SNL

From The New York Times, “Investigators study tangle of clues on Fort Hood Suspect”, November 15 2009:

This won’t stay up long, as NBC enforces its copyright, but since NBC also won’t let Canadians view the video on the network’s main website, here while it lasts is Saturday Night Live’s cold open from the other night. It’s harsh. Welcome to the zeitgeist, Mr. President:

How an ex-boy band Britney survivor dodged all the punchlines and got the last laugh

Since I was negative about Saturday Night Live in a post last week, I will do a 150 (not quite a 180, but close) and say that I actually like the “Gilly” sketches. Well, like may be too strong a word. I just don’t hate them like most people do. Kristen Wiig in the, er, wig is not all that funny, and “what?” and “sorry” are lame catchphrases even by Lorne’s standards, but I just enjoy seeing a piss-take on the kind of character who has always been ubiquitous in kids’ entertainment: the lovable troublemaker. These sketches portray the adorable school scamp as a scary-looking, just-plain-scary psychopath who lives only to kill and maim. It’s not a new idea, but at least it’s an idea that can sustain a sketch, and that’s more than I can say for many other SNL sketches.

As you proably know, Tina Fey was back on SNL last night and Palin-er than ever: “I liked being here tonight answering these tough questions without the filter of the mainstream gotcha media with their ‘follow-up  questions,’ ‘fact-checking’ or incessant need to figure out what your words mean and why you put ’em in that order. “(The Biden jabs were good too, especially his attempts to reconcile his attack dog role with his years of praising McCain as his totally awesome friend and colleague, but let’s face it: the morning after SNL does a skit like this, it’s not Jason Sudeikis we’re talking about.) It’s weird that SNL has hit juggernaut with a performer who, technically, is not a member of the show any more, but that’s just the way things shook down: as soon as Palin was picked, everybody in the world knew there was only one person who could play her.

I’ve noticed that a lot of people seem to have fond memories of Match Game. It was a little bit before my time (not as much before my time as I’d like to pretend it is), but people who grew up watching it are quite fascinated by it, and can still remember the quirks of all the regular panelists.