Cool Shit 3/11

A lot of people today will probably be talking about how great Saturday Night Live was this week, with guest host Justin Timberlake. While the show had its moments, I don't believe it deserves the hype I've been seeing it get on the Internet. Too many of the jokes relied on nostalgia and not actual humor, (the 5 Timers Club just rolled out cameos, and other than Martin Short, no one seemed like they wanted to be there; the "Veganville" sketch is a rehash of the same sketch Timberlake always does when he's on and is getting old, also Bobby Moynahan was not a great foil) while the original sketches did not seemed to be fleshed out whatsoever.

I understand that anticipation establishes excitement which leads to people maybe wanting to have enjoyed something more than actually enjoying it. I think that's what happened with this SNL episode. I think Timberlake is a very talented host and I enjoyed him on his earlier episodes. I just wish instead of falling back on the characters he's successfully done in the past, he (and the rest of the SNL crew) pushed to find new and interesting sketches/characters.

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Jimmy Fallon - Successful Late Night Host?

Sure, he got a lot of shit when it was announced that Jimmy Fallon was replacing Conan at 12:30 on NBC. Known mostly as being the cute guy during his SNL stint that could never keep a straight face in a sketch, people were outraged that he was getting such a cushy gig. And really, 12:30 at night is a cushy gig. Free of the spotlight that the 11:30 hosts have to endure, 12:30 is a place where you can spread your creative wings a little more as well. Which is exactly what Mr. Fallon has been doing. Not only was getting The Roots to be his houseband an excellent move to force the hipsters to begrudgingly give him some credit, he has also focused on his skill/talent of parodying music. Here's just one recent example of that...

Sure, it's not going to set the world on fire with humor, but getting Gwyneth Paltrow to go along with a cheesy 80s hip hop sketch and make fun of herself is no easy feat (I assume - maybe she gets moist thinking about Kid n Play and this was all her idea).

But it's videos like these...

that not only show off Fallon's skill, but also shows off that Fallon gets what his audience wants, and understands how to create a buzz on the Internet. And for that, he should be getting more accolades.