# SNL Hosts **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399 "2007-12-27T19:03:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/1 "2007-12-27T19:03:29Z")
Who’s been your favorite? Who have you enjoyed the least? Who was the most surprising Saturday Night Live host? For me the most surprisingly good was Justin Timberlake. While I suffer through his music, I was very pleasantly surprised by the fun energy he brought to the skits. He was a pleasure to watch. Catherine Zeta-Jones was also surprisingly good. My favorites included Richard Pryor, Buck Henry, and Stever Martin. Least favorites include Charles Grodin (too much schtick, too little funny) and Annette Bening (Boring skits. and stared at the cue cards too much). A good host can at least partially save a bad night. A good host must be willing to look silly but not stupid, enthusiastic but not, well, jerky about it. Your opinions? Note - I haven’t checked to see if this has been done to death already. If it has, it wasn’t recently. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/2 "2007-12-27T19:08:25Z")
My favorite will always be The Rock hosting several years back, with the other WWE guys making cameos throughout the night. Rock’s got an unexpected eye for comedy, and he was clearly having fun. Christopher Walken is _always_ a trip, and Garth Brooks was a lot of fun the couple of times he hosted, too. Like The Rock, he threw himself into the comedy in a way I wouldn’t have expected. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/3 "2007-12-27T19:15:10Z")
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on September 29, 2001. “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.” And New York was alive. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/4 "2007-12-27T19:18:14Z")
Alex Baldwin has done probably about 5 of the top ten bits ever on that show. Schwetty Balls. The doctor who delivered all girls. The pedophile boy scout leader. The soap opera doctor who can’t pronounce anything (“anal caynal”) He’s probably my favorite host of all time, but I don’t know about any single episode. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/5 "2007-12-27T19:39:57Z")
Alec Baldwin - Schwety Balls Christopher Walken - Colonel Angus Justin Timberlake - (bleep) in a Box Not only have they been in my favorite skits, but they don’t mind looking silly, and they seem to have a great time when they are on the show. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/6 "2007-12-27T20:05:25Z")
I’ve gotta go with Christopher Walken on this. Just amazing. Sylvester Stallone isn’t my favorite, but he popped into my mind because he was a surprisingly good host in '96 or so. Either that or everyone else was awful. No . . . no, he was pretty good. When Sly works at it, he’s actually pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/7 "2007-12-27T20:14:25Z")
[QUOTE=Linty Fresh] When Sly works at it, he’s actually pretty funny. [/QUOTE] And when he doesn’t, you get _Oscar_. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/8 "2007-12-27T20:22:31Z")
[QUOTE=Hockey Monkey] Alec Baldwin - Schwety Balls Christopher Walken - Colonel Angus Justin Timberlake - (bleep) in a Box Not only have they been in my favorite skits, but they don’t mind looking silly, and they seem to have a great time when they are on the show. [/QUOTE] Three hilarious skits, no doubt! Especially Timberlake’s song – top notch comedy. And even though I don’t particularly care for him, Peyton Manning was pretty funny too. ---
**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:** [December 27, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/9 "2007-12-27T20:39:23Z")
Unsurprisingly, Stephen Seagal was terrible. Slightly surprisingly, so was Leslie Neilsen. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/10 "2007-12-27T20:44:40Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] And when he doesn’t, you get _Oscar_. [/QUOTE] I actually kind of liked _Oscar_ ---
**Author:** ![FlyingCowOfDoom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyingcowofdoom/32/21776_2.png) [@FlyingCowOfDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingCowOfDoom)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/11 "2007-12-27T20:54:15Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on September 29, 2001. “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.” And New York was alive. [/QUOTE] Rudy did host SNL, just not that episode. He hosted the Nov 22, 1997 episode. Reese Witherspoon was the host on Sep 29, 2001; Mayor Giuliani was a special guest. That being said, the Rock is definitely one of my favorites. The first time Dane Cook hosted was pretty good too. –FCOD ---
**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:** [December 27, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/12 "2007-12-27T21:07:23Z")
[QUOTE=FlyingCowOfDoom] Rudy did host SNL, just not that episode. He hosted the Nov 22, 1997 episode. Reese Witherspoon was the host on Sep 29, 2001; Mayor Giuliani was a special guest. [/QUOTE] Indeed. During Giuliani’s turn as host (about half the sketches featured him playing himself), Will Ferrel (playing then-attorney general Janet Reno) got him in a headlock and demanded he admit that she was the boss of him. Definitely not post-Clinton material. Funny as hell, though. ---
**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:** [December 27, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/13 "2007-12-27T21:58:44Z")
Will the box sets include such luminaries as Desi Arnaz, Sid Caesar, Louise Lasser, and – so bad I’ve heard Lorne Michaels insists he never hosted – Milton Berle? I agree Walken is a trip, but it’s such a bizarre and self-aware trip I can’t be sure he’s actually funny. I knew Garth Brooks would be good because I’d previously seen him on “The Muppet Show” and he seemed willing to go pretty far for a laugh but his Coco the Old French Whore was farther than I expected. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/14 "2007-12-27T22:13:23Z")
I remember Charles Barkley hosting once, and it being absolutely terrible. He just kind of stared at the cue cards and barely read them. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/15 "2007-12-27T22:19:18Z")
Favorites: Steve Martin Bill Murray (he had alot of funny shows as a host after he left) Tom Hanks John Goodman Alec Baldwin Buck Henry I think the Milton Berle-hosted show is kinda like the _Star Wars Christmas Holiday Special_…the producers pretend they never happened. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![redman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@redman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redman)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/16 "2007-12-27T22:25:53Z")
Anyone who is self depricating is a winner in my book. To see these people that are up on a pedestal under normal circumstances only to have their face licked by Will Ferrell or Goat Boy is a good time. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/17 "2007-12-27T22:30:38Z")
One of the reasons there are so many legendary terrible hosting examples is SNL’s penchant for booking hosts based on popularity rather than their ability to host a show or do skit comedy. Considering how long they’ve been at it, that’s puzzling. Oh wait! Network suits. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/18 "2007-12-27T22:41:43Z")
Alec Baldwin and Walken are my favorites. I like Timberlake in “Dick in a Box”, but my favorite skit from his hosting was “Barry Gibb Talk Show”. Jimmy Fallon steals it! "I’ll put you in the ground! Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah! ---
**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:** [December 27, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/19 "2007-12-27T23:27:15Z")
Brian Williams was the host very recently, and I thought he was quite good, especially for a news anchor. And Luciano Pavarotti and Vanessa Williams performed Adeste Fideles on one of Alec Baldwin’s episodes, which was cool, I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399/20 "2007-12-28T00:01:58Z")
One out of the blue that was surprisingly funny was Steve Forbes in 1996. He did a skit about two slacker dudes working as roofers that killed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-hosts/431399.md?page=2)