what up with that? (oooooohh weeeee) [The Perfect Sketch] [SNL] [#TrumpShutdown]

[Famous Mortimer]

Apologies if you wanted to keep this as a Kenan thread, but a while back I started watching every SNL from Ferrell's first episode onwards. They slipped in some fun bits of weirdness (possibly the influence of Adam McKay as writer), like the fake ads that Weekend Update used to have. My favourite:



(my avatar is the punchline to a joke from the Norm Macdonald era of Update too)

[phantom_power]

I love the way Kenan often looks a little shocked when the inspiration to sing hits him again.

Yeah that gleeful shock and surprise gets me every time

[kalowski]

Wow. Utterly magical and utterly addictive.
I can't stop watching them!

[non capisco]

I am now completely obsessed by this sketch series and every little detail within them. In the earlier ones when Kenan is still singing the "Who do, you do..." bit at the start and does that fantastic little circular waddle between the two sections. The way he exhaustedly slumps down in his seat before interviewing the first guest. His cheeky wide-eyed look of delight when the snare starts up again. Fred Armisen's minimal saxophone miming. Literally everything Jason Sudeikis does. Bill Hader's points to camera every time Lyndsey Buckingham is introduced. Everyone looks like they're having so much fun.

"Well.........we outta time!"

[Barry Admin]

I'm completely and utterly thrilled you're all sharing in my absolute adoration of these sketches. This is entirely what CaB is all about, and has always been, and will be forever more. I'll update the first post with a more comprehensive list of all sketches available tomorrow, I didn't even link the Carrie Brownstein one, but wanted to leave some for you to find yourselves.

While we're basically on the subject of one of the greatest bands of all time, Brownstein and Armisen have their final series of Portlandia starting soon (if not already), and I think we need to give that a watch together. I actually think the payoff for his Kenny G-style character works better than Sudeikis' by the way. For more Armisen greatness, I'm currently really getting into The Californians sketches on SNL, and they are absolutely corpse-tactic.

[non capisco]

Thanks tons for bringing them to my attention!

I've noticed SNL has an oddly particular love of parodying early 80s British synth/new wave acts. There's at least three occasions where they're accurately parodied in these and two of them are by Kristen Wiig.

[phantom_power]

I love the little touch where Kenan goes around and high-fives the dancers, singers and guests but misses out Buckingham.

[alan nagsworth]

I showed these to my friend earlier this evening and we both revelled in the sheer joy of it (me for the third time at this point). The sweat on Kenan is a (literally) shining indication of the energy on that stage. Bill Hader's reaction is fucking priceless every time.

"If you gonna eat in the lunch room, stay away from that rectangular pizza! Why?! Because it is nastyyyyy!"

I was watching The Californians yesterday too, and the corpsing is indeed great. A classic example of finding something funny despite not getting the cultural reference would be them describing the driving route/directions all the time. I love that for some reason.

Other sketches I stumbled on that I found very funny are Chris Farley doing Matt Foley the motivational speaker, and You're a Rat Bastard, Charlie Brown, which has some sensational celebrity impersonations.

[phantom_power]

When it comes to corpsing I love the Stefon sketches. I am sure it is common knowledge but they used to change the scripts at the last minute to get Hader to corpse and say the most ridiculous and outrageous things

And while going down a youtube tunnel of SNL sketches I came across this gem highlighting Kristen Wiig's greatness:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwfVaehcdfE


and this fun spoof advert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKk91x0Yg7Q

[Barry Admin]

I just can't fucking stop watching them. And I'd forgotten who the guest was in the Carrie Brownstein one. And I just can not stop fucking watching them. I want them all as mp3s on my phone, forever and ever. I'm gonna have to transcribe the to-camera bits just to wring every joke out of there. These sketches are the greatest things I've ever seen in my entire life. 

[Barry Admin]

"...oh POOP... I'll see you tomorrow at temple."

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I love these sketches so much. Thank you, Neil, for bringing them into my life!

[kidsick5000]

and this fun spoof advert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKk91x0Yg7Q

I don't know why they keep changing with territories can watch what. I used to be able to watch that Red Flag sketch. Not any more, for no particular reason it seems.

[Howj Begg]

While we're basically on the subject of one of the greatest bands of all time, Brownstein and Armisen have their final series of Portlandia starting soon (if not already), and I think we need to give that a watch together. I actually think the payoff for his Kenny G-style character works better than Sudeikis' by the way. For more Armisen greatness, I'm currently really getting into The Californians sketches on SNL, and they are absolutely corpse-tactic.

