The Jimmy Fallon Situation = Beck's "Debra"

Whatevah, I still think Jimmy Fallon-as-news-anchor is Where It's At!

Horatio Sanz(abelt) and Tracy Morgan are the only funny things about current SNL.

Howevah, they're musical guest lineups have been mostly atrocious for some time now.

Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey RULE Weekend Update.

I think my fav Tracey Morgan skit was the Uncle Jemima's Mash Liquor advert.

If only they could pay Christopher Walken enough to be a full-fledged cast member. The Continental? "Have some sham-pawg-nyuh."

More specifically:
Tracy Morgan and Horatio Sanz are ok, just overrated. I like Chris Parnell, though his Bush impression is very weak. They should just can the political impressions in general and stick to weird absurdist stuff like "The Falconer." The Ray Liotta episode was the most consistently funny one in a while. Tina Fey rocks hardcore. Chris Kattan and Darrell Hammond should leave the show, they've been there too long and lost whatever funniness they had. And I am a big fucking dork.

God, this weekend I was crying because I'd forgotten how hilarious The Falconer was. Also, the Missy Elliott workout tape!!!

Now that the ominous spectre of Will Ferrell no longer inhibits the weekly shenanigans, I think a lot of the other male cast members are scrambling to find footing and further develop their personalities. Horatio gets funnier every season, and Tracy Morgan has mastered the art of the nonsense skit ("Brian Fellows' Safari Planet!"). Chris Kattan hasn't been funny since he was playing the gibberish guy (thank God I haven't seen a "Mango" skit in a while). Parnell, as the most utilitarian player in the cast, falls way short of filling Phil Hartman's shoes. Darrell Hammond is there for impressions and impressions only -- if they cut those out, he'd lose his job. A lot of the featured players are being put to good use, though. Seth Myers, Fred Armisen, Dean Edwards (his Don Cheadle impersonation during the half-time show was great). Wouldn't miss Jeff Edwards that much if he left. "Drunk Girl" is horrible.

I forgot about Brian Fellows Safari Planet. OK, Morgan can stay. "That bird is NOT Brian Fellows!"

- Deadpan Weekend Update Delivery Mode
- Nonplussed Straight Man Mode

When he's trying too hard to be wacky, he gets grating. Also, his musical impressions are good but they aren't THAT good. I also hate it when he starts laughing during a sketch.

(Actually, one of the reasons I think "Snowball" works so well is because he does it so deadpan. None of his other songs are nearly as successful.)

I can understand the not-finding-him-funny thing, though, too. Just why the hate-on for those who do find him funny?

"Jeb Bush won a close race in Florida, avoiding a potential embarrassment to President Bush, who poured $30 million into his brother's campaign (most of which seems to have gone towards pies)."

I was in hysterics.

Also, his Dave Matthews impersonation is so completely OTM that it's frightening.

"Wowwee zowwee!"

Two points:

- Did you see the Celebrity Jeopardy skit where he did this? It was classic!

- Where is this parallel universe where everyone hates Dave Matthews and how do I get there?

Yeah, I saw the celebrity jeopardy deal. I was unmoved. Didn't it just basically involve him singing the answers in Dave Matthews falsetto? That's real cutting satire right there.

(This second part was written before I saw your next post. Go go gadget precog powers!)

I am also very amused that you've called someone else smug, but since I use the "hyperbolic rant" as a discussion technique myself, I'm obviously not mad at you for it.

the entire male cast is at its lowest point since post-murphy eighties...

Will Ferrel owned the show...his Neil diamond singing with Big Foot was perhaps the funniest moment in SNL history

The show is completely dominated by the women...rachel dratch is hillarious, Amy Poehl is pretty good (and she was in the genius film "wet hot american summer") as is Maya rudolph...

Tina Fey sucks

Darrell Hammond should at least be commended for his Al gore

Destroy: Brian Fellow's Safari Planet. Funny the first time, the first time was the last time. Plus somehow lines are always flubbed during these skits and they like to stick 'em right up in the front of the show cause it's the big recurring character leadoff.

Did someone say Maya Rudolph was in the Rentals? As in "Friends of P" Rentals? Why do you lie?

Keyboardist and a singer for the Weezer-spinoff band, The Rentals. She toured with them in 1996 and sang on their latest CD.

I'll agree that "Spaceman Jones" is also an excellent use of Morgan's talent -- hilarity ensues! I've already stated above (like others) that "Brian Fellow's Safari Planet" is COMIC GOLD!

Oh and regardless of anything, the Celebrity Jeopardy sketch is the best thing that happened to SNL in like ever. It doesn't seem to matter how often they do the Sean Connery joke, it's still funny as hell.

I knew I had seen/heard that Mya Rudolph somewhere before...my celebrity crush now only grows MORE POWERFUL...ARGH!

I like Vice's take on the Jimmy Fallon comedy album. does anyone have it word for word? volume 9, #10, it's hi-larious.

I look at Weekend Update and all I see is attractive personas that aren't really all that funny, making safe jokes at the expense of universally agreed upon targets. I think Tina Fey is smug and overrated. The show has been conservative or apolitical for years, and it's a bad sign that absolutely every sketch that I've liked since Tim Meadows left has been mentioned in this thread. (Writing-wise, SNL was eclipsed by Conan O'Brien and Mr. Show years ago.)

I say all this as a lifelong fan of SNL (from the second season on), and as a huge fan of personas (Adam Sandler was brilliant on the show). But the personas have to be funny, not just self-amused and playing to the audience. FUCK the audience. The NFL halftime crowd was so primed, they would have laughed at anything.

Geeg is right, the women dominate, and maybe it's because they're actually acting (one of the reasons Christopher Walken and Alec Baldwin are the all-time champs of hosting).

Wasn't he aping the Jimi Hendrix Experience (see band name)?

And also, why hasn't Beck sued him for the "Debra" rip?

Wasn't Fallon aping Prince?

I would never shop in a store that stocked Jimmy Fallon CDs.

and his performance-- to me at least-- seemed to be a send-up of one of Barrett's 60s television appearances, what with the clothes and wig.

And his performance -- to me at least-- seemed like a send-up/homage to the Jimi Hendrix Experience (see what Jimi looks like on the back of Are You Experienced?)

Notempo: I guess Tom Hanks got too big to be bothered with coming back to host.

Do you remember the last time he hosted? And in his monologue he said he hadn't hosted in awhile because the show hadn't been good in years? And he came back because it had gotten okay again? I think that might answer yr question.