Rosado's Recaps: Saturday Night Live - The Cultute of Pop, DVD, Movie, TV, Pop Culture Review

Rosado's Recaps: Saturday Night Live

Posted: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:54:33 PST

 SATURDAY, JANUARY 29TH, 2011

 

 HOST: Jessie Eisenberg/MUSICAL GUEST: Nicki Majai

 

This was an SNL episode I found myself dreading because of host Jessie Eisenburg's lack of personality on all the talk show appearances I caught him on while he made rounds plugging The Social Network.

Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be one of the best shows of the season..and continues SNL's streak of unlikely or supposedly ill suited hosts that turn out to be hilarious.

COLD OPEN: Michelle Bachman's 2^nd try at delivering her Republican Tea Party response to the State of the Union Address, with Kristen Wigg doing an adequate job at the glassy eyed congresswoman, even when staring into the right camera. Got off to a great start with funny camera angles on awkwardly staged props, horrible charts, etc. - But it ran out of gas lasping into boring predictability about two minutes in. C

MONOLOGUE:Now came the real litmus test for me, the part of the show that can either make or break an unlikely host. Eisenberg came on like gangbusters in a peppy, almost hyperactive Woody Allen mode, completely the oppositte of the reciticent, almost shy actor that appeared on talk shows in the fall. Joking tht he's really not like the characters he plays and a real wild guy off camera only to be haltered by the real life Mark Zuckerberg, portrayed by Andy (Samberg) as they trade barbs while the real, real Mark Zuckerberg is backstage with Lorne (Michaels) wishing he could get on stage, something our E.P. Says shouldn't happen. Back on stage, the bantering continues only to be broken up by the real life Zuckerberg, in a bit that's reminiscent of the Sarah Palin guest shot years ago with the Facebook founder being a little bit more comfortable on camera...and it turns out to be a really fun monologue all things considered B

ONCE DAILY ESTRO-MAXX-A so-so commercial parody for a once a day pill for those prepping for the big operation. About the only funny moment came with Keenan Thomas eye opening double take while letting these boob growing...boobs, through. C-

NICKELODEON AFTER DARK-A presentation of a Mr. Wizard episode pretty well suited for an after hours airing, especially with two horny kids having fun with static electricity. Eisenberg and Nayim Pesad were fantastic as the sex crazy kids with Abby Elliot and Keenan providing funny cutaways as the befuddled kiddies. Hader didn't exactly nail the legendary doc, but he was okay. B

DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS-A parody of a fave game show of mine, I had high hopes for this bit, but Jason Sudekis kind of sleepwalked as Mark McGrath who's moves like a gremlin on coke on the real thing. Maybe it was because of the smaller stage or something. But Eisenberg was terrific and the cocky yet clueless contestant who can't get one lyric right, growing more manic as opportunities slip by...and its because of Eisenberg's committed performance that this sketch earns a B

SNL DIGITAL SHORT-A return visit by The Lonely Island gives us a John Waters inspired music video called Do The Creep where a trio of grease slicked, frames wearing, pencil thin mustache donning creepy guys creating a new dance craze with a little help from musical guest Nicki Minaj. While it's not my fave Lonely Island bit by a long shot, it's still very creatively done, well edited with great staging. B

WXPP NY-One of the funiest sketches from this season or any season, Bill Hader steals the show as a long....and I do mean long running reporter who's had better days in front of the camera attempting to do a live shot from a college campus undergoing a disturbance...and from poking his mike windscreen first into the witnesses to losing focus, this bit reminded me a lot of a similar character Tim Conway did on the old Carol Burnett Show...and just like the times when Conway teamed with Harvey Korman, break-up's were expected...and Sudekis, Eisenberg, Thompson and even Hader himself, lost it at various parts of the sketch...But it was beyond hilarious and should go down as one of the funniest moments in the shows history... A

NICKI MINAJ-Yet another artist whose music has escaped me; I'd never even heard of her name until it was mentioned by Don Pardo a couple weeks ago during a commercial bumper...At first glance, I think I'm in for a horrible experience...A distracting dress and a not so hooky beginning. But as Right Through Me continues, it envelopes me with its mellow, trance groove...Very impressive performance...B+

WEEKEND UPDATE: Seth's had a pretty inconsistent last couple of Updates lately, but on this go round, most of the jokes stuck, and great support from Fred Armesen as President Mubarak, and an ego laden, money throwing Tyler Perry dripping with sarcasm, smiling through the frustration of not being not being nominated by the Academy, but maybe eligible next year with a reimagining of Social Network entitled “I Can Do Internet All By Myself”​

Choice Seth WU Jokes:

-As for the NBC/Comcast Merger: I have to say, things are better already...Seriously, I HAVE to say that...

-On Charlie Sheen's problems: It was a smart move keeping the cocaine in a briefcase, because if anybody saw him, they'd think, there goes Charlie Sheen with some paperwork.

-The new Lady Gaga perfume the singer want to be a mash of semen & blood: Which could be named?

Hotel Mattress.

TCM: The Essentials:Robert Osbourne says blaxploiatation is one of his fave film genres, so the powers that be, dug up The Bride of Blackenstein. What a find...and what a sketch; truly one of the funniest and most well written ones in recent memory.

Dr. Blackenstein: It's alive! It's......DAN-YUM!

Eisenberg could have added a little bit more growl to his voice as Egor, but he had the hunch down...and Nicki Majai was terrific as the bride with the prototypical nagging wife personality..and very cool for Jay Pharoah to get a chance to act for once instead of hiding behind another impression. A sketch that does the most memorable ensembles of SNL proud; I can't think of any other higher praise than that. A

Skins with Product Placement-Despite a promising premise, this sketch never went anywhere with poor bookending by Samberg's blasé programming executive. Worst sketch of the night. D

Spa Talk-One of Wigg's most dialed down characters in a while, her always serene wellness guru with holistic mumbo jumbo advice was very well done, and very funny. Solid support from her castmates (Keenan, Abby, Eisenberg, Bobby, Vanessa) portraying stereotypical, but funny dysfunctional types. B

Nicki Majai-Thought my ears were in for three minutes of torture with that rap yelling, but the second song progressed into a nice upbeat vibe,,,but Moment Through Time nowhere the passion and melodicy of her first performance. B-

El SHRIKNO-Samberg and Eisenberg are two dudes not hurting in the love muscle area...supposedly. But their girl friends don't ldig “the huge”...So, El Shrinko to le rescue! Wigg, Bayer, Payad did great as the brainless, barely cue card proficient skanks, with the boys making the grade as the product pitchman.

Not a great sketch, but it was cute...and miles ahead of the usual godawful crap that usually airs pre-credits.   B

FINAL GRADE: Overall, a very solid, entertaining and surprisingly great turn for Eisenberg who proved beyond versatile. Serves as a terrific set-up for what promises to be a fun homecoming for beloved SNL vet Dana Carvey, who should follow Jim Carey's lead as a team player; his hosting stint has been the most satisying episode of the year, so it'll be interesting if Carvey's can follow suit.

But as for Mr. Eisenberg's turn?: B

-J.R.