Sofia Vergara hosted SNL for the 7th of April (check out my review of Josh Brolin for 4/14) and she didn't do too badly in what was a somewhat innocuously average episode. She was a consummate professional with the cue cards. Bitch had her lines DOWN! (As it should be) While she was up for poking fun at anything, she didn't show off too much versatility. She played a lot of bitchy characters and it's a shade that doesn't really suit her well. She's much better at finding humor in her sweeter side. And, a couple of times, she did this weird thing with her teeth. The show also marked the introduction of new cast-member Kate McKinnon, who actually got to appear in THREE skits. Congratulations to SNL's first openly gay cast member. I wish you a great run. Some boy band named One Direction performed their "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing." There are five of them and they're in a boy band, so it begs the question: which one is gay? My gaydar is lousy, especially with the new generation where labels don't seem to matter much (which is probably a good thing), so I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and say the blond. Did I hear a hint of Sheila E.'s "Glamorous Life" in the first song? Are we experiencing the boy band phenomenon's third-coming? NKOTB reached the height of its popularity circa 1988; 'N Synch and the Backstreet Boys (the Christina to the former's Britney?) found their pinnacle around 1999/2000 ... hmmn. Just like clockwork, huh? Wow, the music industry really is predictable.
So, let me break it down ...
HI-LARIOUS
In the Opening Monologue, Vergara took the stage in a leather skirt and matching corset and delivered a short, but effective bit poking fun at, naturally, the way she speaks English. "This accent makes anything sound sexy: gonorrhea ... Rick Santorum ... New Jersey." She mentioned when she first arrived in this country, she was taken off guard by American hospitality. "The men offered me drinks and a place to sleep. This country welcomed me with open hearts and pulled-down pants." Her adorable son was in the audience and she made light of the fact that the teenager looks too old to be hers. "He's only five; in South America, they develop quickly." Her intro was super cute and her tits looked fucking amazing. Feel free to watch her here.
Funny
Vergara pimped actual products in real commercials between skits for Kmart AND Covergirl AND Pepsi. (Since I decided to pay attention, other celebrity product placement during the episode: Madonna, Ellen Degeneres and Rachel Bilson.) So, thankfully, the show appropriately makes an allusion to this rather freak occurrence (or maybe it was a coincidence) with a fake taping for a Pantene Commercial starring Vergara and Penélope Cruz (McKinnon). They push the shampoo in some "couch work" where they act over-the-top sexy in their hot, tight outfits, under sensuous lighting, while wind blows through their hair. Vergara gets these super easy words to pronounce in relation to the product; Cruz must sound out unidentifiable, hard-to-pronounce ingredients. It's an accent joke that works. McKinnon's impression wasn't particularly accurate, but it didn't need to be for these purposes. Feel free to watch it here.
Amusing
A cute and harmless prerecorded bit pokes fun at a bromance being mistaken for "a homosexual couple" in Just Friends Booty Shorts. Jason Sudeikis and Andy Samberg parade around in matching red shorts, one labeled "Just" and other "Friends." "For the look that screams, 'We're available ... ladies.'" Some cliche gay references follow. Later, they wear white tank-tops, one labeled "Not" and the other "Gay." When Sudeikis (wearing the "Not" version) steps away to take a call, the diminutive Samberg finds himself immediately approached by two big and hungry Leather Bears. Watch it here.
In Bein' Quirky with Zooey Deschanel (Abby Elliott), Taran Killam is there to provide support with his stinkin' spot-on Michael Cera. Kristen Wiig rolls in with a pretty sick Drew Barrymore impersonation, begging the question: is there anything the bitch can't do? Vergara plays Fran Drescher less successfully. I guess when they asked her what impressions she could do, that's all she could come up with. Samberg does Mayim Bialik. And, no, I still can't spell her name without Google. Watch it here.
A prerecorded commercial Almost Pizza has Wiig as a wife and mother who inexplicably insists that her family eat a new food product that looks like pizza, but acts more like the beast that pops out of everyone's chest in the Alien franchise. The best part is when Wiig pretends to eat the food in front of her family. Watch it here.
Lil Poundcake reaired. She's the doll that delivers HPV shots to her pre-teen owner. Watch it here.
Thought she was retired, but perhaps Wiig brought her out for one last hurrah, as it has been rumored recently that the countdown has started on her SNL exit. So, we were treated to a trip down memory lane in Sex Ed with Gilly. There was a cute prerecorded bit of Gilly in a "flash forward" where she is an old woman on her death bed, as well as a boner joke. Watch it here.
Skip It
In the Cold Open: Mitt Romney Campaign, the Republican presidential hopeful (Sudeikis) speaks via C-SPAN to various groups trying to pass himself off as "one of the people." It ties itself together when Sudeikis lands center stage in front of the audience to send off the opening credits.
TV newscasters prerecord a News Team Promo where Fred Armisen's traffic reporter is continually told to turn towards the camera, but can't follow that one simple direction. It was a one-gimmick-wonder that never lifts off, even the first time. Vergara plays a bitch, but it doesn't really suit her, as she was too forced, just as she was with Drescher.
Bobby Moynihan did Drunk Uncle on Weekend Update in commemoration of Easter. Moynihan is always nuanced with that character, but fails to tickle my funny bone.
Naturally, with Vergara being known for her Latina-ness, the show revisits Televisíon Dominicana's The Manuel Ortiz Show, with the title host played by Armisen. You know the one: he keeps introducing guests that are revealed to be related to each other in a manner which unfolds in a soap-opera-like fashion. Each time a guest enters or leaves, some fast-paced Spanish-themed music plays and dancing commences with synchronized head-turns. Bill Hader plays gay, which is always a treat. His character is straight, but his performance is totally gay. They manage to work in One Direction, which I couldn't decide was adorable or nauseating. It was probably the former and I'm just an old curmudgeon annoyed by their youthful energy. In fact, bet on it.
Killam lampooned Bravo's Watch What Happens Live as a self-absorbed Andy Cohen. His guests include Desmond Tutu and the Shahs of Sunset, whom I never heard of before until today when watching Bravo with an infirm friend. It was a valiant effort, but just didn't make it. I still think it could work if they decide to try it again; they just need to make a few adjustments. Not sure what. McKinnon made her debut as Tabatha Coffey, host of Bravo's Tabitha's Takeover. The impression was great, but she was deserving of funnier material.
They try to make light of the box-office's latest runaway blockbuster, but the 74th Annual Hunger Games falls flat. They do make fun of Vergara's product placements during the real commercial breaks where her reporter character throws in an advertisement at one point. It does end well (and fairly quickly) thanks to a hemlock joke.
2011-2012 Breakdown (so far)
Best SNL episodes this season: Maya Rudolph, Emma Stone, Alec Baldwin
Not Bad: Charles Barkley, Jimmy Fallon
Bad Host Tanks Through Really Good Writing: Lindsay Lohan
One-Skit Wonder: Steve Buscemi (the Miley Cyrus/Whitney Houston satire)
Willing and Able Hosts Fall Prey to Poor Writing: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Segel, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum
Just Plain Bad: Ben Stiller, Anna Faris, Charlie Day, Katy Perry, Jonah Hill, Sofia Vergara, Josh Brolin
Haven't Seen: Zooey Deschanel
0 comments:
Post a Comment