This has been a WEEK! That said, I’m just gonna be vague about it, and maybe it’ll make it into my book one day. What? I could have a book! I’m not saying it’d be a NYT Bestseller, but still. There are a LOT of shitty self published books out there, so there’s definitely room for one more lol.
I had to come to terms with something this week. It wasn’t a new revelation, as I’ve been thinking about it for some time, but I think I finally accepted it. And that is that I really hate watching Saturday Night Live. Now, I want you to pay close attention to how I worded that. I don’t hate the show Saturday Night Live, but rather the act of watching the show Saturday Night Live. Let’s get into it, but I’m tired of typing out that name, so it’s just gonna be SNL from here on out.
SNL‘s 50th season premiere aired (fittingly) Saturday night, in what’s shaping up to be a big year for the institution. Not only are they celebrating a golden anniversary, but there’s also a feature film about to be released, focused on the lead up to the show’s series premiere back in 1975. This season’s premiere was hosted by Emmy-winning Hacks star Jean Smart (though she’ll always be Designing Women‘s Charlene Frazier to me), with musical guest Jelly Roll. The show…was fine. I mean, Smart was capable, though every time I see Jelly Roll, I think “That guy doesn’t have a happy ending ahead of him”. Don’t ask me why. Just a feeling. Anyway, I just sort of got the feeling that they weren’t exactly swinging for the fences for what should have been, I felt, a momentous occasion. And that’s really been my feeling for quite some time. As it’s an “institution”, they’ve gotten lazy and comfortable. They lean heavily on the political humor, and not as much on the pop culture stuff. Every now and then they have a viral moment, like last season’s Beavis & Butthead sketch, but most SNL episodes are just kinda…”mid”. They did not put on a show worthy of their age and reputation. They did not put on a show that made the audience know why it’s lasted 50 years. That’s a problem to me.
“So why are you watching a show you don’t enjoy?” I’m so glad you asked! I watch Saturday Night Live because it’s one of the last bastions of the monoculture. With the internet bringing along streaming and also more diverse interests, there’s no more monoculture. There isn’t this thing that EVERYONE experiences. We’ll never have another M*A*S*H series finale. The cliffhanger season finale has become so commonplace that we’ll never have another “Who Shot J.R.?” These are all things we take for granted, and I feel we’ve really lost something there. The biggest watercooler shows today get the linear ratings of your local news broadcast. They make up the difference through delayed viewings and possible physical releases. It’s simply a different world now. But, growing up, there were two markers that cemented that a celebrity/pop culture figure had “made it”: You were either invited on The Simpsons or you were referenced on (and maybe even got the chance to host) Saturday Night Live. That’s why it’s interesting that these are also two franchises where the original diehard fans will swear “It’s not good anymore!”, refusing to acknowledge that maybe they simply aged out of the show.
The Simpsons hasn’t been “appointment television” for me since before college, but I still watch all new episodes of SNL live. You sort of have to. It’s one of the last shows with decent live-tweeting engagement. It also serves as something of a pop culture primer if you missed something during the week. It’s simply not the same to watch it DVRed the next morning, because part of the importance is the communal aspect. And don’t even suggest the On Demand eps, as they don’t have the musical performances, in an era where sometimes those performances are the most buzzworthy part of a given episode.
In just the past few years, however, I feel like SNL has lost a lot of its culture vulture appeal. Many people point to Lorne’s decision to invite Donald Trump to host, in the lead up to the 2016 election, as that tipping point. There’s the feeling that it, along with appearances on The Tonight Show, helped to “normalize” Trump for the populace, winning him the election. I disagree with this theory, however. A lot of the problem is the splintering of pop culture itself. Now that there’s no longer one Big Thing, SNL has struggled to figure out the straws at which to grasp. Take a look at the hosts. Some people have simply gotten “too big” for SNL. They could still get ScarJo, but that’s because she’s married to the show’s head writer. But would we see a George Clooney-hosted episode again? Would we even want to? The show used to be something of a promotional tool, where the host was usually there to promote some big movie or project that was either just coming out, or just about to do so. Now, however, it feels like Lorne is sort of chasing culture instead of making it. To me, Trump wasn’t the host where the wear was starting to show. No, that host was Kumail Nanjiani.
