The Trend Continues...SNL Still in Search of Real Humor

Published on December 19, 2004 By iamheather In TV Shows

Saturday Night Live hasn't been funny in years. As an avid fan of the good old days when SNL kept me rolling, I keep hoping for that "new" cast that re-ignites the candle of comedy. Unfortunately, their latest antics leave me hopeless.

NBC's comedy depiction of talkradio king Rush Limbaugh passed-out in vomit from drug abuse ignited backstage outrage at SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.

The animated sketch left one senior production source stunned and outraged, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

"Would we have done this to [John] Belushi? [Chris] Farley?" the source said on Sunday from New York.

The source asked not to be identified fearing retribution from SNL's executive producer Lorne Michaels.

"We've had more fu**ing drug addicts on this show through the years... more tragedy. I have lost count. Did we ever have some laughs about Robert Downey Jr.'s serious drug addiction?"

The crass montage which aired on NBC featured Limbaugh vomiting from drugs on a bathroom floor, in an apparent overdose.

Last year, Limbaugh announced to his radio audience that he was seeking treatment for an addiction to pain medication.

Calls to Michaels office went unreturned late Sunday.

Comments (Page 2)

Dr Guy

on Dec 20, 2004

Will Farrell was definitely the glue that kept it together. Ever since he left, they've began to slip into mediocrity...

My Sons love him, but I really cant stand him. However, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy - now those guys crack me up all the time!

Also, they seem to have soured on it as well, and would rather watch Mad tv. Guess it is a generational thing.

philomedy

on Dec 20, 2004

Will Farrell was definitely the glue that kept it together. Ever since he left, they've began to slip into mediocrity...so we wait for another cycle.

Will Ferrell is utterly talentless, as was Chris Kattan. Their years were held together by Tim Meadows and Darryl Hammond, and kind of Horatio Sanz, but he's hit or miss as far as being funny goes.

The new SNL greatness is going to be led by Seth Meyers, who did a hilarious John Kerry during the 2004 presidential debate sketches.

Also, Mad TV's Bobby Lee is maybe the funniest individual I have seen in my entire life.

iamheather

on Dec 20, 2004

ParaTed2K

When it comes to some though, they seem to settle for the pathetic. They have never done a decent send up of Rush Limbaugh. Apparently to them, all they have to show is a fat guy in a belly warmer tie.

I agree. I don't think Rush Limbaugh is "hands off" topic, but every human regardless of political swing can be parodied without degrading the person.

There are some who explain SNL as "generational humor",

SNL is not "generational humor" in my opinion. I was barely a little girl during the "golden years" of SNL with Gilda, Chevy, Steve, etc. I have seen the reruns in my adulthood, and think they are hilarious!

kingbee

i wonder how much of matt's outrage arises from the skit's depiction of limbaugh and how much is actually attributable to the slightly deprecating mention of the drudge report a few moments earlier.

Did you notice the article didn't site Matt Drudge's outrage. It was a "senior production" source that was outraged.

the limbaugh scene--while perhaps exceeding the boundaries of good taste--was pretty tame compared to back in da day.

I simply do not buy this. It is most certainly tame in humor, but not taste.

ParaTed2k

Look at the 2000 presidential candidate sketches for example

Those were hilarious regardless of political affiliation.

kingbee

(or the idea of him being santa at all for any reason but the fact the suit might fit him without alterations)

Uhmmmmm....it would need alterations. If you knew anything about Rush, you would know this.

ParaTed2k

A great parody would maybe be a commercial of the Rush Limbaugh Weight Loss Program (due to current laws, these pills cannot be offered in Florida). ;~D

Fat jokes against Rush worked a few years ago, but now they are just evidence that the joker is not up with the times.

Outstanding!SNL should give you a job!

Dr.Guy

Here again we have someone who never listens to Rush Limbaugh, but will pontificate on him like an expert. You dont really have a clue what Limbaugh says, you just parrot the left's lines on him, right?

Thank you for saying this. The whole time I was reading certain comments, I kept thinking, "there is no way they have ever listened to Rush." Course I am a "mega-dittohead" since my high school days in the late 80's.

Even if it was Mikey Moore, I would fail to see th humor, but then I guess I have more class in my Pinkie than the current cast and crew of SNL combined.

I agree. The skit would still not be funny with Mikey Moore.

thatguyinslc

I prefer MAD TV.

Me too, for now. I do get offended and disgusted by them every once in a while, though. Sometimes MadTV pushes the envelope into perverted, imo.

gr00vy0ne

so we wait for another cycle.

I hope you are right.

kingbee

on Dec 20, 2004

Did you notice the article didn't site Matt Drudge's outrage. It was a "senior production" source that was outraged

the article contained a link to the drudge report where the unnamed source was quoted and published. we're to conclude drudge posted to show his disagreement with the contents?

I simply do not buy this. It is most certainly tame in humor, but not taste.

you've forgotten aykroyd as a demented nixon, drunk and weeping while talking to lincoln's portrait? belushi's savage impersonation of a very seriously drug-damaged joe cocker? canteenboy's seduction by his boyscout leader?

Uhmmmmm....it would need alterations. If you knew anything about Rush, you would know this.

if i wasnt aware of his lil fat boy innerchild, would i have found the other rush parody idea so funny?

kingbee

on Dec 20, 2004

Can you quote that Show? He archives all his statements on his site, so it should nto be hard to do. However, I have never read this, so it is news to me.

