http://slyoyster.com

God I hope not.  That thought would ruin election night for me, the two of them together last Saturday at SNL’s wrap party.

“Joe [the Plumber] got buttonholed by Ben Affleck’s agent (Patrick-something from Endeavor, I think?) There was some serious talk about Joe appearing as the star on the next season of The Bachelor. Whether McCain wins or loses, believe me, Joe Wurzelbacher has already come out a winner.

“But as night wore on to early morning, Joe finally got some “quality” alone time with a certain female cast member. I’m not that familiar with the show, but I know it wasn’t Tina Fey or Amy Poehler. The skinny brunette, I think it was. Kirsten, maybe? Joe’s got good taste: she’s definitely hotter in person. And judging by her taste in plumbers, maybe a closet Republican. … Politics sure makes strange bedfellows! (I ran into Joe this morning at the hotel - see picture - and ever the gentleman, he refused to reveal more than his mile-wide grin.)”

Joe the Plumber is the worst, Kristen Wiig is slowly going there with the nose job and now this.  She used to be the best.  [Politico]

But still made me chuckle.  From last night’s John Hamm-hosted episode.

Me thinks the ratings-resurgence of SNL this political season will swiftly fall by the wayside once Tina Fey returns to 30 Rock and audiences are left with Andy Samburg, Kristen Wiig (gosh I wish she didn’t get the nose job), Darryl Hammond and the fat dude from Fat Burger who does the awful Bill Cosby impersonation, and the like.  Oh well.

I won’t argue whether or not SNL is relevant or funny or what not.� I’m guessing there will be more dead silence this year than the last, but what a spot on way to kick off the season.� Tina Fey came back, like everyone hoped once Sarah Palin was announced as John McCain’s running mate, to team up with Amy Poehler.

SNL hasn’t been this spot on it quite a bit.� Maybe the election will bring something good out of the venerable NBC sketch show.

If you live outside the US, then you’ll want to swing on over to NBC to watch the clips.

Those condom loving kids from New York took to the stage for SNL and renditions of “A Punk” and “M79″ this past Saturday, in what may have been the worst episode of Saturday Night Live … ever? Seriously, it was a pretty bad episode. Not even the digital short was mildly amusing.

So much for paying those writers what they’re worth. But the band looks lovely, which is key, because they were just featured in a NY Times Sunday profile. Aren’t those sweaters groovy. All very fashionable.

But back to the music. Can’t say these performances really knocked my socks off. What’s the word I’m thinking of? Oh yeah. Meh.

“M79″ after the jump. MORE »

Had a reader pass this along. SNL returned last night with Tina Fey returning to host. And if this sketch is any indication it didn’t return with a bang.

Here we have Daniel Plainview hosting his own Food Network Show, I Drink Your Milkshake, wherein he travels around the country visiting different ice cream parlors and drinking people’s milkshakes. Sounds like a pretty obvious set up. You know, if you’re going to lampoon something that has become lampoonable, then why go for obvious?

But we take offense to this not funny sketch for several reasons. One, it’s just not funny. Using Daniel Plainview in a sketch has the potential to be incredibly funny and full of biting social commentary. Two, the guy playing Daniel Plainview does a pretty awful impersonation. It’s um, okay. Midling at best. Three, and this is hee-yuge, anyone who’s ever lived in Maine or visited Maine knows that there are no black people in the state. Next to Salt Lake City, it’s probably the white-est place on the Earth. Just saying.

Only moment of inspiration is when Tina Fey shows up as Juno. Even an appearance by Anton Chigurh can’t liven things up.

If this doesn’t get you a little bit excited for Christmas, which is about a week away, well then bah humbug to you dear sir or ma’am.

Everything about this is just great, from the goofiness of the song and childlike chords and piano part, to Jimmy Fallon not laughing, Chris Kattan’s head move thingie and Tracy Morgan doing nothing. It’s so bizarre and wonderful at the same time, much like Christmas.

Seeing as you won’t be getting any treats like this because of the writer’s strike we’ll take what we can get. Why is Tracy Morgan relegated to being the official dancing man when we know he can sing?

And yes, this will certainly be included in our 2007 Christmas music mix that we’ll be sending you off with on Friday for the holidays. Expect some old favorites, some new ones, some to get stuck in your head and hopefully some unexpected gems.

This past weekend, the cast of Saturday Night Live performed the show from the bowels of the Upright Citizens Brigade in Chelsea. Michael Cera hosted the evening and Yo La Tengo was the musical guest. Though the audience only numbered around 200, it featured among others such as Will Arnett, John Krasinski, Samm Levine, Julian Casablancas and Norah Jones. Tickets were rumored to be going for about $300 a pop on Craigslist ($20 face), but there is no price you could put on seeing something like this.

(photo via NY Times)

Michael Cera’s monologue consisted of him reading past host’s monologues in his deadpan, awkward delivery, such as Donald Trump’s (”Who’s bigger than me!”), Paris Hilton (”That’s so hot”) and Snoop Dogg (”I see the word schnizzle”). By all acounts it was a great night of comedy and music, with former cast members returning to pitch in and the change of venue allowed the sketches to be a bit more risque, it helps that this was not broadcast.

With the extra sketches, some of which may eventually reach the small screen, the live �SNL� felt much like an amped-up TV �SNL.� Though not everything hit, and there was some scattered yawning in the audience, the final scene, with Will Forte as an unexpectedly forthright gold lam�-clad street performer, killed. It dated from his time in the Groundlings the Los Angeles. comedy troupe. Though he had performed it for his �SNL� audition, it was way too dirty for television � a theme of the evening. Even the weeks-old �Weekend Update� jokes were racy.

Proceeds from the tickets were to go to SNL�s production staff, most of whom had had been recently laid off; some were in the audience. But the performance was less about money than community. (A sold-out live version of �30 Rock,� the Tina Fey comedy, is scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday at the theater.)

Sounds like it was a great night of comedy. Read more about it from folks who were there on the A Special Thing Message Board.

One final note, an audience member did note that Amy Poehler was filming this for a potential documentary about the writer’s strike, which means hopefully we’ll get some YouTubage of this event sometime soon.

This was a sketch that was cut from the last episode of SNL, the one right before the writer’s strike of doom occurred.� It’s got everything you could ask for: a subtle build breaking out into citizen on cop violence, tech geekery and crystal meth.� It was cut when some of the sketches ran long that night.� Which is a shame, because this is funnier than just about anything else than ran that night.

Via: Culture Bully

Lost in all the Oscar hoopla was a stellar two song set from Arcade Fire on SNL this past Saturday. The started off with “Intervention” and then closed with “Keep the Car Running,” both cuts from the forthcoming Neon Bible.

Arcade Fire certainly delivered the goods and made the Rainn Wilson hosted show worth tuning in for. Sure makes me wish I could have gotten down to NYC for their five night run at Judson Memorial Church. If, like me you didn’t get down to see those performances you can grab the Friday show at Hearsay and the Saturday show over at NPR.

Is it just me or does Winn look an aweful look like Christopher Walken’s creepy art son in Wedding Crashers?

Look at Winn on the left and the actor who plays Todd Cleary in Wedding Crashers in the photo on the right. He’s the creepy one on the far right, in case you couldn’t tell. Enjoy the aural pleasure of “Keep the Car Running” from SNL. And in case you were wondering, Sak Vide Pa Kanpe (as taped to Winn’s guitar during their first song) means “An empty sack cannot stand up” in English. It’s a creole saying.

Neon Bible streets 3/6