Saturday Night Live: Scarlett Johansson, Lorde
March 12, 2017 12:12 AM - Season 42, Episode 16 - Subscribe
Host: Scarlett Johansson, Musical Guest: Lorde
- 2018 - Kenan Thompson, Alec Baldwin, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, Leslie Jones, Sasheer Zamata, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Moynihan
- Opening Monologue - Scarlett Johansson
- Good Day Denver - Cecily Strong, Bobby Moynihan, Scarlett Johansson, Mikey Day, Kennan Thompson
- Cherry Grove - Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Scarlett Johansson, Cecily Strong
- InnoTech - Kyle Monney, Alex Moffat, Mikey Day, Cecily Strong, Scarlett Johansson
- Olive Garden - Beck Bennett, Scarlett Johansson, Kennan Thompson, Mikey Day, Leslie Jones
- Complicit - Scarlett Johansson
- Lorde - Green Light
- Weekend Update - Michael Che, Colin Jost
- Al Franken and Jeff Sessions - Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat
- First Impressions - Pete Davidson
- True Tales from the Sea - Mikey Day, Beck Bennett, Cecily Strong, Sasheer Zamata, Kate McKinnon, Scarlett Johansson
- Shanice Goodwin Ninja - Leslie Jones, Vanessa Bayer, Scarlett Johansson, Beck Bennett, Bobby Moynihan, Kennan Thompson, Alex Moffat, Mikey Day, Kyle Mooney
- Lorde - Liability
- A Day Without Women - Scarlett Johansson, Aidy Bryant, Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney, Lorde
- Larchmont Funeral Home - Vanessa Bayer, Bobby Moynihan, Leslie Jones, Scarlett Johansson, Kennan Thompson, Aidy Bryant
The Olive Garden sketch may have pushed me over the "Suggestion Improv Game" edge. Seems like the show is really relying on that mechanism lately and I. WON'T. HAVE IT.
posted by rhizome at 11:31 AM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by rhizome at 11:31 AM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
There was a good deal of hammering at the t-rump gang this week, in between other silliness. And props to ScarJo, who's like the great utility infielder of multi-time hosts.
"Complicit" was the overdue brilliant skewering Ivanka so richly deserves. WU was better than it's been in awhile. Still have mixed feelings on Kate's interp of Sessions. Moffat was good as Franken.
The open was meh. (After Lorne inexplicably dumped my beloved Taran this season, I'd ask if he's lining up a *regular* to do trump. But this is an EP who took 3/4s of Obama's admin to get a decent BO impressionist.)
Trump dog: I felt a bit sorry for the pug, but still laughed. (As someone said elsewhere, it leaves a lib confused that the trump-loving canine WAS the most coherent one.) The Olive Garden bit had some laughs. ScarJo's reactions in this and the feminist mansplaining bit were good.
So"Fire Island" isn't an actual show? Anyway, OK sendup of stereotypes and/ or reality. Speaking of that - After KMcK and ScarJo's interactions early in the night I thought they were foreshadowing a "Last Call"/ gross hookup sketch. Altho there was the disturbing mermaid sketch, with Kate licking the other fish's lantern. (And there's a sentence you might think you'd never write.)
As usual, part of me wishes the show was ALL vicious satire of trump, ala Jon Stewart & Bush, ca. 05. But I have to admit, it's all just a release valve for us anyway. Comedy shows aren't going to bring down this admin. (JStew hammered the faux-cowboy simpleton for years, and he still served two terms and now people are putting him on teevee to talk about his fucking paintings.)
posted by NorthernLite at 12:22 PM on March 12, 2017
"Complicit" was the overdue brilliant skewering Ivanka so richly deserves. WU was better than it's been in awhile. Still have mixed feelings on Kate's interp of Sessions. Moffat was good as Franken.
The open was meh. (After Lorne inexplicably dumped my beloved Taran this season, I'd ask if he's lining up a *regular* to do trump. But this is an EP who took 3/4s of Obama's admin to get a decent BO impressionist.)
Trump dog: I felt a bit sorry for the pug, but still laughed. (As someone said elsewhere, it leaves a lib confused that the trump-loving canine WAS the most coherent one.) The Olive Garden bit had some laughs. ScarJo's reactions in this and the feminist mansplaining bit were good.
So"Fire Island" isn't an actual show? Anyway, OK sendup of stereotypes and/ or reality. Speaking of that - After KMcK and ScarJo's interactions early in the night I thought they were foreshadowing a "Last Call"/ gross hookup sketch. Altho there was the disturbing mermaid sketch, with Kate licking the other fish's lantern. (And there's a sentence you might think you'd never write.)