SHOW: RUSH LIMBAUGH (9:00 PM ET)

October 5, 1995, Thursday 11:15 AM
LENGTH: 3252 words
HEADLINE: DISCUSSION OF NO BOUNDARIES TIES; THE NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY
BOOK LISTS; DRUG USE; MEDICARE; WAGES IN AMERICA
ANCHORS: Rush Limbaugh
BODY:
HOST: Rush Limbaugh
RUSH LIMBAUGH

Excerpt:

Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country. And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up.

If you're a black living in the inner city--and--and I firmly believe that, no matter what your race, if you have children--or even if you don't--you don't want to be surrounded by drug infestation. You don't want your kids running around being tempted by the quick profits of drug sales or the quick high of drug use. And if the cops are in these neighborhoods and ridding these neighborhoods of these people, then that's good and you ought to be happy about it.

What this says to me is that too many whites are getting away with drug use, too many whites are getting away with drug sales, too many whites are getting away with trafficking in this stuff.

The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we're not putting others in jail who are breaking the law. The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too.

That's how you deal with this, ladies and gentlemen. And I guarantee you that everybody's going to look at this and draw the wrong conclusion. They're going to say, America's racist.

We're unfairly targeting blacks.' I think blacks ought to be dis--unhappy--whites ought to be unhappy about this. If--if white people are getting away with this stuff, they're tempting your kids, they're tempt--they're--they're in the process perhaps of getting into your neighborhoods. This stuff is des--is destructive.

Dr Guy

on Dec 20, 2004

No, you have forgotten. The Demented Nixon, but not drunk. The drug damaged Cocker? Where you high then? He did a great Cocker! Even Cocker joined him in one episode! Your rememberance is severely warped!

if i wasnt aware of his lil fat boy innerchild, would i have found the other rush parody idea so funny?

Again you show your ignorance and are not even ashamed. For satire to be funny, it has to have an element of truth, and that skit did not. They can run it as Rush is a public figure, but it was not funny because it was meant to be hurtful, and did not contain any truth.

Before attacking those you do not agree with, wouldn't it be a good idea to know what and why you are attacking them? because if you just lash out, as you and they did, you will always be shown to be ignorant and insensitive, and not do a thing to your intended victim.

Have you not noticed that the barbs are Mikey moore were well aimed because we took the time to check him out? Guess not, (sorry shadesofgrey), since Liberals know every thing anyway.

kingbee

on Dec 20, 2004

The Demented Nixon, but not drunk. The drug damaged Cocker? Where you high then? He did a great Cocker! Even Cocker joined him in one episode! Your rememberance is severely warped!

"nixon" was holding a drink in his hand and mourning the impending demise of his presidency. it was based on a kissinger memoir in which he (kissinger) described nixon as appearing to be intoxicated.

belushi's 'cocker' was spot on because it so accurately mimicked cocker who by that point had deteriorated to the point where he was nearly spastic and vomited on stage while performing. cocker had no choice but to go along with it--and therein lies the cruelty--he was an unbookable act at that point because of his overly excessive drug and alcohol use.

considering you didnt even see the segment youre slamming, you might wish to consider your own advice.

kingbee

on Dec 20, 2004

Again you show your ignorance and are not even ashamed. For satire to be funny, it has to have an element of truth, and that skit did not. They can run it as Rush is a public figure, but it was not funny because it was meant to be hurtful, and did not contain any truth.

and you know this because you saw it? (unashamed ignorance, my ass)

Dr Guy

on Dec 20, 2004

SHOW: RUSH LIMBAUGH (9:00 PM ET)
October 5, 1995, Thursday 11:15 AM
LENGTH: 3252 words
HEADLINE: DISCUSSION OF NO BOUNDARIES TIES; THE NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY
BOOK LISTS; DRUG USE; MEDICARE; WAGES IN AMERICA
ANCHORS: Rush Limbaugh
BODY:
HOST: Rush Limbaugh
RUSH LIMBAUGH

Oops! Your slip is showing!

http://www.bestoftheblogs.com/2003_10_11_bestof.html

Dr Guy

on Dec 20, 2004

considering you didnt even see the segment youre slamming, you might wish to consider your own advice

Wrong again! you like that! I did.

kingbee

on Dec 20, 2004

Oops! Your slip is showing!

ive got no idea what youre suggesting? want the entire transcript of that show? are you saying it wasnt accurately transcribed?

kingbee

on Dec 20, 2004

Wrong again! you like that! I did.

Reply #2 By: Dr. Guy - 12/20/2004 9:21:05 AM

I gather they did a parody. As I dont watch SNL, how did they do it? Was it just dead on arrival, or too stupid?

wrong again? you did see it? someone posted this on the other thread using your nick? rush sending you some meds or what, dr?

Amitty

on Dec 21, 2004

oh well, gotta give them this: bad as it is, they are keeping consistant.

shadesofgrey

on Dec 21, 2004

Oops! Your slip is showing!

Huh--Dr. Guy, you've confused me. Your link had part of the same quote...

I'm very confused now...someone care to enlighten me?

iamheather

on Dec 21, 2004

kingbee

we're to conclude drudge posted to show his disagreement with the contents?

Nope, we are to conclude Drudge posted it as a news story. Drudge reports news. He does not post editorials.

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