I made a big fuss about it at the time, but Nanjiani was tapped to host the October 14th, 2017 episode, and I could not understand why. He comes from a stand-up comedy background, but was never a household name. He wasn’t one of those Next Big Thing showcase comics, as Aziz Ansari and Whitney Cummings had been. He had done some work as a character actor in some stuff, and his biggest role at that point was HBO’s Silicon Valley. Now, he had just released his autobiographical film, The Big Sick, about his wife’s battle with cancer, but that film was more of an “indie darling” than blockbuster. He had a q-rating that might have garnered him a walk-on appearance on late 90s MADtv, where your dad might say “Hey, it’s that guy, from that thing! Ya, know – the Indian one.” Nanjiani is Pakistani, but that’s Dad for ya… There was not a star hosting the show that night, and there have been many questionable moves since: Lorne inviting fired former cast member Shane Gillis to host last season, and comedian Nate Bargatze hosting this week, almost a year to the day after his last (and first) hosting gig, are two examples that spring to mind. What is Lorne doing? Is he just tired? There had been rumors he was hanging it up after season 50, leading many to believe that would be the end of the show, since he hasn’t trained a successor. In recent weeks, though, he’s given interviews walking back a departure, saying he’ll stay around as long as folks think he has something to contribute.
All this is to say I still find the whole viewing experience to be something of a chore, but that could change if the show sort of changed things up. Made things exciting again! It’s LIVE, so there should be an “anything could happen” vibe, as opposed to the idea there’s been a “safety net” erected over the decades. I mean, there’s a certain type of person who watches SNL in real time, because this is also a person with no social life at 11:30 on a Saturday night. I’ve been that person my entire life. But I also get this nagging feeling in my gut, earlier in the day, when I realize that night’s episode is a new one. Something you supposedly “love” shouldn’t feel that way, right? Anyway, what SNL brings to pop culture is something of a dying breed, and I recognize that, which is why I still tune in. But, man, do I hate thinking about it in the lead-up to 11:30…
I talked about the podcast Talk Tuah with Haliey Welch a few weeks back, where I couldn’t believe she was still riding the “Hawk Tuah” gimmick, but also saw a lot of promise in what she could bring to the table. I finally listened to the first episode…and then the next one…and the next one. Y’all, I LOVE this chick! I still think she could be an industry plant, but I admire her commitment to the bit. In a world where we KNOW these people have handlers, she is great at giving off the appearance of authenticity. She’s not trying to be the smartest person in the room. She’s just being “herself”, and it makes for great entertainment.
Right now, she’s clearly in some sort of quid pro quo arrangement, as her first guests have been celebrities with their own podcast platforms, including comedian Whitney Cummings and reality star/influencer Kaitlyn Bristowe. So, as they’re recording eps with her, she’s also recording eps with them, for their shows. Everyone wants to get a taste while the meal is still warm, and I’m not really mad at them for it. That said, it’ll be interesting to see if she can establish herself outside of the Hawk Tuah viral moment. Look at Kim Kardashian – that guy you know who hates every celebrity simply can’t wait to remind you that “She’s only famous because of a sex tape”. Sure, that put her on the map, but now she’s a BRAND. She does everything from fashion to media to law. I know the existence of that tape doesn’t keep her up at night. In the second episode, Welch talks about how her life was basically ruined after her viral moment, and how she didn’t leave home much for the following 2 weeks. Eventually, however, she just decided to lean into it, and is now, seemingly, living her best life. She’s hanging out with all her “sheroes”, and trying to make the most of her 15 minutes. She’s involved in animal welfare charities, and wants to use her fame to bring attention to those.
Back to how she has no filter. She’s not that bright but she’s a scrapper. She gets words wrong, and her friends laugh at her ignorance. She just brushes it off, and moves on. There’s the constant drama surrounding “Pookie”, who’s her unofficial boo thang. As she embraces the spotlight, bringing her girlfriends along with her, she’s also sort of moving away from others in her life, like Pookie. He was in a situationship with her when she went viral, and the ensuing reaction seems to have sort of pushed Pookie away, as he’s just a simple pipelayer, who prefers quiet, small town life. She grew up in a bad environment, with a mother who seemingly abandoned her to be raised by her grandmother. Sure, we know her because she advised us to “spit on that thang”, but there’s a really fascinating person behind all that, and I’m lovin’ it. I know my readership, so I know y’all are just rolling your eyes, but you can’t say I don’t give credit where I feel it’s due!
Things You Might Have Missed This Week
- Though the TV season is just getting into full swing, there was *quite* the bloodbath this week in terms of show cancellations. Here are all of the shows that got the axe: Unprisoned (Hulu), Chucky (Syfy/USA), Villains of Valley View (Disney Channel), Hailey’s On It! (Disney Channel), That ’90s Show (Netflix). Series star Kurtwood Smith said that ’90s would be shopped around to other outlets because “good grandparents would try hard to get these kids graduated from high school.”
