I haven’t watched SNL in a while, but the one that surpised me most was Norman Lear. I thought “He’s a producer - how funny can he be?”
Boy, when I’m wrong, I am really,
REALLY
wrong! I should have known better - you can’t produce six of the hottest comedy shows of the time without knowing something about making an audience laugh.
His opening KILLED - made fun of himself and all of his shows. Even thirty years later, I remember the sketch where Lear played Kissinger’s aide while trying to negotiate peace in Rhodesia. Belushi played Kissinger, and tried to settled things by having the representatives of the two warring parties hold hands and sing songs.
[QUOTE=Hampshire]
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.
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A fifth for Mr. Lake. I too was ready to hate him, but he was excellent. The Barry Gibb Talk Show? He was Right On. HA!
I’m not much of an Alec Baldwin fan, but my God the “Schwetty Balls” skit was CLASSIC!! I don’t remember [del]much else[/del] anything else from that episdoe, but that one skit made me think Alec was alright.
[QUOTE=Fern Forest]
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.
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I agree. Culkin was solid throughout that episode. And you know what? Chicken butt!
I’d also like to nominate, from about the same era, Charlton Heston.
[QUOTE=Ponder Stibbons]
I’m not much of an Alec Baldwin fan, but my God the “Schwetty Balls” skit was CLASSIC!! I don’t remember [del]much else[/del] anything else from that episdoe, but that one skit made me think Alec was alright.
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Amen> opened to say just that exactly and add Canteen Boy.
Googled a bit and saw this which reminded me of more. Good times.
Natalie Portman was quite good in her alpha-geek opening, the Jamba Juice skit, and the rap video.
While they were so-so most of the episode, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey were really funny at times–most often the times when they were directly making fun of their own public images.
[QUOTE=Walloon]
Surprisingly good: Garth Brooks.
Surprisingly bad: Robert DeNiro.
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These were thee first two that popped into my mind. Garth Brooks was totally great, and DeNiro couldn’t have been flatter.
Justin Timberlake surprised me as well; he was terrific, a total professional, and extremely talented (I still sing “Bring it on down to Omeletville!” to myself).
Some that have been mentioned (The Rock, Natalie Portman, Alec Baldwin) were also really, really good, but I wasn’t surprised; I’d seen and admired Baldwin and Portman in movies, and I’d seen interviews with The Rock here and there and knew he had more than muscle between his ears.
Another vote for Al Gore. Loved his performance as Willie Wonka’s brother.
“And a billion dollars to develop a ray gun that turns a giant bar of chocolate into a tiny bar of chocolate . . . What was the thinking behind that?!”
How odd that I agree with almost everything that has been posted. Garth Brooks, Timberlake, and The Rock were all suprisingly good. I seem to remember that Sylvester Stallone was suprisingly funny (Stallone whispers, “I don’t think you should buy that computer” “Why not?” “That computer is for gays” then he tries to sell Will Farrell a vending machine as a “computer that gives food” or something like that. I also remember Toby Maguire being suprisingly funny (“In heaven, the role of Zack will be played by Dustin Diamond”).
I love Jack Black but he was not as funny as expected.
I opened this thread to mention Justin Timberlake. “Bring it on down to Omelettville!” Kevin Spacey’s recent American Idol-themed monologue was also surprisingly hilarious. And I will also second Dane Cook, whose monologue about the rogue peanut had me laughing so hard I thought I was going to rupture something.
[QUOTE=MsWhatsit]
And I will also second Dane Cook, whose monologue about the rogue peanut had me laughing so hard I thought I was going to rupture something.
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Remind me. I thought he talked about flicking cashews off his erect penis and into his mouth.
Yeah, and then he mentions that you can’t use a peanut because “a peanut could go rogue!” Whereas a cashew just has the perfect shape. (I might be misremembering this slightly.) It was the part about the peanut “going rogue” that nearly gave me an embolism. I was watching with my sister and brother-in-law and we still just have to look at each other and say “rogue” to inspire fits of giggles.