As usual, part of me wishes the show was ALL vicious satire of trump, ala Jon Stewart & Bush, ca. 05. But I have to admit, it's all just a release valve for us anyway. Comedy shows aren't going to bring down this admin. (JStew hammered the faux-cowboy simpleton for years, and he still served two terms and now people are putting him on teevee to talk about his fucking paintings.)
posted by NorthernLite at 12:22 PM on March 12, 2017
So"Fire Island" isn't an actual show?
It is, although I'm not sure if it's officially started airing yet. I think that was real promo footage interspersed with their sketch scenes.
posted by bluecore at 4:00 PM on March 12, 2017
It is, although I'm not sure if it's officially started airing yet. I think that was real promo footage interspersed with their sketch scenes.
posted by bluecore at 4:00 PM on March 12, 2017
Everything about this episode was average. The sketches were mostly ok, with no real stand-outs. Lorde was neither great nor terrible. Johansson is a reliable host and solid player but nothing exceptional. WU was ok. Baldwin just did the same ol' Trump thing. There was a dog.
I'll give this one a solid B.
posted by bondcliff at 7:06 AM on March 13, 2017
I'll give this one a solid B.
posted by bondcliff at 7:06 AM on March 13, 2017
Honestly, the "Fire Island" sketch felt pretty fucking awful to me.
My girlfriend and I watched this episode together. She's recently out and comes from a very conservative non-white family, so she doesn't know a whole lot about gay stereotypes or culture. After it was over, she asked me, "Is that how people really see us?"
It really felt like a slap in the face. Like our acceptance hinges on how consumable our lives and cultures are to straight people. Like we're too emotional, too ugly, too uptight to be taken as real people with real lives and a culture that we've built to support and uplift ourselves. Like we're even less fit for consumption than gay men - and don't even get me started on how exploitative that is given many gay men's deep pain and isolation within their own community.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be unable to laugh at myself. But this didn't feel like laughing at myself, it felt really mean. We felt small, unimportant, and like the butt of a joke. It was not fun to watch.
posted by scruffy-looking nerfherder at 10:03 AM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]
My girlfriend and I watched this episode together. She's recently out and comes from a very conservative non-white family, so she doesn't know a whole lot about gay stereotypes or culture. After it was over, she asked me, "Is that how people really see us?"
It really felt like a slap in the face. Like our acceptance hinges on how consumable our lives and cultures are to straight people. Like we're too emotional, too ugly, too uptight to be taken as real people with real lives and a culture that we've built to support and uplift ourselves. Like we're even less fit for consumption than gay men - and don't even get me started on how exploitative that is given many gay men's deep pain and isolation within their own community.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be unable to laugh at myself. But this didn't feel like laughing at myself, it felt really mean. We felt small, unimportant, and like the butt of a joke. It was not fun to watch.
posted by scruffy-looking nerfherder at 10:03 AM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]
Scruffy, I'd be amazed if that sketch wasn't written at least partially by lesbians. I think it was meant as self-satire. These days SNL has enough women and LGBT people writing that we don't have to assume a sketch that bothered us was written by straight guys.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 7:22 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Ursula Hitler at 7:22 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I had fun watching this episode. Sketches had premises, beginnings, middles, end ends. A lot of the sketches were dumb-funny. I was SO hoping for the REAL Franken to show up, but Moffat seemed to have him nailed down (except they need to put him in a smaller chair). Mikey Day and Moffat are really stepping up and filling Taran's shoes more than adequately. There were a few duds, but mostly I came away thinking that, out of the 16 shows this season so far, this was easily one of the top five. (And much better than the Season 4 show I saw recently with Maureen Stapleton hosting and Linda Ronstadt singing, although Bill Murray killed it as Nick the Lounge Singer.)
At this point, I would like to nominate Melissa Villaseñor (barely there this week) as the new Trump; I bet she could nail it better than anyone else on the cast at this point. Otherwise, I think Trump's gonna revert back to Darrell Hammond, which would not be the worst thing to happen, but would definitely make Kenan jealous, given the opening monologue and the length of his tenure, only surpassed by Darrell's. [Kenan Reacts]
(I'm hoping Louis CK's next shot at hosting a few weeks from now, that it will be better writing than his most recent one, and that Steve Buscemi plays a part. In fact, I'm going to start watching his new show now, just to get acquainted.)
posted by not_on_display at 8:26 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
At this point, I would like to nominate Melissa Villaseñor (barely there this week) as the new Trump; I bet she could nail it better than anyone else on the cast at this point. Otherwise, I think Trump's gonna revert back to Darrell Hammond, which would not be the worst thing to happen, but would definitely make Kenan jealous, given the opening monologue and the length of his tenure, only surpassed by Darrell's. [Kenan Reacts]
(I'm hoping Louis CK's next shot at hosting a few weeks from now, that it will be better writing than his most recent one, and that Steve Buscemi plays a part. In fact, I'm going to start watching his new show now, just to get acquainted.)
posted by not_on_display at 8:26 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Leslie Jones as Trump 4EVA!
