Live from My Blog...

Janet wants to know what our favorite Saturday Night Live skits of all time are. I watched the show mostly in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, but I have seen a lot of specials from the earlier years. The show always has its strong times and its weak times, because when its strongest stars peak and break out into films and other shows, there's a lull before they find someone as strong. The ‘70s produced legends like Aykroyd, Murray, Belushi, Radner and Chase. The early ‘80s brought us Eddie Murphy. Later in that decade, leading into the ‘90s, featured the cast I'm most familiar with, including Phil Hartman, Mike Meyers, Dana Carvey, David Spade, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Chris Farley, Norm MacDonald, Molly Shannon, Victoria Jackson, Jon Lovitz and me, Rob Schneider. Sadly, some of these talented comedians are no longer with us. Many of those that are still here don't grace our screens and movie theaters as often as they'd like. Many have also enjoyed success, some dramatic as well as comedic, and are as strong today as they were during the three decades I grew up in. The more recent casts haven't turned out the success stories and memorable stars of the past. Will Ferrell is probably doing the best of his alumni, and of course there's Tina Fey. Tina Fey is awesome. I don't currently watch the show, but from what makes it to the internet I'd say Andy Samberg is their current strongest player.

Obviously the complete cast is too numerous to list, and I've only mentioned a few of the ones who stood out. As for the skits that have stayed with me over the years, I'm going to list them below with links to transcripts. The embedded videos are out there, but I've found that the network cracks down and they're not up on Flash video sites for very long. Here now are the funniest, most quotable bits from the show's history:

Gap Girls at the Mall
“LAY OFF MAN, I'M STARVING!”

Behind the Music: Blue Oyster Cult
“Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription... is more cowbell!”

Weekend Update with Jane Curtin & Bill Murray
“Jane, you ignorant slut!”

Wayne's World: Top Ten Babes of All Time
“Hey, is that Prince?”

Unforgivable
“I am not dead!/This is how rumors gets started!/Cut it out, b*tch!”

The Sinatra Group
“You don't scare me. I've got chunks of guys like you in my stool!”

Carsenio
“Did you know that? It's not called a band anymore, it's called a ‘posse'! Weird, wild stuff!”

The Delicious Dish
“No one can resist my Schweddy Balls.”

D*ck in a Box
“2. Put your junk in that box.”

The Love Toilet
“So, why not share the most intimate moment of them all?”

Natalie Portman Raps
“I never said I was a role model.”

Jaws II
“Candygram.”

Moleculo: The Molecular Man
“The Molecular Maaaann!”

Consumer Probe
“Well, we'd like to show you another one of Mr. Mainway's products. It retails for $1.98, and it's called Bag O' Glass.”

Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker
“First off, I am 35 years old.. I am thrice divorced.. and I live in a van down by the river!”

Weekend Update with Norm MacDonald(12/3/94)
“Put on your yarmulke, Here comes Chanukah.”

Super Bass-o-Matic
“Wow, that's terrific bass!”

The Joe Pesci Show
“L'il bit.”

Lazy Sunday
“Mr. Pibb plus Red Vines equals crazy delicious.”

Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood
“That reminds me of another word, boys and girls, that begins with "X" - ‘Ex-scape'!”