- It was also a big week for content being pulled from streaming, as Max removed Cartoon Network series Chowder, The Amazing World of Gumball, Regular Show, We Bare Bears, and Steven Universe. Meanwhile, Disney+ removed the first four Indiana Jones films, leaving only The Dial of Destiny. You see, despite owning Lucasfilm, Disney doesn’t own the distribution rights to the Steven Spielberg Jones films, which are still held by Paramount. Physical Media FOREVER!
- I guess toy sales aren’t the only factor in measuring the success of a children’s show, as Batwheels has been renewed for a third season at Cartoon Network, despite the fact that all merchandise was clearanced out at retail earlier this year.
- Speaking of Batman programming, James Gunn announced that Dynamic Duo, an animated feature focusing on Robins Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, is in development from innovative company Swaybox Studios.
- I don’t know about you, but I find it weird that almost 70% of new shows are being developed by Ryan Murphy. I mean, if you like his stuff, good for you, but I need “diversity of voices” in the marketplace, and he seems to exist solely to keep Sarah Paulson employed. So, you’ll also be glad to hear he announced he’s developing another 9-1-1 spinoff, based in a new city.
- SNL cast member/Is It Cake? host Mikey Day is reportedly writing the script for a live action/CGI hybrid Rugrats film at Paramount.
- Am I gonna have to bring back HarassmentWatch? Apparently, Country superstar Garth Brooks is being sued for sexual assault, for allegedly raping an employee. No word on whether the charges also apply to Chris Gaines…
- I always say there’s a “No Death” Policy here at West Week Ever, which is true. Until it’s not. We lost way too many folks over the past week, so I just need to mention them: Frank Fritz, of American Pickers fame; controversial baseballer Pete Rose; actor John Amos; basketball great Dikembe Mutombo; Days of our Lives mainstay Drake Hogestyn; singer-songwriter/actor Kris Kristofferson
- Finally, I leave you with a teased crossover that I can’t believe is happening, nor do I know how they’re gonna pull it off. That’s right, ABC’s Abbott Elementary will reportedly be crossing over with FXX’s It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Yeah.
Who had the West Week Ever? Well, it sure as Hell wasn’t Zachary Levi, CNN’s upcoming paywall, or Everybody STILL Hates Chris (What a boring, unnecessary endeavor!). Let me take you behind the curtain, to show ya how the sausage is made.
You see, some weeks start out where it’s clear what’s gonna be The Big Thing of the week. Like, it’s so apparent that it really becomes that thing’s title to lose, in that nothing bigger better occur before Friday. At other times, there’s not a Big Thing, and I start trying to figure out if there’s a Medium Thing that can be hyped to the next level. And sometimes I get down to the wire, make a Hail Mary play, and hope it works out. The latter is what happened this week.
This week saw not only the end of DC Comics’ Absolute Power event, but it also saw the release of the DC All In Special, which was supposed to be a glimpse at the bold, new All In initiative that would be felt across the entire line of books. Not only would the effects of that special reverberate in the main continuity, but it would also result in the reveal of another DC Universe – one previously unseen – that would serve as something of a “ground zero” approach to its biggest characters. In the next few weeks, DC will release Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman, and Absolute Superman, with more titles slated down the road. But, before you could get to those, you had to read Absolute Power. Which I did. In fact, I stayed up until 3 AM reading that thing. And it was BAD. So bad. My Hail Mary play was an utter failure. It’s so bad, in such a complicated way, that it’s getting its own post, which you should expect next Wednesday. In the meantime, the best thing about it was this:
That’s the “new” DC Comics logo, which is also the same as the one they had when I was growing up. It made its return to the covers of DC’s books this week, after a nearly 20 year absence, where it will remain going forward. Colloquially known as the “DC Bullet”, this was MY DC Comics. I see that thing, and it just takes me back to 1985’s Super Powers toy line, which was my introduction to DC characters as a whole. In their journey towards the future, they’ve decided to take a look back at the past. As sentimental as this sounds, this has also been one of the company’s biggest problems: they’re so busy reminding you of where they’ve been, that they constantly stumble over themselves while trying to figure out where they’re heading. But, again, we’ll get into all that next week. No, the best thing in my week was this glimpse back at the past, which was the only redeeming aspect of this whole Absolute/All In gimmick. And, for that, the DC Comics Bullet had the West Week Ever.
