# SNL 40th Reunion: Anyone watching? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767 "2015-02-16T00:24:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/101 "2015-02-18T14:35:33Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > 1. Everybody as sober as a Supreme Court justice. > > 2. Paul was just sad. > > 3. Damn, I miss Gilda. > > 4. When did Taylor Swift become an adult, and a stone fox? 1. Thats what happens when old folks party. Some were quite sad to see. But even Miley Cyrus behaved; she must owe Lourne Michaels bigtime. 2. Yes, Paul McCarthys voice sounded way off. 3. Emma Stones impression of Rosannadana was just sad. 4. What rock have you been hiding under? šŸ˜‰ But overall the show was great. Reunion shows usually suck but this one pulled it off with style and only a few sorry performances. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/102 "2015-02-18T15:32:22Z")
[Cool story from Jimmy Fallon about the after party.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0XleMIKKNg) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/103 "2015-02-18T15:43:18Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > [Cool story from Jimmy Fallon about the after party.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0XleMIKKNg) Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/104 "2015-02-18T16:14:24Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > [Cool story from Jimmy Fallon about the after party.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0XleMIKKNg) If they aired that jam session it probably wouldā€™ve done better than the SNL special itself. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/105 "2015-02-18T20:18:14Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > 1. Thats what happens when old folks party. Some were quite sad to see. But even Miley Cyrus behaved; she must owe Lourne Michaels bigtime. > 2. Yes, Paul McCarthys voice sounded way off. > 3. Emma Stones impression of Rosannadana was just sad. > 4. What rock have you been hiding under? šŸ˜‰ > > But overall the show was great. Reunion shows usually suck but this one pulled it off with style and only a few sorry performances. 1. **Lorne** Michaels 2. Paul **McCartney** 3. Iā€™ll give you that one because it is kind of hard to spell off the top of your head. 4. I agree! Sheā€™s been hot for quite some time. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/106 "2015-02-18T22:30:40Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > [Cool story from Jimmy Fallon about the after party.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0XleMIKKNg) Thanks! Well worth a watch. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/107 "2015-02-19T03:38:56Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > 1. I agree! Sheā€™s been hot for quite some time. Iā€™m old and sheā€™s looked 15 for most of her career. Now I can ogle her without feeling icky. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/108 "2015-02-19T06:58:15Z")
Norm MacDonald posted [a long series of tweets](https://twitter.com/normmacdonald) about the days leading up to the show. He talks about writing the sketches, and about plans for Eddie to be in the Jeopardy bit. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/109 "2015-02-19T12:56:08Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > thank you! And hereā€™s a [link](http://vk.com/video80630780_165083866) to the actual skit itself. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/110 "2015-02-19T20:15:28Z")
TIME has put together some interesting top ten lists about SNL. Link below, but before clicking, try guessing which cast member has been in the most sketches.Kenan ThompsonWhich cast member has averaged the most sketches per episode?Charles RocketWhat celebrity has been impersonated the most times?Barbara WaltersWhat politician has been impersonated the most times?Bill Clinton link: [Saturday Night Live Rankings: Kenan Thompson, Alec Baldwin, Clinton | Time](http://time.com/3701415/saturday-night-live-rankings/) ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/111 "2015-02-19T20:22:14Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > link: [http://time.com/3701415/saturday-night-live-rankings/](http://time.com/3701415/saturday-night-live-rankings/) Wow, Iā€™m a bit surprised to see Kenan Thompson gets the nod for most distinct impressions with 114. Mostly because all of Kenan Thompsonā€™s impressions are basically Kenan Thompson in a wig. Heā€™s been on a long time though so thereā€™s that longevity thing. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/112 "2015-02-19T22:40:15Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Mostly because all of Kenan Thompsonā€™s impressions are basically Kenan Thompson in a wig. The one exception being his impeccable Steve Harvey, playa. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/113 "2015-02-20T05:03:44Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > [Cool story from Jimmy Fallon about the after party.