# SNL best of Smigel animation, 4/29 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 30, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813 "2006-04-30T05:08:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/1 "2006-04-30T05:08:43Z")
For me, Smigel’s cartoons are the only consistently funny part of SNL anymore–or at least most of the time they are. The Disney spoofs are also spot-on (I always send a copy on tape to my Disney pals so they can laugh their butts off), and “The Ex-Presidents” is hilarious. I’m glad to see the AG Duo back in action again; I’d really missed those two. “What’s everybody looking at?” “NOTHING!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/2 "2006-04-30T05:22:15Z")
I hadn’t seen about half of these, including “Disney Vault”, and they’re damn hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/3 "2006-04-30T05:59:30Z")
Thanks for the heads-up! I didn’t know this was on, and I love these shorts. **Viva** : If the Disney short you referred to in a previous thread is being aired tonight, cancel my request for the tape that you sent your friend–I’ll be DVRing tonight’s episode. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/4 "2006-04-30T15:21:57Z")
The Disney short was reaired last night, and it’s still pretty damn funny. Some of these Smeigel shorts I haven’t seen before, and I thought they were pretty good. My two favorites that I had never seen before included an Arab Kids’ TV network (“state-run and gobs of fun”) featuring programming such as _Saddam and Osama_ in which the duo have transforming powers (“remember when I fooled all of Baghdad into thinking I was a statue?”) and an Arab version of _Batman_ (“Today, Batman faces not one, but three foes- The Jew, The Jew, and the Old Jew!”); and an inexplicably funny sketch in which Dennis Haysbert hosts a retrospective on cartoons with black stars, including _Ladysmith Black Mambazo in Outer Space_ and a comedy/adventure cartoon based on _Driving Miss Daisy_. “Sadly, _The Hoke & Daisy Show_ was ahead of its time…and a steaming bowl of elephant piss.” When the last cartoon started- a lame parody of _Yogi Bear_ in which the only joke is that Yogi has a large package- I was thinking how horrible it was. Then I was happily surprised when it was _supposed_ to be horrible and was only a setup for commentary about the declining quality of _SNL_ in recent years and Lorne Michaels selling his soul to the Devil. Was that actually Don Pardo at the beginning announcing the show’s “new cast” or an impersonator? I know Don is getting on in years, but I didn’t think he sounded _that_ bad. He sounded much better announcing next week’s show and in his brief cameo during the final sketch. The Mr T. sketch (which is funny in itself) aired the week Charles Schulz died, hence the shocked Linus at the end and the piano player playing _Christmas Time is Here_. Remember, drink your drugs, don’t do milk, and say no to school! ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/5 "2006-04-30T16:14:59Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > Was that actually Don Pardo at the beginning announcing the show’s “new cast” or an impersonator? I know Don is getting on in years, but I didn’t think he sounded _that_ bad. He sounded much better announcing next week’s show and in his brief cameo during the final sketch. When Don Pardo’s health is really failing, Darrell Hammond often fills in for him on announcing the opening titles. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/6 "2006-04-30T18:31:52Z")
> [@Manatee](#): > > Thanks for the heads-up! I didn’t know this was on, and I love these shorts. > > **Viva** : If the Disney short you referred to in a previous thread is being aired tonight, cancel my request for the tape that you sent your friend–I’ll be DVRing tonight’s episode. Just emailed you. Ignore it. Have fun with that sketch! ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/7 "2006-04-30T21:21:47Z")
**mobo,** that sketch was actually edited I liked the original one better. It had more cartoons, including “The Tokens,” an action cartoon starring Franklin form Charlie Brown, the bassist from Josie and the Pussycats, and one other chatacter I can’t remember. Each cartoon had it’s breif history outlined. then had verbal abuse heaped on it by Haysbert. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/8 "2006-04-30T21:33:44Z")
My favorites were the Anna Nicole Smurf sketch (which they edited- was that the original Gargamel voice actor, btw?), the Narrator Who Ruined Christmas (“you’re making a national tragedy about yourself… so paint your ass red, get in your cage and dance, monkey!”) and any excuse to show Andy Samberg (a current crush) nekkid. Even non speaking and shown for only 2 seconds Jimmy Fallon is annoying. Did they show the Titanic sketch? (I only saw the last few minutes.) It was a Disney-does-Titanic thing with villainous iceberg, Anne Frank singing about her diary, etc… The only stinkers on Smigel’s segments seem to be in the “Fun With REAL AUDIO” segments which sometimes go on too long. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/9 "2006-04-30T21:40:37Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > **mobo,** that sketch was actually edited I liked the original one better. It had more cartoons, including “The Tokens,” an action cartoon starring Franklin form Charlie Brown, the bassist from Josie and the Pussycats, and one other chatacter I can’t remember. Each cartoon had it’s breif history outlined. then had verbal abuse heaped on it by Haysbert. The other character in the Tokens cartoon was Winston from _The Ghostbusters_. And I agree that it was funny (they showed it last week). ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/10 "2006-04-30T23:34:56Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > My favorites were the Anna Nicole Smurf sketch (which they edited- was that the original Gargamel voice actor, btw?), the Narrator Who Ruined Christmas (“you’re making a national tragedy about yourself… so paint your ass red, get in your cage and dance, monkey!”) and any excuse to show Andy Samberg (a current crush) nekkid. > > Even non speaking and shown for only 2 seconds Jimmy Fallon is annoying. Wait, what part did I miss? I didn’t see Andy Samberg naked, and I didn’t see Jimmy Fallon at all (not a bad thing, that.) Robert Smigel’s stuff is seriously hit-or-miss as far as I’m concerned. Some of it’s great, but a lot of it just leaves me WTF, and this had its share of that kind of thing. “Christmastime For The Jews”? I mean, it just wasn’t funny. On the other hand, the (shortened?) cartoon with the Peanuts kids waving their arms around is hilarious . . . I dunno. Probably fewer laughs for me than a solid regular episode of SNL. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/11 "2006-05-01T00:16:30Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Robert Smigel’s stuff is seriously hit-or-miss as far as I’m concerned. Some of it’s great, but a lot of it just leaves me WTF, and this had its share of that kind of thing. “Christmastime For The Jews”? I mean, it just wasn’t funny. On the other hand, the (shortened?) cartoon with the Peanuts kids waving their arms around is hilarious . . . Just the opposite here. Christmas for the Jews was a beautifully perfect parody, while the Peanuts sketch was a fast forwarding opportunity missed. And I agree with **mobo85** that just when I was wondering about Smigel’s lame-ass pushing of the boundaries with the Animanimals (so lame that it was a perfect example of why I don’t watch SNL anymore), he cut away to the real joke and pulled the rug out from under my umbrage. Snatched umbrage! From SNL! Who’d a thunk it? ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/12 "2006-05-01T00:33:20Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Just the opposite here. Christmas for the Jews was a beautifully perfect parody, while the Peanuts sketch was a fast forwarding opportunity missed. What was it a parody of? Maybe that’s why I didn’t get it, because the entire premise of the thing seemed incomprehensible to me. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/13 "2006-05-01T00:58:28Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > I dunno. Probably fewer laughs for me than a solid regular episode of SNL. I humbly disagree. I’m not a SNL watcher, but I went out of my way to catch a solid block of Smigel’s work. From what I remember of the few times in the past I’ve caught an episode, TV funhouse or ‘Fun with Real Audio’ was the best part of the show. It didn’t hurt that he had an interview on NPR Friday afternoon. Same guy does Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, I never knew that. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/14 "2006-05-01T01:02:28Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > What was it a parody of? Maybe that’s why I didn’t get it, because the entire premise of the thing seemed incomprehensible to me. It was a parody of 60’s Rankin-Bass stop-motion animation Christmas specials and Phil Spector-produced Christmas songs (which were often sung by Darlene Love who also sang “Christmastime for the Jews” in the short). ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/15 "2006-05-01T05:19:07Z")
I had not realized until the broadcast (and after watching his own show for the last month or so) that the voice of “Ace” was Stephen Colbert. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/16 "2006-05-01T05:20:46Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > The only stinkers on Smigel’s segments seem to be in the “Fun With REAL AUDIO” segments which sometimes go on too long. Yeah, I’m more likely to let my attention wander if I see that segment being announced. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/17 "2006-05-01T07:12:42Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Wait, what part did I miss? I didn’t see Andy Samberg naked, and I didn’t see Jimmy Fallon at all (not a bad thing, that.) Very end, both. Samberg gets nekkid (digitally blurred of course) to go with the Ambig.Gay Duo in their car and the last few seconds is of Jimmy Fallon, a fake tear in his eye, looking up at their car. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/18 "2006-05-01T09:01:08Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Very end, both. Samberg gets nekkid (digitally blurred of course) to go with the Ambig.Gay Duo in their car and the last few seconds is of Jimmy Fallon, a fake tear in his eye, looking up at their car. And I left before the final moments . . . ::sigh:: Andy Samberg _is_ sorta cute in a weird way. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/19 "2006-05-01T11:21:39Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > I had not realized until the broadcast (and after watching his own show for the last month or so) that the voice of “Ace” was Stephen Colbert. And “Gary” is Steve Carrell. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813/20 "2006-05-01T17:39:34Z")
Just one gripe with the Smigel special- the truncation of the Peanuts gang’s miraculous hand-waving powers (“goodbye, lesbians”) and the Minority Cartoons. Btw, my favorite Smigel cartoon is from Comedy Central’s TV FUNHOUSE- the Harlem Globetrotters’ First Christmas ("Our savior!) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-best-of-smigel-animation-4-29/354813.md?page=2)