Top Sketches To Get You In The Holiday Spirit by Katie Conway Saturday, December 24, 2016 - 0

It’s the most wonderful, holly jolly, and often stressful time of year. Between insane shopping sessions, ringing up those festive lights, preparing for obnoxious party guests, and posing for that uncomfortable sweater-filled family photo, we could all could use a laugh during the holiday season. So grab some eggnog and a gingerbread cookie (or two), ‘cause here are the best Saturday Night Live sketches sure to get you in a festive mood! 

Santa’s My Boyfriend (2006)

A classic cold open, featuring the talented vocals and comedic chops of legendary cast members Poehler, Wiig, and Rudolph. 

Steve Martin’s Holiday Wish (1991)

This sketch patiently builds up and only gets better as it goes along, rewarding us with a perfect bit about what we really want for Christmas. Peace and harmony for all the little children of the world? Forget it! Steve Martin wants money, power, sex, and revenge. 

NPR’s Delicious Dish Schweddy Balls (1998)

This NPR spoof is an SNL Holiday Special staple! The dry radio-broadcast humor of Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer with all-star Alec Baldwin always brings about a chuckle. I’m also pretty sure this could win an award for the most “ball” jokes stuffed into a 6-minute sketch. Be sure to order your Schweddy Balls from Season’s Eatings in time for your Christmas Eve Party today!

Adam Sandler and The Hanukkah Song (1994)

One of Adam Sandler’s most genuine and hilarious moments on Saturday Night Live. Since there wasn’t enough songs about Hanukkah growing up, Sandler poured his heart into a catchy, smart, and fun song for the next generation of Jewish kids who only hear Christmas tunes on the radio. And boy, has this jingle cemented itself in SNL History and pop culture! 

(Do It On My) Twin Bed (2013)

A revolutionary sketch about trying to get it on when you’re home for the holidays in your childhood bedroom. The concept may be ok, but it was a breath of fresh air to see every single female cast member in one digital short. I’m talking Kate, Cecily, Noel, Vanessa, Nasim, and your lil’ Baby Aidy. Highlights include yearbook photo throwbacks and Jimmy Fallon’s rap sequence. 

Dick in a Box (2009) 

This Lonely Island special featuring Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake may be a bit ridiculous, but it’s only grown more and more popular over time. If anyone other than Samberg or Timberlake attempted this bit, it definitely wouldn’t have worked out. They embody everything that is smooth, fresh, and delightfully awkward. Follow these steps to show your loved ones how much you really care this year!  

St. Joseph’s Christmas Mass Spectacular (2014)

What do you get when you mix MTV with Christmas Mass? Something really awesome, dude! Join the cast of SNL at church (on a Thursday) with some of your favorite hardcore churchgoers - atheist teens, Mr. Drubbler and his sweaty palms, Linda the hot-mess organ player, and Colleen Chapin who can’t wait to speak at the podium. 

Christmas Time for the Jews (2005)

A claymation short that looks to be from the era of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Year Without a Santa Clause,” with a song about the time of year when those who celebrate Christmas are finally off the streets, and its time for the Jewish to have some fun and take on the town - seeing King Kong without a line, and eating in Chinatown while drinking sweet wine. 

Glengarry Glen Christmas (2005)

Alec Baldwin isn’t playing around as the manager in a sketch about Santa’s Elves and their very serious jobs. Also starring Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, and Seth Meyers, we can’t help but laugh when cute mixes with corporate. Note: Seth tries to hold back a giggle when Baldwin mispronounces “cobbling.”

The Christmas Candle (2016)

Ok, I know this one is very recent, but I think it deserves a place on the list! SNL shorts are usually hit or misses, and this one is a pretty big hit. 80’s music video vibes, Emma Stone, and a peach scented candle that unites us all - what more could you ask for?

Hillary Actually (2016)

Yes, we’re all still mourning Hillary Clinton’s presidential loss from this November. But maybe we can convince enough electoral voters to not vote for Trump if we just hold up a bunch of signs - Love Actually style - with reasons why they should become faithless electors. ’Tis the season for miracles, after all! Having Kate McKinnon do it as Hillary Clinton isn’t a bad idea either - take a look at her masterful performance below: 

Read More

Women Take Over “Best Comedy Album” Grammy Nominations by Katie Conway Friday, December 23, 2016 - 0

The Grammys: A night of music appreciation and celebration, where we worship the likes of musical legends such as Beyoncé, Adele, Kanye, and…Amy Schumer? For those who are unfamiliar with this award show, The Grammys not only honor those who have contributed to the music industry, but for those who have recored comedy specials, too! And this year, The 59th Annual Grammy Awards are breaking a huge glass ceiling.

