SNL Digital Short: "Great Day" (and a Little SNL Critique)

Last night's season-ending Saturday Night Live was a weak episode, even in this sub-par season. Of course, every season in the last 30 years has been called "bad" by somebody. But as a charter fan (since the first episode), even I lamented the quality of the show this year. The problem isn't the performers, it's the writing. I know, I know, some of the performers are writers.

The show is treating Kristin Wiig like the movies treat Leslie Nielsen: just put them in something, it will automatically be funny!  In the never-ending quest for more catchphrases and repeating characters, they put the talented Ms. Wiig out there in a goofy outfit, and just expect magic. It ain't happening.  "Starfish" last night, for instance, had no point and no laughs.

SNL desperately needs to stop trying to create characters, and let them be born out of good sketches. Weekend Update, the nearly 100%-reliable funny spot on the show, is now always used to wheel out character after character, with all the subtlety of an anvil. It works in segments that have at least something tangentially related to the news. More often, Seth Myers might as well say, "Ladies and gentlemen, our latest try at a word-of-mouth sensation, 'Nervous Girl.'" 

I often wonder how a comedy program can create an entire episode that contains only mild chuckles at best. Do these professional comedic writers and performers not see that it isn't working? How is that possible?  For me, SNL has had more episodes like this (and like last night) this season than in any recent one. They've got some great talent there, but they desperately need to do something with it.  Yes, they brought the funny with Betty White's outing last week, but even there, the laughs had more to do with White and all of the returning funny women from previous seasons than it had to do with their material.  I hope next year is funnier.

And now after all that, I really have to post the clip from Andy Samberg's most recent SNL Digital Short. These clips are as likely to be odd as they are to be funny. Last night's Great Day was more odd, but it featured The Other Half's cousin, Nick Kenkel, as one of the dancers (and possibly choreographer?).  He's the one in the yellow hard hat. And he's good!