I know the sketch a few weeks ago was just a joke, but I think she'd be amaaaazing.
posted by mochapickle at 8:34 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I know the sketch a few weeks ago was just a joke, but I think she'd be amaaaazing.
posted by mochapickle at 8:34 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I was SO hoping for the REAL Franken to show up, but Moffat seemed to have him nailed down
I've been trying to remember whether Franken ever did any impressions of former cast members so we can start a chain and demand that like Aykroyd come back to play Moffat just to make it a circle.
posted by Etrigan at 2:42 AM on March 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
I've been trying to remember whether Franken ever did any impressions of former cast members so we can start a chain and demand that like Aykroyd come back to play Moffat just to make it a circle.
posted by Etrigan at 2:42 AM on March 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
At this point, I would like to nominate Melissa Villaseñor (barely there this week) as the new Trump...
She'd be aces. Plus, the emasculation of Donald is some low-hanging fruit of annoyance that I am totally here for.
Was it me, or is Baldwin's impression getting a little tight (for lack of a better word)? He seemed better earlier. Looser, less formalized. (If that makes sense.)
posted by Capt. Renault at 10:32 AM on March 14, 2017
She'd be aces. Plus, the emasculation of Donald is some low-hanging fruit of annoyance that I am totally here for.
Was it me, or is Baldwin's impression getting a little tight (for lack of a better word)? He seemed better earlier. Looser, less formalized. (If that makes sense.)
posted by Capt. Renault at 10:32 AM on March 14, 2017
I'd be amazed if that sketch wasn't written at least partially by lesbians.
I was wondering that myself, but with McKinnon as the only out member of the cast I did find it a little wincey. I mean I got the jokey part about the general juxtaposition between Fire Island (my word!) and what a similar lesbian show might be like, but many of the lesbian characters seemed also to be sort of unpleasant/unattractive/uncool which wasn't that great (I mean there are some other "hot lesbian" tropes you could have tossed in there to round it out of that was your thing). I admit, I'm super-sensitive to SNL and their ability to even get sexism right half the time. Last week's bar sketch and this week's Day Without Women seemed the most on-point to me.
I thought Johansson was great. She's a solid guest (and I love her new haircut) and does a lot of things well and ad-libbed the dog bit just fine.
I thought the opener was super weak, no real hard hitting stuff just "This guy is a bozo even when the chips are down" which ... we know that. I thought Moffat's Franken was expert. Good Day Denver made me laugh (lot of Mikey Day this time around, good for him) and the only thing that I just never really get is Shud the Mermaid. Every time it comes around it just seems like the gag s "She's ugly and gross! Haw haw!" which ... o_O
And Lorde was in a sketch! A little. It's been a while since we've seen the musical guests be in any of the sketches. I like it when they do that.
posted by jessamyn at 11:42 AM on March 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
I was wondering that myself, but with McKinnon as the only out member of the cast I did find it a little wincey. I mean I got the jokey part about the general juxtaposition between Fire Island (my word!) and what a similar lesbian show might be like, but many of the lesbian characters seemed also to be sort of unpleasant/unattractive/uncool which wasn't that great (I mean there are some other "hot lesbian" tropes you could have tossed in there to round it out of that was your thing). I admit, I'm super-sensitive to SNL and their ability to even get sexism right half the time. Last week's bar sketch and this week's Day Without Women seemed the most on-point to me.
I thought Johansson was great. She's a solid guest (and I love her new haircut) and does a lot of things well and ad-libbed the dog bit just fine.
I thought the opener was super weak, no real hard hitting stuff just "This guy is a bozo even when the chips are down" which ... we know that. I thought Moffat's Franken was expert. Good Day Denver made me laugh (lot of Mikey Day this time around, good for him) and the only thing that I just never really get is Shud the Mermaid. Every time it comes around it just seems like the gag s "She's ugly and gross! Haw haw!" which ... o_O
And Lorde was in a sketch! A little. It's been a while since we've seen the musical guests be in any of the sketches. I like it when they do that.
posted by jessamyn at 11:42 AM on March 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
SNL will air live in all time zones for the rest of the season (i.e., at 8:30 on the West Coast).
posted by Etrigan at 10:39 AM on March 16, 2017
posted by Etrigan at 10:39 AM on March 16, 2017
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posted by pxe2000 at 11:17 AM on March 12, 2017