Saturday Night Live 4/12/08 "Ashton Kutcher" [Text View]

visionary

04-13-2008, 09:46 AM

I wonder why SNL does not just put out a casting call for stand up comics and pick from those for a host, when a real star is not handy? Last weeks Christopher Nobody and now this, well, at least we knew who he was. Some fresh stand up comics would be better, and in NY are there not a bunch right there? What about using people from Broadway stage more? When they are between shows and such?

Graymalkin

04-13-2008, 09:59 AM

It's not about getting talented guest hosts. It's about drawing viewers to the show by having hosts with buzz. Broadway theater stars just don't have buzz.

vman41

04-13-2008, 11:18 AM

At least he was good at reading the cue cards.

jradford

04-13-2008, 12:04 PM

The opening was funny. I liked the random "Death by Chocolate" bits. The guys singing "Amy" was allright, but they've done that skit better. The rest was so-so with some bombs, but overall, not awful. I liked Gnarls Barkley, too.

I'm just not sure what to take from the reactions here. It seemed like everyone hated the Walken one, too, and I thought that was the funniest of the year by far.

Graymalkin

04-13-2008, 12:15 PM

You're just marching to the tune of a different drummer, is all. Don't be embarrassed. Relish your unique perspective. :)

5thcrewman

04-13-2008, 01:44 PM

And the freaky black guy on violin!

dglowette

04-13-2008, 02:48 PM

After seeing the cougar skit, I'm glad I'm not Demi Moore. SNL is routinely disrespectful to all which can be a good thing but the cougar skit was especially unkind.

EchoBravo

04-13-2008, 03:26 PM

Last weeks Christopher Nobody and now this, well, at least we knew who he was.Dude, at least you're consistent. :rolleyes:

Love him or loathe him, I don't think anyone anywhere who knows anything about pop culture would call Mr. Walken a "nobody."

JLucPicard

04-13-2008, 04:13 PM

Last weeks Christopher Nobody and now this, well, at least we knew who he was. What about using people from Broadway stage more? When they are between shows and such?
You crack me up! :D

In one breath you mention "Christopher Nobody" who is a multiple time host on SNL, plus very popular in pop culture (for the record, I thought last week's show blew big chunks and I was not at all amused by him so obviously reading the cue cards - and if that was intentional, it's meaning as comedy was completely lost on me).

In the next breath you mention them using Broadway stars??? Talk about Mr or Ms Nobody!

As it is, I've got my own boot prints on my a$$ from kicking myself for watching this, then wondering why I would when I will never get those 60 minutes back.

Weekend Update is really the reason I usually record it. Even that this week was meh. Fred Armistan's character was completely unfunny and Judy Graves (or whatever) was a total waste of time and just annoying - not funny at all. Just kidding. No I'm not. :down::down::down:

I got a chuckle out of Will Forte's punch line in the Amy sketch, though that, too, was completely predictable.

From what I've seen over the years, any one who has been on SNL and is successful finds that success after leaving SNL.

marksman

04-13-2008, 04:22 PM

Christopher Nobody was the key player in the greatest sketch in SNL history.

LOL.

getreal

04-13-2008, 04:46 PM

Dude, at least you're consistent. :rolleyes:

Love him or loathe him, I don't think anyone anywhere who knows anything about pop culture would call Mr. Walken a "nobody."

Teenyboppers only know young "celebu-taunts". If Kutcher just turned 30, then he is ancient to "tunnel-visionaries". ;) Established actors such as Walken are not even a blip on their radar.

Sandlapper

04-13-2008, 06:43 PM

Since when is Christopher Walken a nobody??

madscientist

04-13-2008, 06:48 PM

Welcome to "visionary"'s world. Keep hands, arms, and posts inside the vehicle at all times. Above all, Please don't feed the trolls.

Gunnyman

04-13-2008, 07:10 PM

You crack me up! :D

In one breath you mention "Christopher Nobody" who is a multiple time host on SNL, plus very popular in pop culture (for the record, I thought last week's show blew big chunks and I was not at all amused by him so obviously reading the cue cards - and if that was intentional, it's meaning as comedy was completely lost on me).

In the next breath you mention them using Broadway stars??? Talk about Mr or Ms Nobody!

As it is, I've got my own boot prints on my a$$ from kicking myself for watching this, then wondering why I would when I will never get those 60 minutes back.

