Saturday Night Live, I’ve got a bone to pick with you.
You used to be hilarious. I’d stay up and watch you even if I was beyond tired. But after watching last night, I think I have solved your entire format. You set up a normal situation, bring in a character who will engage in unfunny jackassery such as singing or dancing (and clearly suck at it) and the other characters will shoot them funny looks. This, according to you, is so hilarious that every single sketch, including Weekend Update, must be structured in this format.
In case you want to take me to task on this, I’ll give you a few examples. First sketch: swim meet. Coach says he’s gonna play a song to pump them up, puts on a jazz tune and starts dancing like an idiot. Swim team gives him funny looks and eventually bail on him (except, of course, for Michael Phelps, who was funnier than the whole sketch just by looking extremely uncomfortable in it). The very next sketch featured a kid with braces (because braces are just fucking hilarious, aren’t they?) doing tricks and playing sax while his sister danced, equally idiotically, in a livingroom for their parents and guests. The guests give them funny looks and eventually bail. Even Weekend Update adopts this format.
Why does every comedy sketch these days have to be centred around idiotic, Jackass-style behaviour? What happened to funny situations, funny actors, and funny dialogue? I’ve read so many blogs and narratives online that had me in stitches. Why is it so hard to bring this kind of talent into the mainstream? I’m not the only one who is fed up with the same shit on TV every day. But despite all these bones, I definitely owe you a token of my appreciation.
Thank you, SNL. Thank you for keeping my hopes of becoming a writer alive. By being on TV every weekend, and by being so horrendously unfunny, you’ve given me the encouragement I need to keep writing.