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Kim Kardashian breathed much-needed life into SNL after a tepid season premiere
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Terrence Clay
Oct 11, 2021, 3:30:58 PM10/11/21
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/10/10/kim-kardashian-west-snl/
Who would have known that Kim Kardashian West would be one of the best hosts in the show’s recent history? So says Travis M. Andrews, who adds: "After last week’s tepid season 47 premiere, which was the lowest-rated episode in the show’s history, SNL was flatlining before it even began in earnest. Part of the issue was the show seemed to have lost its identity. It had unofficially branded itself as something of a resistance movement during Trump’s presidency. Despite — or, perhaps, because of — its weekly conveyor belt of celebrity cameos, led by Alec Baldwin’s exhausting Trump impersonation, it reached a record number of viewers in 2017. Without Trump, the show has felt rudderless, particularly given how carefully it avoids poking fun at the current administration. Leading up to the latest episode, some vocal critics (including Debra Messing) made it clear that they didn’t think Kardashian West had what it takes to turn things around...As it turns out, Kardashian West was the defibrillator the show needed. Key to being a great host, particularly for those not prone to stage performance, is to be game for anything. (See Peyton Manning cursing out kids and pelting them with footballs as an example.) From the second she began her monologue, which was essentially a four-minute self-roast, it was clear she came to play."
Who would have known that Kim Kardashian West would be one of the best hosts in the show’s recent history? So says Travis M. Andrews, who adds: "After last week’s tepid season 47 premiere, which was the lowest-rated episode in the show’s history, SNL was flatlining before it even began in earnest. Part of the issue was the show seemed to have lost its identity. It had unofficially branded itself as something of a resistance movement during Trump’s presidency. Despite — or, perhaps, because of — its weekly conveyor belt of celebrity cameos, led by Alec Baldwin’s exhausting Trump impersonation, it reached a record number of viewers in 2017. Without Trump, the show has felt rudderless, particularly given how carefully it avoids poking fun at the current administration. Leading up to the latest episode, some vocal critics (including Debra Messing) made it clear that they didn’t think Kardashian West had what it takes to turn things around...As it turns out, Kardashian West was the defibrillator the show needed. Key to being a great host, particularly for those not prone to stage performance, is to be game for anything. (See Peyton Manning cursing out kids and pelting them with footballs as an example.) From the second she began her monologue, which was essentially a four-minute self-roast, it was clear she came to play."
Ubiquitous
Oct 12, 2021, 7:07:36 AM10/12/21
to
"I'm surprised to see me here, too," Kim Kardashian West said during her
"Saturday Night Live" monologue this weekend.
Indeed, many were. Who would have known that she would be one of the best
hosts in the show's recent history?
After last week's tepid season 47 premiere, which was the lowest-rated
episode in the show's history, SNL was flatlining before it even began in
earnest. Part of the issue was the show seemed to have lost its identity. It
had unofficially branded itself as something of a resistance movement during
Trump's presidency. Despite - or, perhaps, because of - its weekly conveyor
episode in the show's history, SNL was flatlining before it even began in
earnest. Part of the issue was the show seemed to have lost its identity. It
had unofficially branded itself as something of a resistance movement during
belt of celebrity cameos, led by Alec Baldwin's exhausting Trump
impersonation, it reached a record number of viewers in 2017.
Without Trump, the show has felt rudderless, particularly given how carefully
it avoids poking fun at the current administration.
Leading up to the latest episode, some vocal critics made it clear that they
impersonation, it reached a record number of viewers in 2017.
Without Trump, the show has felt rudderless, particularly given how carefully
it avoids poking fun at the current administration.
didn't think Kardashian West had what it takes to turn things around.
"Why Kim Kardashian? I mean, I know she is a cultural icon, but SNL has
hosts, generally, who are performers who are there to promote a film, TV
show, or album launch. Am I missing something?" said actress Debra Messing in
a viral tweet. (Let's just skip over the fact that previous hosts have
included athletes, politicians, Silicon Valley executives and models.)
As it turns out, Kardashian West was the defibrillator the show needed.
Key to being a great host, particularly for those not prone to stage
performance, is to be game for anything. (See Peyton Manning cursing out kids
and pelting them with footballs as an example.) From the second she began her
monologue, which was essentially a four-minute self-roast, it was clear she
came to play.
Nothing, it seems, was off limits.
Throughout, she takes aim at her sex tape ("I haven't had a movie premiere in
a really long time."); her family ("I'm so much more than that reference
photo my sisters showed their plastic surgeons."); her father's involvement
in the O.J. Simpson trial ("It's because of him that I met my first Black
person. Want to take a stab in the dark at who it was?"); her father's
involvement in the O.J. Simpson trial _again_ ("I know it's sort of weird to
remember the first Black person you met, but O.J. does leave a mark. Or
several. Or none at all. I still don't know."); and her troubled relationship
with Kanye West ("When I divorced him, you have to know it came down to just
one thing: His personality.").