Weekend Update is really the reason I usually record it. Even that this week was meh. Fred Armistan's character was completely unfunny and Judy Graves (or whatever) was a total waste of time and just annoying - not funny at all. Just kidding. No I'm not. :down::down::down:

I got a chuckle out of Will Forte's punch line in the Amy sketch, though that, too, was completely predictable.

From what I've seen over the years, any one who has been on SNL and is successful finds that success after leaving SNL.

Except maybe Dana Carvey :(

AstroDad

04-13-2008, 07:50 PM

Christopher Nobody was the key player in the greatest sketch in SNL history.

LOL.

What this thread needs is MORE COW BELL

classicX

04-13-2008, 08:10 PM

without Kristen Wiig this show would be unwatchable. Her spot on weekend update, while not funny, was actually quite impressive in terms of delivery.

Amy and Kenan are also funny.

Graymalkin

04-13-2008, 08:43 PM

Kristen Wiig continues to amaze I'm kidding she can't do a single sketch without cue cards I'm kidding she memorizes everything and does it flawlessly I'm kidding no I'm not yes I am no I'm kidding.

cwoody222

04-13-2008, 10:11 PM

Kristen Wiig continues to amaze I'm kidding she can't do a single sketch without cue cards I'm kidding she memorizes everything and does it flawlessly I'm kidding no I'm not yes I am no I'm kidding.

What she did last night was pretty amazing.

Too bad all she ever does is a less-impressive version of that same fast-weird-talking person.

Fish Man

04-13-2008, 11:49 PM

I dunno.

As someone who's rarely missed an SNL episode since the very first one of the very first season (1975), I thought this was a fairly solid episode.

The Cougar sketch started slow but lit up when Cameron Diaz came on. Her bit, which was for all practical purposes a Charo impersonation, was hilarious! (Let me hear you puurrrrrrrr!)

Kristin Wiig's bit on WU, while maybe not comedy gold, was absolutely amazing! I sat slack jawed watching it. How does she do that?

The strip club sketch danced along the line of inappropriate poor taste, in my prudish opinion, in that it made fun of the physically disabled. However, it solidly established Casey Wilson as an excellent physical comedienne in my mind.

Some of you are really harsh.

Hardly the worst episode this season! I'd put it in the top two or three, (this season) actually.

getreal

04-14-2008, 01:19 AM

Some of you are really harsh.

Hardly the worst episode this season! I'd put it in the top two or three, (this season) actually.

I'll second that motion.

Jesda

04-14-2008, 01:48 AM

Kirsten Wiig is great. Casey Wilson is growing on me a little. Darryl and Kenan are just spot-on, when the sketch is right, which is rare.

Christopher Walken was in a few music videos too. Weapon of Choice. :)

http://media.fukung.net/images/5896/image2_php.jpg

markz

04-14-2008, 08:24 AM

What this thread needs is MORE COW BELL

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/-marhari-/MoreCowbell.jpg

markz

04-14-2008, 08:28 AM

Kristin Wiig's bit on WU, while maybe not comedy gold, was absolutely amazing! I sat slack jawed watching it. How does she do that?

The strip club sketch danced along the line of inappropriate poor taste, in my prudish opinion, in that it made fun of the physically disabled. However, it solidly established Casey Wilson as an excellent physical comedienne in my mind.

Kristin Wiig is awesome! I don't know how she does that bit and still makes sense!

That strip club skit was SOOO wrong! But I couldn't help but laugh. Casey totally sold it! She was complete dead weight for the most part and did not help out in the movements!

I love the skits they do with the four guys singing! Each one has a double punchline. They tell the story and end with a punchline, then sing a verse and then tag it with another punchline. Never fails to crack me up!

jschuman

04-14-2008, 09:44 AM

I laughed a bunch during this episode....that's all I look for from SNL and it delivered this weekend. When the paralyzed stripper started licking Andy Samberg's face and he recoiled in utter disgust I couldn't stop laughing! :)

re: Kristin Wiig's 'kidding' character during Weekend Update
While I, too, sat there amazed at her delivery, I was struck by one thing - it just wasn't funny.

Amnesia

04-14-2008, 10:44 AM

I love the skits they do with the four guys singing! "Pedophile?!? Pedophile?!?"

jradford

04-14-2008, 10:48 AM

"Pedophile?!? Pedophile?!?"

That line, while fairly obvious, was hilarious. I also loved the follow up of (paraphrasing) "to top it off, her mom broke up with me."

