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Now that we’ve got Ricky Martin’s gyrations on Glee sort of out of our system (they should invent some sort of celebrity cleansing diet for that–I’m thinking something along the lines of the dreaded cabbage soup diet, except this one is called Ricky B Gone), it’s time to turn our eyes forward, ever forward, to the rest of the (fairly impressive) celebrity guest lineup for February’s television programming. Here are a few of my personal favorites: Continue reading
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The thing about a good Saturday Night Live sketch is that you can always guarantee you’ll see it again some day. Since sketch comedy can be so hit-or-miss, the sketches that get a big response are often repeated because they know it’s a guarantee for laughs.
The problem with this particular approach is that jokes often lose their humor the more you hear them, so even the greatest comedy sketches become tedious to watch after multiple viewings. These six currently reoccurring SNL sketches should be retired from the show because they haven’t been funny in a long time.
Herb Welch
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The geriatric news reporter played by Bill Hader was a riot in his first appearance, but repetition has not been good to ol’ Herb. Jamming a microphone into someone’s face is really only funny the first time. Herb would have been a riot on Weekend Update but the concept isn’t funny enough to base an entire sketch around it.
The Manuel Ortiz Show
An embarrassingly unfunny sketch that seems to get put into rotation every other episode, the Manuel Ortiz Show features Fred Armisen playing a samba dancing Mexican talk show host. Armisen is hilarious as Manuel Ortiz, the problem is that nobody else featured in the skit—neither guest hosts nor regular cast members– can ever keep up with him. So instead we get five minutes of people sort of gyrating to samba music while slipping in and out of bad Spanish accents.
Scared Straight
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The problem with the Scared Straight sketches is that Kenan Thompson always performs with another actor—typically the host for the week. That means that the quality of this sketch is almost always dependent on the quality of the host. But even an amazing host can only do so much with tired cliché prison jokes. At its best the sketch is merely watchable.
Garth and Kat
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The unprepared folk-singers played by Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen feel less like a comedy sketch and more like an acting exercise from an improv class. It was funny at first when you had Armisen throwing out weird lines and Wiig scrambling to keep up, but they’ve done this so many times now that over-rehearsing has killed the spontaneity.
The Vogelchecks
You might know them simply as “The Kissing Family,” because that’s the entire premise of the sketch—a family that is a little too intimate when it comes to expressing their love. The first instance of the sketch was hilarious because the stakes were only upped a little bit each time a member of the family came in for a smooch. Now that we’re used to it, they’ve had to go to ridiculous lengths to keep shocking the audience—and there’s only so much that they can show on network television.
Shanna
Kristen Wiig plays Shanna, a beautiful woman who is desired by her coworkers until they find out her disgusting habits. The sketch is essentially five minutes of fart and boob jokes, which might be funny to ten-year-old boys, but not the rest of us. The problem with gross-out humor is that when it’s no longer funny, it just becomes gross.
As the host of the last three Golden Globes, actor Ricky Gervais served a dual role as both comedian and roastmaster. His cutting celebrity comedy has been both the subject of celebration and criticism—but everyone can agree it’s at least been interesting to watch. If Ricky doesn’t return to host next year, the Golden Globes will need to carefully select his successor. Here are just a few suggestions that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association might want to take into consideration.
Steve Carell
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Steve was the perfect replacement for Gervais as the star of the American version of “The Office,” so why not replace him as the host of the Golden Globes too? Not only is Carell a great improvisational comedian, he’s got natural charm and showmanship.
Jimmy Fallon
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Jimmy has recently hit his stride on late night television where it turns out he was born to be a host all along. Jimmy makes a great host because of his ability to play off of other comedians. Put him on stage with Justin Timberlake or Tina Fey and he’ll have audiences rolling with laugher.
Jane Lynch
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Jane killed it as the host of the Emmys this year, so it might be time for her to move up to the next step. She has that rare comedic ability to be mean, intense, warm and excited all at the same time.
Conan O’Brien
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Conan might have been snubbed as the next host of “The Tonight Show,” but he’s still got that goofy humor and larger-than-life personality that makes for a good host. Bring Andy Richter in to serve as his co-host and you’re in for a night of laughs.
Stephen Colbert
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There are two sides to Stephen Colbert—there’s the real life actor and comedian and then there’s the satirical character that he portrays on his show. Either would be a hilarious host for the next Golden Globes.
Tina Fey
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Tina spent years as one of the funniest anchors on “Weekend Update” and went on to have a successful TV and movie career. Her likeable, self-depreciating humor might be the opposite of Ricky Gervais, but she’d still draw a large crowd.
Russell Brand
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Russell Brand might just be the perfect Brit to replace Ricky Gervais, as he brings that same brand of unfiltered humor to everything he does. He had a memorable stint as the host of the MTV Movie Awards and the potential to bring the same kind of controversy that Ricky did—which of course, makes for compelling TV.
Kristen Wiig
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She’s been one of the funniest cast members on “SNL” for years now and her hit movie “Bridesmaids” only confirmed what we’ve all suspected for awhile now—Kristen Wiig is a comedic genius. She’s paid her dues, it’s time for her to take the spotlight.
