Posted on 02/17/2025 4:09:28 AM PST by dennisw
It shouldn’t come as a shock that the best parts of the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special last night on NBC were seeing iconic stars back in Studio 8H again.
Everybody got to watch at least one of their favorites. It was the rare event that was just as nostalgic for 30-year-olds as it was for nonagenarians.
After Paul Simon, 83, kicked things off dueting on “Homeward Bound” with Sabrina Carpenter, 25, Steve Martin, who was never a cast member but hosted the program 16 times, began with a terrific opening monologue.
“A person born during the first season of ‘Saturday Night Live’ could, today, be easily dead of natural causes,” Martin, 79, said dryly.
The wild-and-crazy guy went on: “This is the monologue — traditionally the weakest part of the show. The monologue is like a rent controlled tenant: it’s not going anywhere even though it stinks.”
It was also a thrill to see Bill Murray back. During “Weekend Update” with Colin Jost and Michael Che, Murray, who was behind the desk for two seasons in the 1980s, ranked the best “Update” hosts of all time. He named the late Norm Macdonald, who was eegregiously fired by NBC in 1997 for ruthlessly going after OJ Simpson, No. 2.
“He made me ask the question of myself: Could OJ possibly have done it?,” Murray said in what felt like a low-key apology to the stand-up great.
Eddie Murphy returned for the “Black Jeopardy” sketch to hilariously play none other than Tracy Morgan, who was standing right next to him.
“James Earl Jones was my biological father!,” Murphy shouted, Morgan-style.
Laraine Newman, who appeared during the first five seasons, had a funny video segment with Pete Davidson attempting to relive her glory days.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I didn’t watch then.
It was not funny. I turned it off when Tom Hanks was MAGA hat wearing racist. Do not insult me and expect to stay tuned in.
How many of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players can you name?
The second group was pretty good. It went downhill after that.
Rap isn’t even music. It has rhythm, but no melody or harmony.
Why does Miley think she can improve on any of those songs she sings?
Too bad Gilda left us so early. She was a very funny person.
“What’s all this talk about endangered feces?”
“Beisbol been berry, berry good to me.”
“Ed Kranepool steal Chico’s soap and no give it back.”
Bad Stuff ‘Bout The Mets.
When I heard that Ed Kranepool had passed, it was the first thing I thought of.
Then there was the time Jane Curtin announced that Morris the Cat had tried to commit suicide, but since cats have nine lives, he needed eight more ways. She said to send your ideas to:
Kill Morris
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY
Then the next week, she announced they had gotten over 1000 responses, “including someone who wanted to kill Garrett Morris” and suggests ways to do it.
“We know where you live,” she said. Nobody was entirely sure if she was joking.
“Generalissimo Francisco Franco, who is still dead...”
“The late Casey Stengel...”
“Generalissimo Francisco Franco, who is still dead...”
Like Chevy Chase’s career.
Speaking of Chevy, back then before I became politically aware I would laugh at his mocking of President Ford, because frankly, I wasn’t a fan of Ford at the time.
But now I realize, it certainly was an indication of which side of the political fence SNL was on.
Little did we know that Eddie Murphy gave us the DEI theme song:
https://www.streetdirectory.com/lyricadvisor/song/cculwj/kill_the_white_people/
I thought it was Garrett Morris’ “I’m Gonna Get Me A Shotgun And Kill All The Whities I See”
Belushi was the one for me, but I find it hard to disagree with you. She was always magic.
My SIL has a DVD of her stuff. My favorite is the one where she’s a rocker at a recording session.
I was just tall enough to peer over the top of a desk when my folks placed a brand new Windows 98 machine thereupon. We had no television (too much inappropriate garbage for a child's mind) so the computer and I became close companions. I was probably around 12 when I first saw SNL on a dvd. It was...okay..."best" of SNL, really? Gilda Radner was in it, and John Belushi. It's hard to believe my boomer folks ever stayed home at night because that was on in primetime, but...I've seen funnier stuff. Guess you had to be there, as they say.
Now, pop music from the 50's and 60's -- timeless. Almost nothing now compares to it. I perform in a band and when we do oldies, the elderly get lively and romp like monkeys. It's doubtful a rehash of SNL would have similar effect.
“Rap isn’t even music. It has rhythm, but no melody or harmony.”
And usually unwholesome lyrics.
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