DougF

04-14-2008, 12:13 PM

"Pedophile?!? Pedophile?!?"

That's a big word for a 10-year-old.

I'm probably going to burn in hell, but I laughed my ass off at that.

Fish Man

04-14-2008, 01:03 PM

That's a big word for a 10-year-old.

I'm probably going to burn in hell, but I laughed my ass off at that.

+1

Cindy1230

04-14-2008, 01:10 PM

Fish Man

04-14-2008, 01:43 PM

That strip club skit was SOOO wrong! But I couldn't help but laugh. Casey totally sold it! She was complete dead weight for the most part and did not help out in the movements!

Yep.

This is exactly what I was getting at in my earlier post. While the subject matter of the sketch was in extremely questionable taste, the implementation of the sketch, by both Ashton and Casey was absolutely brilliant, IMHO.

I need to re-watch. The more I consider this sketch, the more I'm impressed with the performance.

I don't think there was a single frame of video where every single movable joint of Casey's body was anything but completely rag-doll limp.

Ashton really had his work cut out for him as a result! Casey's body is by no means petite and Ashton really seemed to be willing to put everything he had into hauling her around. By the end of the sketch he was visibly sweaty, and I think his winded speech and body language was genuine. He really threw himself into it!

Additional note: To make clear the correct interpretation about one of my comments above: I think Casey Wilson is decidedly hot! Factors in that attractiveness include her voluptuous curvey body and that mischievous/impish smile she flashes so frequently. Awesome addition to the cast! :up: A worthy replacement for Maya Rudolph. (Be better if both Casey and Maya could be on the show, though.)

Graymalkin

04-14-2008, 01:47 PM

Casey Wilson is definitely look-worthy.

That was her in the Death by Chocolate sketches, too. She's getting more airtime. OK by me, as long as they don't cut into Kristen Wiig's airtime. :D

jradford

04-14-2008, 02:02 PM

Casey Wilson is definitely look-worthy.

That was her in the Death by Chocolate sketches, too. She's getting more airtime. OK by me, as long as they don't cut into Kristen Wiig's airtime. :D

In which one? Kutcher was the the chocolate bar, no?

Graymalkin

04-14-2008, 02:13 PM

That was Kutcher?! Wow, did I get that one wrong!

/Aerosmith/ Dude looks like a lady! /Aerosmith/

Fish Man

04-14-2008, 02:18 PM

That was Kutcher?! Wow, did I get that one wrong!

/Aerosmith/ Dude looks like a lady! /Aerosmith/

Looked like Kutcher to me.

jlb

04-14-2008, 02:23 PM

Last thing I saw on SNL that really made me laugh was "Dick in the Box".

Jesda

04-14-2008, 02:51 PM

Last thing I saw on SNL that really made me laugh was "Dick in the Box".

I didnt understand that sketch. Was it a parody of something?

JohnB1000

04-14-2008, 03:06 PM

Kristen Wig is unwatchable to me. She does variations of exactly the same thing for every character.

I like the show in general but this was a down week. I liked the 4 guys and choccy bar but can't think of much else :)

DougF

04-14-2008, 03:36 PM

TiVotion

04-14-2008, 03:38 PM

As much as I want to like Kristen Wiig because I do think she's talented, I agree that most of her characters are just slight variations of one another. I had to actually hit the 30-second skip button to get through the "just kidding" bit - it took talent to pull it off, but it wasn't the least bit funny, and in fact, was annoying as hell to me. The "Target Lady" is almost a carbon copy of that other character she does on WU occasionally, and even though I'm not a fan of MAD TV, I've watched that show on occasion, and the Target Lady seems like some very familiar character I've seen on that show.

Overall, SNL is extremely hit and miss for me. Every once in a while, they pull a gem out of their ass, like the Walken Cowbell sketch (but that was as much Will Ferrell as anything), or "Dick in the Box", but the rest of the time we're subject to a bunch of crap(Laser Cats or any of the other sorry Andy Samberg film shorts). WU is played out with Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers resorting to having to laugh at their own jokes, with the same basic smartass punchlines every time. It's stale writing. If I laugh once during WU, it's a rarity. I think the most consistently funny thing in the last 5 years has probably been the Robert Smigel cartoons.

On the upside, I find Casey Wilson talented, and she's cute to boot. Nice to see a fresh face in there. Seems like we're overdue for a cast rotation.

