Saturday Night Live celebrated it’s first 40 years on television.
I spent an embarrassing amount of time watching TV yesterday with most of it devoted to SNL specials and re-runs.
I had some thoughts.? Please read this list in Tina Fey’s voice.? Or Amy Poehler’s.? Or Mike Meyer’s ala Wayne Campbell.
I’m good which ever direction you choose to go.
1.? The first sketches I remember – not from watching the show but from my father and sister re-enacting at the kitchen table) are The Whiners.
ps- I also remember flying in airplanes with smokers.? Gross.
2.? The first catch phrase I remember emulating, even though I had NO idea what it meant, was “We’re just two Wild and Craaazzyyy guys!”.? This happened while roller skating up and down the neighbors driveway.? Yeah- I think I was 4 or 5 at the time.? I probably wore Mork suspenders while doing this.
Yay 80s!
3.? The fact that I actually remember anything from the late 70s and early 80s television means I had some stellar parenting, right?? Saturday Night Live has always started late (10:30 central time) and since it was shown LIVE, well, that meant I was staying up to watch this show.
Ahem.
As a reminder to the younger folks out there:? no YouTube, Hulu, DVR or even a VCR or heck, even re-runs back then.? Dark ages, y’all.
4.? Eddie Murphy and Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood: I knew his skits were really dirty even though I didn’t know what any of it meant.
5. Dana Carvey’s Church Lady.? I loved her.? Him.? Whatever.
She was my first lesson in pop culture and the importance (?) of staying current with the trends.? I owe this lesson to the cute 7th grade boys I wanted to impress every Monday morning.? I stayed up late on Saturday night to watch all in the hopes that I’d have a chance to quote some Church Lady back to Mike & Joey at lunch.
6.? There was this one night in high school where we partied at the Wayne’s World house.? Party time- Excellent.
Indeed.
7.? I didn’t think Chris Farley or David Spade were funny.? I know, I know… but wait for it:
8.? 20 years later, I think both Chris and David are HI-LARIOUS.
And together?? Forget about it.? I’d watch them living DOWN BY THE RIVAH every day if I could.
9. Politics is funny business.? Will, Tina, Amy, Phil, Darrel, Chevy: presidents and wanna-bes.? This show makes me cry with laughter at the absurdity of the process we go through to find the leader of the free world.
10.? Saturday Night Live has always been funny and always will be.? Truth.
11.? Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon.? I know Justin wasn’t a cast member and Jimmy has moved on to way better things, but can we get an Amen for whatever stroke of genius brought these two together?? #brilliant #lovethem #bffs #IKnowThisWasTonightShowGag
This list could go on and on.
Watching the 40th anniversary special last night reminded me of so many sketches and characters that I’ve loved throughout the years: all the Weekend Updates, the Blues Brothers, Roseanne Rosannadanna, Master Thespian (ACTING!), Mr. Subliminal, ? Opera Man, Debbie Downer, The Spartan Cheerleaders, and anything with Maya Rudolph.
I love her.
Dear SNL,
You keep bringing the talent.
I’ll keep watching and we’ll continue to get along for another 40 years.
Do you have a favorite SNL skit?
Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.
Everyone was crazy about the show when I was in about 8th grade. Eddie Murphy, Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal…everyone mimicked their stuff. I also remember the older stuff with the original cast being on MTV in those days. I really haven’t watched it since, so I’m not familiar with any of the 90’s or after that I guess. I started to watch the special, but I gave it up to work on the book I’ve been trying to get through. Judging from the reports about it on the Today show this morning, I missed some funny stuff!
I went through a period in the 90s where I rarely watched. I was actually out on Saturday nights! It certainly had ups and downs but as a whole it’s still funny!
Too many things I loved about SNL to list them all ( and I’m old enough to remember Coneheads!). I loved the reunion show, but I wish they’d skipped all the musical guests except Paul Simon. I would have preferred more show excerpts than what my group watching the reunion treated as bathroom breaks. And I was hoping to see Dennis Miller – did I miss him?