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0XleMIKKNg) Did you catch the part about the stage manager telling Jimmy to wrap it up so that the DJ could get started. Dude! All these celebrities are having an awesome jam session and you want them to get off the stage so that a DJ can play some CDā€™s?!? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/114 "2015-02-22T00:41:25Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Kanye. Did he have blue contacts or has he done something bizarre to himself besides the teeth? I took [this](http://static.dyp.im/gwSPue7qNa/96794f95c762eee3dad914371fb2042f.jpg) off the replay last night. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/115 "2015-02-22T05:28:57Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Melissa McCarthy as Matt Foley blew me away. Great way to bring back a classic character for the live performance. Personally, I thought her Foley impression was better than Foley. > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > 1. Emma Stones impression of Rosannadana was just sad. In what way? I havenā€™t seen anything sheā€™s in; Iā€™ve only seen her photos on the entertainment news sites. I thought she did an excellent job, which really surprised me. I had thought, ā€œHow can anyone come close to the original?ā€ But she did, and even made it fresh. It was a very good tribute to Gilda. Perhaps the explanation is that McCarthy and Stone are actors, not improvisers or sketch actors. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/116 "2015-02-22T05:40:59Z")
I thought the too-brief clips of audition tapes were interesting. Many showed fully-formed characters or impersonations that ended up on the show. I imagined that the cast members developed the characters after being hired, but it seems many of them were already developed. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/117 "2015-02-22T15:08:53Z")
I really had hoped the online version had cut off something funny but outrageous that Eddie Murphy had said. Itā€™s not how long they held on him that was the problem. It was the huge build up. He needed a speech or to announce something or at least do a few impressions. Heck, just acknowledge the tribute. It makes the stuff about not wanting to do Cosby seem more like an excuse to not do anything than an issue of integrity. I thought Emma Stoneā€™s impression was good, the problem was that she didnā€™t have enough material. It was like sheā€™d just established the character but didnā€™t do anything funny with it. Melissa McCartneyā€™s work did a much better job at that, I think. And I thought Paul McCartney sounded amazing! Maybe heā€™s sounded better in the past, but that much voice out of that older man was phenomenal. I was expecting to cringe and fast forward, but I really enjoyed it. The only real problem was the same problem they had sporadically all night, where they didnā€™t crank up the vocalist enough. I also expected to fast forward through Mileyā€™s song, but it was pretty awesome. Just picking a song that changes like that is great. And she looked and sounded like a country star, not like sheā€™d gone all pop like, say, Taylor Swift. But itā€™s that low female country, the kind I really like. The musical performance I did skip was Kanyeā€™s. It looked pretentious, and the lyrics sounded pretentious. Plus, I always skip the musical acts, so having one that I actually skipped seemed appropriate. The only skits that bugged me were where they completely redid two skits without putting even a slight spin on them. It sorta worked with the ā€œNews for the Hard of Hearing sketchā€ because it was at least a bit unexpected. But redoing the Bassomatic without varying it up at all just did not work. It should have either taken it further or had something go wrong. I also think the Airline hostest thing fell flat because they just did not have enough material. But, all in all, I thought it was pretty goodā€“if a bit filler heavy with all the speeches. Hearing ā€œLadies and Gentlemen, Famous Personā€ got old. At least that could have been varied up. Overall, I thought there was a bit too much filler with announcements where they could have gotten more sketches. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767/118 "2015-02-22T15:20:44Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I thought the too-brief clips of audition tapes were interesting. Many showed fully-formed characters or impersonations that ended up on the show. I imagined that the cast members developed the characters after being hired, but it seems many of them were already developed. Many of those characters were developed while working at Second City (Chicago & Toronto) or The Groundlings (LA). It is interesting to see how many of the cast members came from these 2 institutions of improv and comedy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-40th-reunion-anyone-watching/712767.md?page=5)