I'm currently enjoying Armisen and Hader in the Documentary Now shows. I think we had a thread? They're fairly deadpan/subtle, contain little of the joy in the snl skecthes in this thread, but they're still enjoyable, especially if you've seen the spoofed docos or have some interest in the topics. I hatewatched the History of The Eagles, so the Blue Jean Committe episodes were right up my street.

[Z]

I hatewatched the History of The Eagles

Ooooh, this sounds potentially very interesting. Is it ludicrously rose-tinted?

[hamfist]

Bloody hell, in the Borgnine one that's Brian Cranston playing 'Doodoo man' in the pink coat and hat. These are brilliant.

[Howj Begg]

Ooooh, this sounds potentially very interesting. Is it ludicrously rose-tinted?

No no, the complete opposite. You are watching hateful jerks revealed in all their hateful jerkery, with their complete consent and possibly oblivious foreknowledge. Henley and Frey are such pieces of shit, and almost entirely unapologetic about it, that it's utterly fascinating watch them describe their assholishness in unforgiving long takes. Hader is the Frey character, from easy-going hippie who contributes relatively little musically, to commercially-minded hair-sprayed Reaganite asshole in his penthouse.

[alan nagsworth]

No no, the complete opposite. You are watching hateful jerks revealed in all their hateful jerkery, with their complete consent and possibly oblivious foreknowledge. Henley and Frey are such pieces of shit, and almost entirely unapologetic about it, that it's utterly fascinating watch them describe their assholishness in unforgiving long takes. Hader is the Frey character, from easy-going hippie who contributes relatively little musically, to commercially-minded hair-sprayed Reaganite asshole in his penthouse.

this sounds absolutely fucking boss hog, ta

[phantom_power]

I'll be blissfully getting on with my day and then that fucking piano refrain will come into my head and before long that song is stuck in my head and I am James Browning round the kitchen floor

[hamfist]

I'll be blissfully getting on with my day and then that fucking piano refrain will come into my head and before long that song is stuck in my head and I am James Browning round the kitchen floor

#metoo

I just hear the 4-beat hi-hat count in - t..t..t..t.. and I'm off...!

[non capisco]

It's gonna be vivacious! Bodacious! Salacious! My gracious!

[GoodSpicey]

If it wasn't for Trump's election, I doubt very much if I would have devoured SNL in the manner I have, watching the new one every Sunday (It's Sunday Morning Recorded) and discovering the past triumphs is all part of the joy. I only came across this particular sketch run a few weeks ago when I was googling articles about Keenan and his longevity on the programme. It is amazing that 'What up with that' is supposed to be his break out sketch, and this was many years in!

My favourite bit is when he marches up to the camera and we see whoever is beside him in the next cut - as well as the dancing, natch...

And no time for that bloke from that band. Who pops up one week. And wot about that other bloke swearing on air, being reprimanded by Keenan 'That costs money!'

Long may the SNL love continue.

[hard rocx and mettals]

And no time for that bloke from that band. Who pops up one week. And wot about that other bloke swearing on air, being reprimanded by Keenan 'That costs money!'

I just don't think anyone's ever referred to Samuel L. Jackson as 'that other bloke' before.

[marquis_de_sad]

I just don't think anyone's ever referred to Samuel L. Jackson as 'that other bloke' before.

Maybe Tim Roth?

[Ja'moke]

"Tonight he's gonna tell us the true meaning of Christmas. You think you got it figured out, don't ya Lindsey?" I can't stop laughing at that line.

[jobotic]

Watched that one last nigh - brilliant. Also watched about three others. Totally addicted now.

[jobotic]

It's gonna be vivacious! Bodacious! Salacious! My gracious!

Purple hazing! Marvin Gazing!

[notjosh]

Fair play, I thought the first one was quite funny, then the moment the hi-hat started in the second one I realised how great this was.

Love how Morgan Freeman plays it so deadpan but Ernest Borgnine makes no attempt whatsoever to hide his delight.

[Rizla]

I love these so much. Will Forte never seems quite comfortable in them does he? Wonder if he didn't like doing them for some reason.

Been binging on The Californians too. "Devvin? Whaharyewdewinhee?"

[phantom_power]

Forte looks more comfortable than the other bloke that does the announcer