any laughs, a terrible ending, and Horatio’s Saddam impression has yet to grow on me.
- Does Horatio have to do that “silly dance” in every sketch he’s in? This is the third time tonight.
Additional Notes:
- None.
(MUSICAL PERFORMANCE)
No comment.
(SKETCH/COMMERCIAL) "Don Banks’ King of “Comedy” Suits"
Highlights:
- Forte’s bit at the end
Lowlights:
- Typical forgettable last sketch of the night.
Additional Notes:
- None.
_______________________________________________________
Overall Highlights of Tonight’s Episode:
- Cold Opening.
- Monologue.
- Brain Busters.
- SNL finally doing a sketch about the Three Stooges.
- Forte’s performance in Weekend Update and his walk-on in King of “Comedy” Suits.
Overall Lowlights:
- The ending of Loud People at the Movies.
- Gene Shalit and Drunk Girl on Weekend Update.
- I Want a Cigarette.
- Second Time Around.
- Saddam’s Meeting.
- Horatio overusing his “silly dance”.
- Rerunning Swiffer Sleepers for the 2,342nd time.
- Don Banks’ King of “Comedy” Suits
Funniest Moment:
- The old white guy from the ghetto in Loud People at the Movies.
Best Lines:
- Chris Parnell as President Bush: “I wish there were a button I could push that would only destroy the bad people. But General Tommy Franks has repeatedly told me no such button exists. And you know what – I believe him.”
- Chris Parnell as President Bush: “We have taken Baghdad’s main airport and surrounding area, which means coalition forces now control all of Iraq’s duty-free shows and car rental services.”
- Bernie Mac: “The country got everybody doing stupid things. They told you to buy gas masks, duct tape, gloves, plastic. The whole country looking like an episode of ‘Trading Spaces’.”
- Jimmy Fallon: “Pat Stoner, a politician in Milwaukee, is upset with kids in the area who are stealing his re-election signs because of his last name. This action all but hands the election to challenger Reginald Q. Gayballs.”
- Tina Fey: “Kelly Carpenter, Rosie O’Donnell’s life partner, has legally changed her name to O’Donnell. She celebrated by eating out.”
- Jimmy Fallon as Woody Harrelson: “If you’re like me, you love the Three Stooges, mostly because you’re stoned all the time.”
CASTMEMBER COUNT DOWN:
DRATCH: 3 sketches (Sully & Denise; Loud people at the movies; Second Time Around)
FALLON: 6 sketches (Sully & Denise; Brain Busters; Weekend Update; The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary; I Want a Cigarette!; Saddam’s meeting)
FEY: 1 sketch (Weekend Update)
HAMMOND: 1 sketch (The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary)
KATTAN: 2 sketches (The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary; Saddam’s meeting)
MORGAN: 1 sketch (Loud people at the movies)
PARNELL: 5 sketches (A Message from President Bush; Brain Busters; Loud people at the movies; Weekend Update; The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary)
POEHLER: 4 sketches (Hot Sauce Carry Purse; Loud people at the movies; I Want a Cigarette!; Swiffer Sleepers)
RUDOLPH: 3 sketches (Hot Sauce Carry Purse; Second Time Around; Don Banks’ King of “Comedy” Suits)
SANZ: 4 sketches (Sully & Denise; Brain Busters; Weekend Update; Saddam’s meeting)
ARMISEN: 2 sketches (Loud people at the movies; Saddam’s meeting)
EDWARDS: 1 sketch (Don Banks’ King of “Comedy” Suits)
FORTE: 3 sketches (Hot Sauce Carry Purse; Weekend Update; Don Banks’ King of “Comedy” Suits)
MEYERS: 2 sketches (Loud people at the movies; I Want a Cigarette!)
RICHARDS: 3 sketches (Weekend Update; The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary; Saddam’s meeting)
Jimmy, Horatio, and Parnell were the stars of the night. I notice Horatio’s been getting a lot more airtime than usual in the past few episodes. As for the underused: I expected Tracy to be used a lot more considering who the host was. At least his one sketch had him in the main role, but he wasn't that funny in it. SNL once again wasted an opportunity to give Dean some airtime with a black host. I’m convinced that there’s no use for the guy ever getting into a lot of sketches. And Darrell continues to get screwed with useless bit roles (where was his Geraldo sketch that was shown in the promos?).
Thanks for reading. GUTE NACHT.