Magister

04-14-2008, 04:54 PM

trainman

04-14-2008, 05:21 PM

I was trying to figure out what Ashton was promoting in order to be hosting the show. And then I saw that vegas movie preview (ugh) with him and cameron diaz and that's why she was there. She was funny in the skit but shameless promoting bugs me.
About 95% of the hosts are there are shamelessly promote something. No one is there for simple expression of artistic freedom.

And the promotion couldn't have been all that shameless if you had to go and look up what was being promoted.

Cameron Diaz making an unannounced cameo appearance because she's in a forthcoming movie with Ashton Kutcher is nowhere near as shameless as, for example, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short coming out for the monologue in their "Three Amigos" outfits. And that was over 20 years ago!

NinerK

04-14-2008, 07:22 PM

Overall, SNL is extremely hit and miss for me. Every once in a while, they pull a gem out of their ass, like the Walken Cowbell sketch (but that was as much Will Ferrell as anything), or "Dick in the Box", but the rest of the time we're subject to a bunch of crap(Laser Cats or any of the other sorry Andy Samberg film shorts). WU is played out with Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers resorting to having to laugh at their own jokes, with the same basic smartass punchlines every time. It's stale writing. If I laugh once during WU, it's a rarity. I think the most consistently funny thing in the last 5 years has probably been the Robert Smigel cartoons.

Agreed, we just started watching again this year becaue of the political spoofs, which were funny. There's a few things they can do, which have been mentioned by Tim Goodman of the SF Chronicle:

1. Make it a 1 hour show
2. Hopefully this would result in shortening the sketches. Sheesh, the one this weekend with Kutcher trying to get into the club? Krikey, we got it after 2 people, even in FF that lasted too long.

3. NEW TALENT! Writers/Actors, whatever it is, mix it up.

I'll still be watching for political spoofs and Weekend Update, beyond those, I use the FF button a lot.

hapdrastic

04-14-2008, 08:36 PM

Every once in a while, they pull a gem out of their ass, like the Walken Cowbell sketch (but that was as much Will Ferrell as anything), or "Dick in the Box", but the rest of the time we're subject to a bunch of crap(Laser Cats or any of the other sorry Andy Samberg film shorts).

Laser Cats is hilarious to me, but only because i have a few friends that like to make their own movies and invariably they are almost exactly that bad - this week's was awful but still got a chuckle out of me (only for the text). And most of the digital shorts are really good (Chronicles of Narnia still makes me laugh every time I hear it).

busyba

04-15-2008, 12:55 AM

The Jamie-Lee Curtis sketch had me in stitches.

busyba

04-15-2008, 12:55 AM

I think Casey Wilson is decidedly hot! Factors in that attractiveness include her voluptuous curvey body and that mischievous/impish smile she flashes so frequently.

And let's not overlook that huge tongue! :up:

Magister

04-15-2008, 09:01 AM

The Jamie-Lee Curtis sketch had me in stitches.

I forgot about that until I went thru the episode again with my wife. That is her favorite of the night. Admitedly it wasn't a great night, but at least this is one of the 4-5 funny sketches.

windracer

04-15-2008, 09:06 AM

I didnt understand that sketch. Was it a parody of something?
I always took it to be a general parody of groups like Color Me Badd. Having Timberlake sing that was priceless.

Which reminds me, the Daiquiri Girl short was humorous, but definitely not up to par with the others (but at least they mentioned that in the scroll :)).

Fish Man

04-15-2008, 09:14 AM

I watched that paralyzed stripper sketch again.

There was a moment, when she was in a semi-standing position, that it would appear that Casey was partially supporting her own weight. However, other than that brief moment, she was completely limp and allowing Ashton to move her without assistance.

Still, a very impressive performance by both of them. And without having re-watched for the express purpose of catching a "slip" like that, no one likely ever would have.

Cboath

04-20-2008, 12:09 AM

Anyone have a link to the Dave Matthews/John Mayer thing from this one? A friend tole me about it but I can't find it.

Cboath

04-20-2008, 12:51 AM

Nevermind... Found it!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxCA-W_eQfQ

Lainie*H

04-20-2008, 08:54 PM

I thought "Cougar Den" would have been way funnier if Demi had made the cameo here- I know, I know, Cameron has the movie with him... guess I like a little self-deprecating humor now and then.

The "Death by Chocolate" bits just creeped me out. Not funny to me at all!

I agree with the "hit and miss" statement for SNL these days... and sketch length is a major thing for me- maybe they don't realize it in rehearsals? I dunno-