“Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”
The opening credits for “Saturday Night Live” are enough to get me buzzing with excitement and hyped for the pop culture phenomenon. Everybody enjoys a good laugh, but no one takes the time to consider where comedy would be without Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center.
SNL is notorious for always being watched, but not always being loved. Some would say that an accurate parallel would be that classic film or book that you watch or read simply because it’s popular.
It certainly is one of the most unpredictable shows to have survived four decades. The success and enjoyment of the program is consistently inconsistent depending on the season, host and sketch. In a single episode, there can be several hit-or-miss moments, making it hard to describe SNL with just one adjective.
Despite the critics, however, no one can form a valid argument that SNL is flat out awful. Even if the show goes through spurts of just barely surviving and not necessarily thriving, it has managed to maintain its challenging 11:30 p.m. time slot. There is also no denying the prestige associated with 45 Emmy Awards and the work of comedy god Lorne Michaels.
My knowledge regarding SNL cast members prior to the 2000s is slim, due to my age, but I can still appreciate the comedic genius of Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal and Martin Short that made the show an instant classic.
SNL has been an inspiration for comedians, as well as the starting point for some of our most treasured actors and actresses. Imagine the wrath of a world without Jimmy Fallon’s late night show, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig’s “Bridesmaids,” our favorite female tag team Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and, horror of all horrors, a world without Will Ferrell’s “Elf.”
The program celebrated 40 years of outrageous, original and comically innovative skits with a special live event last Sunday Feb. 15, despite the fact that SNL actually debuted on Oct. 11, 1975.
The success of the 210-minute special far surpassed expectations, attracting around 23 million viewers. Starting with a red carpet, SNL alumni and other random celebrities joined in cherishing the achievements that sprang from years of fun and games.
The most integral and memorable portions of the show include a musical monologue by Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake, an unconventional Beyoncé and new “Wayne’s World” and “Celebrity Jeopardy” sketches.
And, of course, it was fun to see the recent reoccurring mock soap opera “The Californians” feature Bradley Cooper, Betty White and Taylor Swift, but it wasn’t particularly memorable. The same can be said about the Weekend Update starring Jane Curtin, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler taking over the anchor desk with special guests Emma Stone and Melissa McCarthy impersonating past SNL characters.
Other less than spectacular parts of the evening included “Mom Jeans”, “Colon Blow” and “Bass-o-Matic” as the featured ads, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West and Sia providing mediocre performances and Jerry Seinfeld taking a unique spin on a Q&A session.
My personal favorite part of the night was the new digital short, “That’s When You Break,” which deserves to be credited with the likes of “Dick in a Box,” “Jizz in My Pants” and many others. It effectively took a glance back at all the times cast members couldn’t contain the laughter, while cueing a humorous melody. That’s the key formula for creating memorable digital shorts: a unique concept, a catchy melody and Andy Samberg.
Overall, SNL 40 had a good balance of serious recognition as well as amusing content, both new and flashbacks. It fulfilled its expectations by identifying the significant members and aspects that contributed to the overwhelming success.
However, unlike the Christmas special, the spectacle for the 40th anniversary doesn’t feel like a vital part of the legacy, rather merely an important milestone.
I sincerely hope SNL continues to be on an upswing so they are ready for me in the near future. Download the trending SNL 40 app from the App Store to view endless content that is sure to induce laughter and smiles.
