Kathie Lee Gifford and SNL alcoholism joke

[Steve Timko]

SKetch from Saturday:
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/clips/today-show/1175851/
Kirsten Wiig's Kathie Lee Gifford starts with a tequila shot, drinks
from a garden urn of chardonnay and at the end of the song is singing
"I have a secret" as she gestures with a wine bottle.
Apparently they've done this Kathie-Lee-is-a-lush skit before, but I
don't remember it. Anyone know if Kathie Lee is an alcoholic? It would
explain a lot.
I'm surprised NBC would allow SNL to be so nasty to one of its own,
unless of course NBC wants out of its contract with Gifford.
Another point: They ended the show this week with The Black Eyed Peas
performing their Boom Boom Boom song instead of the traditional
standing and waving. Maybe it was for time. Anyone have any insight?

[PGage]

My only insight is that I did watch the show. Can't say I am proud of
that, except that despite her apparent complete lack of any comic or
cue-card reading gift, January is drop dead gorgeous and more
opportunities to watch her are always appreciated. (Note to Mad Men:
Throw us a bone guys, we even got to see Carmella naked a few times).

SNL does do this Kathie and Hoda sketch fairly often (they had one of
the new women playing Hoda, I guess one of the ones who got fired used
to do it). I don't get it, since I have never seen the 4th or 5th hour
of the Today Show. My assumption has been not that KLG really has an
alcohol problem, but that her strange personality can best be
understood as if she does.

A third song is not unprecedented. I know U2 did three a couple of
years ago, as did Coldplay I think, and it has happened a few other
times. I actually like the Peas, so I was happy to see them again. It
did have a bit of a feel like they pulled a sketch because January was
just so bad they could not bring themselves to do it, and so instead
asked the guys to play another song.

I did not get most of the skits that Taylor Swift was in last week,
nor do I understand her appeal as a singer, but even though she might
as well have been speaking a foreign language to me, she was much more
comfortable and, frankly, likable, than Jones.

I should say I was not as turned off by the fart jokes and gay jokes
as some people seem to have been, its just that the whole thing was
stiff and lacked joy. OTOH, big show for the make-up and costume
people on SNL, who made someone look just like Joan (was that the same
actress who played the Khardashion girl later?) and Jones just like
Grace Kelly (well, I guess that wasn't too hard).

[Steve Timko]

I hate Kathie Lee Gifford so I try to know as little about her as
possible, but my understanding is that she did come from an alcoholic
home. So if it's not true, it might be unusually vicious.
I'm recognizing fewer and fewer of the hosts. A sure sign I'm moving
out of the last desirable demographic.

[Jeremy DeStefano]

I'm not terribly sure on the details and am too lazy to look, but I believe there was an incident surrounding wine in a cooking segment once.

[David Bruggeman]

A pulled sketch in garbage time (which, let's face it, is anything after Update, and much of what comes during and before), isn't necessarily a problem with the host.  I'm not saying it wasn't, just that there's any number of reasons something might have been yanked at the last minute.  It is also possible that the Peas wanted a third song, or it was otherwise pre-planned.

David

---

From: PGage <pga...@gmail.com>

[Steve Timko]

The Black Eyed Peas weren't given a full third song, unlike U2, which
leads me to believe it was something done at the last minute.

[Dave Sikula]

On Nov 16, 3:52 pm, Steve Timko <steveti...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The Black Eyed Peas weren't given a full third song, unlike U2, which
> leads me to believe it was something done at the last minute.

Maybe Wiig injured herself trying to play a funny character.

--Dave Sikula