Shia LaBeouf Hosts, My Morning Jacket Performs
Hey guys! SNL
is back this week, but Erin is wrapping up a week at the beach. As such, I, Adam Bryant, am here to recap tonight's show. Tonight will be Shia LaBeouf's second time hosting, and despite all the rumors I've heard about him being a jerk off camera, all the work he's turned in (Disturbia, Transformers
) has been solid. Let's hope the same is true tonight!
Cold Opening
The show opens with Amy Poehler giving an address as Hilary Clinton. She's pointing out that even following the grueling campaign, the nomination will still likely rest in the hands of the super delegates' "sober assessment" of the candidates, basically doing away the importance of all the caucuses, primaries and most importantly, popular vote (chuckle, chuckle). Her campaign is now focused on three issues that make her the better choice to face Sen. John McCain: The fact that she is a sore loser, her supporters are racist and she has no ethical standards. While making sure to "not attack her opponent, she points out that she will not support Obama should she lose the nomination, as he would for her. She also says while Obama's supporters would still vote for her, her supporters would not vote for him. (She also notes that she is close to gaining the endorsement of Obama campaign killer Rev. Jeremiah Wright, of CNN/Fox News/YouTube fame.) Finally, she says she should get the nomination because she has no ethical standards &mdash while Obama refuses to play the race card, she will both play the gender and race card against McCain. As with most of the political stuff in this post-strike season, there are a few laughs, but nothing that really blows me away. Amy's impression is solid as usual, though.
Monologue
Shia takes the stage, and immediately starts plugging his new flick,
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He says the only detail he can reveal about the movie is that Harrison Ford plays a white man between 10 and 100. After a Q&A session with the audience goes sour (someone basically sums up all the rumored spoilers of the movie, making Shia uncomfortable) Shia is joined by Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery, Amy as Short Round and Will Forte as the "Nazi with the melted face," each representing the three movies in the Indy trilogy. Each gives their reasons for why
they should be in the new movie, but Shia says he is the only one that gets to be in the movie (
fake spoiler alert, I hope) where Indiana Jones dies. Ha! Not a bad start to the evening.
MacGruber Part 1
MacGruber is back. After the last few of these recurring bits, I was really growing tired of it. And while no new ground was broken tonight, I must admit I was laughing quite a bit. While trying to defuse a pipe bomb, MacGruber asks for a petroleum-based substance, and Shia (as MacGruber's son?) gives him some, ahem, anal lubricant. The look of horror on MacGruber's face when he learns the "lucky lady" his son's been experimenting with is Scott lasts until the building explodes as usual. Of course it's low-brow, but it's good fun.
It's A Match Gameshow Sketch
Next up is a Match Game rip-off show, featuring an array of crazy characters, some based on the actual celebrities on Match Game, and other wacky ones like Shia's unicorn shirt-wearing magician. When it comes time for the host to make his entrance, a police investigator shows up, informing the panel that the host was found murdered in his dressing room. I cracked up when he asks them questions, and they all write their answers on cards, true to Match Game style. The clichéd '70s game show answer "making whoopee" makes several appearances as do references that the host was sleeping with the "happily married" father of two who is also clearly gay. (Do we see a theme developing tonight?) The sketch was good for quite a few laughs, mostly coming from Shia's magic tricks, which all end with him staring at the camera, wiggling his fingers and half-whispering "It's magic."
Shoplifting Teens Sketch
We find Andy, Bill and Shia in a police station after having attempted to shoplift
Grand Theft Auto IV at the Gamestop in the mall. The cop brings in Keenan as inmate Macintosh (doing his best attempt at being gangster) to teach the kids a lesson via the "Scared Straight" program. The running gag of the sketch is Keenan repeatedly saying "This is real," even though all of his examples of real life are plots from movies and his facial scar is drawn on with a sharpie. When the kids call him on this, he always makes a graphic threat involving prison rape. (Again, theme anyone?) There a more than a few low-brow laughs (an arrow that says deposit here, "there ain't no grease"), but the sketch probably should have ended a minute sooner.
MacGruber Part 2
Following up on his realization that his son may be gay, MacGruber has spent the last 2 months trying to "undo" the situation. Instead of asking for his son's help in stopping the bomb, he asks him to recite Bible verses and name his favorite parts of the female anatomy. Just when MacGruber begins to feel at ease a blurred-out sex toy falls from his bag and buzzes around on the floor, once again prompting a look of disgust until the building explodes. I feel like I shouldn't be laughing, but I can't help myself.
Suze Orman Show Sketch
I'm really glad to see this sketch back tonight. Kristen Wiig does this character so well, and it's quickly becoming one of my favorites of hers. Of course, she starts her show by giving tips on how to she keeps her hair volumized (by riding in a speedboat for tow hours before visiting Pam and Jan's barber shop in Phoenix). There's plenty of lesbian references thrown in (am I making too big a deal of this them thing?), but the big laughs for me come when Suze claims she used her federal stimulus check to buy, not her jacket but a snap-on collar, and the fact that she has buttons tattooed on her chest so it looks like she is always wearing a jacket. Shia is her guest as a Miami nightclub/sensual buffet owner, but I don't really get his presence, except that he suggest he gets a five o'clock shadow permanently tattooed on his face, which sets up the aforementioned tattoo gag for Suze.