The episode followed that general blueprint for most sketches in which
Kardashian West appeared. One used the Disney movie "Aladdin" to poke fun at
her love life. As Jasmine, she tells a self-conscious Aladdin, "I guess I
dated a few athletes and some rappers, and I dated the king of Uganda for a
while, and that was crazy." Another joked about her shapewear company Skims,
by imagining a new product called Skims for Thick Dogs. It's "the only
product on the market that will comfortably accentuate your dog's curves, no
matter how thick that butt," she says. (The sketch also includes a number of
actual pups, which is always a welcome sight on SNL.)
The best sketch of the night, however, was one stacked with celebrity cameos.
The show has long been criticized - including by this writer - for its
overreliance on such appearances, but Kardashian West's "The Dream Guy"
sketch turned the contrivance on its head by barely acknowledging them, by
treating them as props and punchlines while keeping the focus on her and (to
hilarious effect) Kyle Mooney.
The riff on "The Bachelorette" finds Kardashian West choosing which guys to
keep on the show and which to send home. Among the contestants are Chris
Rock, NBA player Blake Griffin, John Cena, actors Chace Crawford and Jesse
Williams, actual "Bachelorette" contestant Tyler Cameron, the aforementioned
Mooney - and, in a surprise twist, Amy Schumer.
https://youtu.be/A8rrr_w8rfk
One by one, she goes through the contestants and explains her decision. "Your
behavior at the luau barbecue was inexcusable. But you're also a six-time NBA
all-star, and that intrigues me," she tells Griffin, before giving him a
token to stay.
"Thank you for making me watch your nine HBO specials and the new one on
Netflix, while you sat next to me and you mouthed all of the words," she
tells Rock, before inviting him to stay as well.
What makes the sketch work is how little the men actually say. Usually, SNL
attempts to milk its celebrity guests to the point where the joke of them
being there grows tiresome. This time, however, their mere presence _is_ the
joke. Though it might seem contradictory, having Chris Rock on and giving him
10 words of dialogue is a pretty brave comedic choice. Having the focus be
Kardashian West's relationship with a self-involved Mooney and her issues
with Cena ("I don't love that you have a wife") is downright courageous.
The episode proved, once again, that a truly engaged and energized host can
make a good show - and can clearly inspire the writers to bring out their
best material.
Messing was right about one thing: Kardashian West wasn't there to "promote a
film, TV show, or album launch."
She was there to host SNL, and that's why it worked.
--
"The sky was low and heavy, like the brow of a retarded child."
anim8rfsk
Oct 12, 2021, 8:35:46 AM10/12/21
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Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
>
> "I'm surprised to see me here, too," Kim Kardashian West said during her
> "Saturday Night Live" monologue this weekend.
>
> Indeed, many were. Who would have known that she would be one of the best
> hosts in the show's recent history?
You made me dig through the headers (would you please stop hiding the
>
> "I'm surprised to see me here, too," Kim Kardashian West said during her
> "Saturday Night Live" monologue this weekend.
>
> Indeed, many were. Who would have known that she would be one of the best
> hosts in the show's recent history?
source?) to see where you got this fake news from. The Washington post, the
true air to the weekly world news.
—
“The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it’s still on my list.”
BTR1701
Oct 12, 2021, 1:07:05 PM10/12/21
to
In article
<1651445139.655734750.5...@news.easynews.com>,
because SNL only has about 10 million people watching it which is
nothing compared to the 130 million who follow her every move on social
media, so being on the show is kind of a small-time gig for her.
<1651445139.655734750.5...@news.easynews.com>,
anim8rfsk <anim...@cox.net> wrote:
> Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
> >
> > "I'm surprised to see me here, too," Kim Kardashian West said during her
> > "Saturday Night Live" monologue this weekend.
> >
> > Indeed, many were. Who would have known that she would be one of the best
> > hosts in the show's recent history?
>
> You made me dig through the headers (would you please stop hiding the
> source?) to see where you got this fake news from. The Washington post,
> the true air to the weekly world news.
I liked when she pointed out that she felt no pressure hosting SNL
> Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
> >
> > "I'm surprised to see me here, too," Kim Kardashian West said during her
> > "Saturday Night Live" monologue this weekend.
> >
> > Indeed, many were. Who would have known that she would be one of the best
> > hosts in the show's recent history?
>
> You made me dig through the headers (would you please stop hiding the
> source?) to see where you got this fake news from. The Washington post,
> the true air to the weekly world news.
because SNL only has about 10 million people watching it which is
nothing compared to the 130 million who follow her every move on social
media, so being on the show is kind of a small-time gig for her.
anim8rfsk
Oct 12, 2021, 1:33:53 PM10/12/21
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