I’m a huge SNL fan. And I think a lot of the episodes falls on the writers of the skit , but there is also a lot riding on the host.
Who do you think was a surprisingly good host? What about hosts you think ruined what could have potentially good skits?
For me, I think Ben Affleck is pretty lame. However, I just think he is such a good sport on SNL. He’s made a few surprise appearances (remember the What Happens in Thailand Stays in Thailand skit with Kelly Ripa?) Speaking of Kelly Ripa, she was also surprisingly hilarious on SNL and was cool enough to totally make fun of herself. (the pantene shampoo with cocaine ad) Same goes for Al Gore
Paris Hilton could have been such a funny host if done right but she was just so doped up seeming. She just recited lines given to her.
Patrick Stewart – Not someone particularly known for comedic gifts, but his episode was absolutely solid. He even managed to pull off that sketch where he played a baker of erotic cakes who only drew designs of people going to the bathroom.
Justin Timberlake – I was completely prepared to dislike him, but I have to admit that he did a really good job.
Jason Priestly - Olympic ska … awwww, ter and Johnny Hildo. I didn’t hate him after that.
Macaulay Culkin was surprisingly good too with the beginning and as little Richard “Making Copies.” He looked way more prepared then most grown-up hosts.
Another vote for Timberlake. I absolutely detested him before the show but he was awesome. One of the best hosts in recent memory.
As a Yankee, I have hatred but grudging respect for Derek Jeter. After he did “Derek Jeter’s Taco Hole,” I have to admit to smiling.
Come to think of it, all of the food joint skits tend to be hilarious. Trump did a nice job on his with the goofy dancing and all.
But perhaps the most unlikely great host was Joe Montana. I guess it was a tag-team deal with Walter Payton. In one skit, Montana is a guy who says exactly what he thinks - but he’s a nice guy, so he says “It’s nice to meet you,” then the voice-over says, “It’s nice to meet them.” The best line is at the end when his roommate invites him to stay to watch a movie with him and his lady, and Joe responds: “No thanks, I’m going to go up to my room and masterbate” - and the voice-over repeats the line. Hilarious! This was also when Montana was one of the most popular players in the NFL.
Ditto that the Joe Montana sketch was absolutely hilarious, one of those rare moments where seeing it live was drop-dead side-splittingly funny. At no point did the earlier material in the show even hint that that moment of greatness was on its way.
A suprisingly good host for me was Christina Aguilera. I was prepared to sit there and choke it down, but then she portrayed Samantha from Sex and the City and nailed it with such perfection that all the other regulars with their so-so impressions were put to shame. “**I’**m a dude.”
One host that surprised me was the Reverand Jesse Jackson. I can’t remember much of the show, as I was fairly young at the time, but the hilarious monologue he delivered about who is welcome in his Rainbow Coalition has stuck with me all this time…
A third for Timberlake.
Not a big fan of his and detested the whole NSYNC type phenomena.
But man that kid knows how to turn it on for the camera. Each skit he gave 110% to and made sure it wouldn’t flop. And he was the musical guest at the same time working the crowd and getting everyone into it. Pure showmanship. Makes him look like a real professional while other guests just phone in their performances.
The first time Kevin Spacey was on, I didn’t realize he had such comedic chops. But his “Star Wars Audition” bit became an instant classic.
The same for Christopher Walken. When he first went on SNL, he had a reputation for being stilted, heavily dramatic, and lacking in humor. And he absolutely killed on SNL.
There was some guy comedian who hosted last year. I’d never heard of him, had no idea why he was hosting, but he was hilarious. Funnier than most of the SNL regulars in every sketch.
Still don’t know his name though. He did a sketch where he showed up at a party in a big woolen sweater.
Back in the first season or so, they somehow got Candace Bergen to host. At the time she was known only as an ice queen, and all her dramatic performances had been, to put it kindly, wooden. She was absolutely hilarious. She did a parody of a Chanel perfume commercial, lying on her side with the perfume, and when she stood up, the perfume bottle was glued to her ear.