Digital Short
This week's digital short features Andy and Shia in a music video for "The Best Look in the World." To quote the song, "Dress shirt, black socks, no pants - the best look in the world." Kinda funny. Mercifully short. No complaints.
My Morning Jacket (Performance 1)
I'm no music critic, but the song's not bad. It's upbeat, guitar-driven, with some nice solo work. They have a bit of a classic rock sound. And hey, the guys is "Amazed" by pretty much everything.
Weekend Update
The Update has been on fire for most of this season and tonight's is equally solid. A few highlights, with punchlines bulleted for easier reading.
" Stamps are going from 41 cents to 42 cents, prompting a response from oil of, "Awww, that's cute."
" This past week's Cinco de Mayo represented a celebration of the putnumbered Mexicans defeating the French by hurling empty Corona bottles at them.
" A New York city congressman was arrested for drunk driving, revealed to have an extramarital affair, as well as having a secret child. Which they call in Washington, "the Trifecta."
" Another oil price joke - If Gas gets any more expensive, rappers will start to drink it.
" A Weather Channel anchor is being sued by his co-anchor because of his sexual remarks, prompting Seth to try out his own: "The forecast in Amytown is cloudy with a 40 percent chance of ding dongs."
" The fat in women's hips and thighs may protect from diabetes, but is sadly effective for attracting Sir Mix-a-Lot.
"
Ugly Betty is moving to New York where it is set, though Amy thought it was set on a gay space ship.
As for their guests, Bill and Fred as the video game characters from
Grand Theft Auto IV were brilliant (particulary their stilted body movements), while Keenan as Jean K. Jean, um... not so much.
Vinny Vedecci Sketch
Bill Hader returns as the Italian talk show host who has American actors on his show, despite his ability to actually speak English well. The best part of this recurring bit is Hader's ability to run through the Italian. I have no idea how accurate it is, but it sounds good. Shia plays himself who has to explain to Vinny that
Transformers has nothing to do with him getting a sex change, which makes pretty much all of his other questions worthless. The gag about Shia's arrest for smoking prompted a nice look around the studio where Vinny and his entire staff (including a cameo from Lorne) are scared, as they all smoke like chimneys. Vinny also shows a clip of himself doing Italian voice-over work for
Temple of Doom, and gets upset when a bunch of snakes supposed to fall on Shia comes a minute too late. (I love that Will forte sits off-set just constantly eating spaghetti, even when they cut to him). The sketch is full of chuckles, but got a big laugh from me when it ends with Vinny apologizing to the other "transformers" (Kristen and Jason in drag) for running out of time.
MacGruber Part 3
Continuing the homophobic story line, MacGruber is very upset when Scott shows up to help. Though MacGruber's son insists (while being tickled) the boys' relationship is platonic, he is forced to kiss Vicky to prove it once and for all. He pukes in her mouth just as the building explodes. Welcome back, MacGruber.
Restaurant Sketch
Amy and Kristen are out, and quickly notice all the guys in the restaurant staring at them. Andy and Shia have ridiculous grins that are both "happy and scared," which is really the gag of the whole sketch. They pad the thought a little by revealing a table full of guys in the restaurant that are equally strange, though the girls think they have found "the Abercrombie catalog". When they wonder what the guys are thinking, we're treated to voice tracks of all the guys singing/talking unintelligible gibberish, which still doesn't deter the ladies from hoping for an 8-way. It's kind of funny, but again, short and sweet, which makes all the difference.
My Morning Jacket (Performance 2)
This one still has the classic feel, but is a bit slower and moodier. Again, it's not that bad to listen too, but the first was one was a little more fun.
Dressing Room Sketch
Luckily this is the last sketch, because it really doesn't do anything for me. Amy is a wacky southern lady who has brought her two "daughters" to New York from Georgia. They are trying on clothes, all of which she finds to be "New York funky." Kristen plays one daughter while Shia plays the daughter Amy knows is a man. Even though she's changed the diapers and knows what's going on down there, she says the rest is still a "funky misfire." Amy tries to get Shia to accessorize to draw attention away from his "hairiness" and other less feminine traits. She also repeatedly says "yes, no, yes" which tires quickly, but references to looking like a "funky New York native" who can direct you to the Empire State building and a lack of a "funky Dress Barn" keep it bearable until it finally ends.
That's a wrap! All in all I though tonight was a pretty solid outing for the
SNL gang, and I am really looking forward to next week's Steve Carrel/Usher season finale. Erin will be back for that, but until then, tell us what
you thought of tonght's show. What hit? What missed? Let the comments begin!
Happy Mother's Day!
