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SNL's Norm Macdonald tribute was a reminder of the vitality the show once had
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Terrence Clay
Oct 4, 2021, 5:15:52 PM10/4/21
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https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/10/saturday-night-live-season-47-premiere/620293/
James Austin Johnson making his debut as President Biden in the Season 47 premiere cold open was a step in the right direction after having celebrities like Alec Baldwin play President Trump and Jim Carrey play Joe Biden, says David Sims. The cold open also showcased Saturday Night Live's largest-ever cast. "That grouping of talent is a fine example of just how deep the SNL bench is now, and how depressing it is to see it wasted," says Sims. "(Aidy) Bryant, (Cecily) Strong, (Ego) Nwodim, and (Melissa) Villaseñor are seasoned actors with years of experience being funny on the show, but they tend to get crammed into stilted sketches like this one, in which each performer tosses off a zingy one-liner about the person they’re portraying but otherwise stands motionless. Johnson’s Biden didn’t leave much of a mark, but that’s in part because of the material he was given, including rote political jabs about Democrats in disarray. As much as I appreciate the introduction of new talent, most of last night’s show was extremely familiar stuff. The host, Owen Wilson, gamely performed bit parts, did a loose Jeff Bezos impression, and satirized his work on the Pixar movie Cars. Held-over pandemic humor came in the form of a goofy school-board meeting and a talk show plagued with false-positive test results. On 'Weekend Update,' Colin Jost and Michael Che—now the longest-tenured pair of hosts in SNL’s history—turned in the same dispirited work they’ve been doing for years. Pete Davidson dropped by for a segment on the Met Gala that seemed to reflect his bafflement that he was somehow still on the show." Sims adds: "Perhaps the most unintentionally piercing moment came as Jost and Che memorialized Norm Macdonald, the former 'Weekend Update' anchor and SNL cast member who died last month. As part of the tribute, the show played a few of Macdonald’s best one-liners from behind the 'Update' desk, and I was again reminded of what a fearless performer he was, unafraid to tell jokes that might bother his bosses or leave audiences bewildered. That’s a vitality SNL hasn’t had in many years, and unless it actually embraces the punchier online energy it’s clearly trying to emulate, it likely won’t get back there."
James Austin Johnson making his debut as President Biden in the Season 47 premiere cold open was a step in the right direction after having celebrities like Alec Baldwin play President Trump and Jim Carrey play Joe Biden, says David Sims. The cold open also showcased Saturday Night Live's largest-ever cast. "That grouping of talent is a fine example of just how deep the SNL bench is now, and how depressing it is to see it wasted," says Sims. "(Aidy) Bryant, (Cecily) Strong, (Ego) Nwodim, and (Melissa) Villaseñor are seasoned actors with years of experience being funny on the show, but they tend to get crammed into stilted sketches like this one, in which each performer tosses off a zingy one-liner about the person they’re portraying but otherwise stands motionless. Johnson’s Biden didn’t leave much of a mark, but that’s in part because of the material he was given, including rote political jabs about Democrats in disarray. As much as I appreciate the introduction of new talent, most of last night’s show was extremely familiar stuff. The host, Owen Wilson, gamely performed bit parts, did a loose Jeff Bezos impression, and satirized his work on the Pixar movie Cars. Held-over pandemic humor came in the form of a goofy school-board meeting and a talk show plagued with false-positive test results. On 'Weekend Update,' Colin Jost and Michael Che—now the longest-tenured pair of hosts in SNL’s history—turned in the same dispirited work they’ve been doing for years. Pete Davidson dropped by for a segment on the Met Gala that seemed to reflect his bafflement that he was somehow still on the show." Sims adds: "Perhaps the most unintentionally piercing moment came as Jost and Che memorialized Norm Macdonald, the former 'Weekend Update' anchor and SNL cast member who died last month. As part of the tribute, the show played a few of Macdonald’s best one-liners from behind the 'Update' desk, and I was again reminded of what a fearless performer he was, unafraid to tell jokes that might bother his bosses or leave audiences bewildered. That’s a vitality SNL hasn’t had in many years, and unless it actually embraces the punchier online energy it’s clearly trying to emulate, it likely won’t get back there."
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