November 15, 2008
So, Amy Poehler finally left Saturday Night Live. Admittedly it was weird seeing her perform while pregnant—at the back of my head, I go, “shouldn't you be resting or something?”—but it was weirder seeing nothing of her on her supposed last episode as a member of the SNL cast. She had just given birth three weeks ago, and while I understand the need to give the mother and child a rest, I was expecting some sort of farewell to Poehler in the last episode. Instead, we got Seth Meyers doing “Weekend Update” solo for a second straight week, and nothing more.
But the past is the past, and I'm sure Poehler is happy with her newborn son, her seven years on SNL and her reported upcoming project, courtesy of writers from The Office. With her departure comes the entry of two new cast members, Abby Elliott and Michaela Watkins, both of whom come from very different backgrounds. As earlier reported, Elliott is new to the comedy field, although she's trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, which Poehler started. She is also a second-generation SNL cast member—gasp, we can say that now?—being the daughter of Chris Elliott, who was part of the 1994-95 season. Watkins, on the other hand, comes to the show with more experience, having trained at both the Brigade and the Groundlings, otherwise known as the home of many renowned SNL stars like Will Ferrell and Phil Hartman. It also doesn't hurt that she's had a few television roles, like a recent turn on The New Adventures of Old Christine.
November 13, 2008
Lorne Michaels, in the wake of Amy Poehler's departure, has acted quickly. Late last night, it was reported by a variety of sources that Saturday Night Live has hired two new female cast members, Abby Elliott and Michaela Watkins. An official announcement from NBC and Saturday Night Live is expected later today. Elliott is a notable hire, in that she is the daughter of comedian and actor Chris Elliott, who himself was a cast member on SNL for one year in the mid-nineties, making Abby the first ever second-generation cast member on the series. Saturday Night Live returns with its first post-election episode this Saturday, with host Paul Rudd and musical guest Beyonce. There's no official word on whether Watkins and Elliott will make an appearance this weekend.
November 5, 2008
The euphoria has not subsided. If you consider yourself a political junkie, yesterday was your Super Bowl, with the added bonus that you get a lot more than a trophy if your team wins. Talking to my friends, perusing the internet, reading the paper, that was the overwhelming feeling: We Won. Even those people my age who were McCain supporters can't deny it. The young people finally have their president. The under thirty vote went to Barack Obama at a 66-32 percent clip. That is an absolute thrashing. I can't tell you how many people I know who grew up in Republican households who, for the first time in their lives, tossed aside the ideologies of their parents and voted Obama. Facebook has turned into a forum of celebration, status updates universally proclaiming victory on a grand level. Yesterday was one of those days that comes along only a few times in your lifetime where hyperbole is not possible. Try as some might, what happened last night can't be over-stated.
November 4, 2008
Saturday Night Live has presided over a full-out comedy blitz during the last two months of the political season. Ever since the 34th season of the sketch comedy series premiered in mid-September, the political coverage has been second to none. It has revitalized Saturday Night Live, bringing in the show's highest ratings in a decade and inducing political debate throughout the country. Now that Election Day is finally here, we thought it'd be a good time to look at the best sketches that Saturday Night Live has brought us during this exciting election season.
For each entry on the list, you can click on the link and watch the video of that skit.
November 3, 2008
John McCain made his appearance on Saturday Night Live last night. He did a fine job, taking good-natured jabs at his campaign and looking a lot more like the guy who hosted Saturday Night Live in 2002 than the angry campaigner we've seen these last few months. John and wife Cindy appeared on the show's Cold Open in a mock QVC infomercial. Later, McCain appeared on Weekend Update in a piece lampooning his Maverick persona and his desperate campaign tactics as the election nears. John McCain's appearance helped SNL garner its second-highest rated episode in the last decade, trumped only by Sarah Palin's episode a couple weeks back.
November 2, 2008
No, Lil Wayne is not dead. Contrary to reports that he was shot and found dead, the 26-year-old rapper is alive and well. Word on the street was that Lil’ Wayne, who is also known as Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. in real life, was killed from a gun shot over the weekend in a gang feud.
Wayne, who opened the 34th season of Saturday Night Live with Olympic golden boy Michael Phelps, has a history with guns. In fact, when he was 12 years old, he accidentally shot himself in the chest with a .44 caliber.
October 31, 2008
Just in time for the election, BuddyTV brings you our list of the 15 worst politicians from TV.
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It's a mystery why Tim Calhoun thinks it's a good idea to run for president. By his own admission, Calhoun has been to jail on over two dozen occasions, is a voracious reader of child pornography, hates dwarfs and Mexicans, and has fathered numerous illegitimate children, despite being mostly gay. Though Saturday Night Live gives Calhoun a platform for his horrible and disturbingly worded thoughts, he has not held any office that we know about. Which is a good thing for everyone.