For the first time in Grammy history, women hold the majority for nominations in the ‘Best Comedy Album’ category. These women include Margret Cho for American Myth, Tig Notaro for Boyish Girl Interrupted, and Amy Schumer for Live At The Apollo - who also happens to be nominated for ‘Best Spoken Word Album’ for her memoir The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo. This is Cho’s 4th nomination following her recognition for 2011’s Cho Dependent, 2004’s Revolution, and 2002’s I’m the One that I Want. Notaro was also nominated previously in 2014 for her comedy album Live. This is Schumer’s first Comedy Album nomination, but you can read about her incredible journey on to becoming the highest paid female comedian here. Other nominees in this category include David Cross for America…Great… and Patton Oswalt’s Talking for Clapping. 

The award for ‘Best Comedy Album’ has been mainly male dominated in the past, which has been received at the Grammys from 1959-1993, then again from 2014 - present day. The category has been won by some of the most recognized names in comedy, such as George Carlin, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Louis C.K., etc. Many women have been nominated in this category before, but never have there been three women at once. In the show’s 59-year history, only 5 women have actually won the award. This includes Jo Stafford alongside Paul Weston in 1961, Elaine May with Mike Nichols in 1962, Lily Tomlin for This Is A Recording in 1972, Whoopi Goldberg for Whoopi Goldberg (Original Broadway Show Recording) in 1986, and most recently Kathy Griffin in 2014 for Calm Down Gurrl. Hopefully we’ll see another lovely lady take home the gold, proving yet again women are just as funny and just as deserving of the award as their male counterparts! 

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards will be hosted by James Corden on Sunday, February 12, 2017 at 11:00pm on CBS, LIVE from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Corden - known for Into the Woods, The Late Late Show, and hosting The 70th Annual Tony Awards - is clearly no stranger to music, comedy, or hosting gigs. The night is sure to be blast, so be sure to tune in! 

Read More

SNL: Stone, Baldwin, and Anniston by Katie Conway Wednesday, December 07, 2016 - 0

Emma Stone - best known for her dramatic movie roles in The Help (2011), Birdman (2014), and the upcoming La La Land (out December 9th) - is in fact no stranger to comedy. On Saturday, December 3rd, Stone brought her talents to the table and delivered yet another hilarious night of hosting Saturday Night Live - her 3rd time, to be precise! Stone previously hosted way back in 2010 and 2011, and made memorable appearances as Gwen Stacy opposite her then-boyfriend Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man during his first time hosting, and again as Gilda Radner’s Roseanne Roseannadanna during SNL’s 40th Anniversary. Stone is only 2 hosting gigs away from The Five Timer’s Club! 

Emma’s night definitely delivered some highs and lows, but she proved yet again her talents lie in her love of character work and her exceptional comedic timing. She opened the night reminiscing about her time in Studio 8H, claiming coming back to SNL was almost like coming home for her high school reunion - which Stone never actually attended (cue Simple Mind’s “Don’t You Forget About Me”!)  

Some of Stone’s highlights include “High School Theater Show” and “The Christmas Candle.” “High School Theater Show” is about every stereotypical liberal drama student who wanted to make a statement about politics and social activism, but maybe wasn’t quite as educated on the subject matter as you would hope, and the parents who have to endure these artsy, mediocre productions. “The Christmas Candle” was one of my personal favorites - an 80’s music video about that $9 peach-scented candle we give to those on Christmas who we could really care less about. Please note the “We are the World” inspired ending and fade-away film editing. 

Aside from Emma, SNL scored big on another cold open staring Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump. This time, the focus was on Trump’s ridiculous tweeting habits. While he retweets random sixteen-year-olds and dudes with skulls as their profile pics, he refuses to be an actual adult and listen in on his intelligence briefings. To quote Kate McKinnon’s Kellyanne Conway, “He does it to distract the media from his business conflicts and very scary people in his cabinet.” One of those very scary people? Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon, whose character makes an appearance in the sketch - appropriately dressed as the Grim Reaper. DUN-DUN-DAAA!

As art imitates life, so does life imitate art. The real Donald J. Trump continued his ridiculous tweet storm Sunday morning and bashed SNL for the umpteenth time, tweeting out “Just tried watching Saturday Night Live - unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Baldwin impersonation just can’t get any worse. Sad.” Sometimes the jokes just write themselves. Alec Baldwin responded to Trump, claiming he would drop the impersonation if the President-elect releases his tax returns. Want to see an even bigger drag? Check out Danielle Muscato’s epic take-down on Trump in a series of tweets you’ll need a glass of water for after such a lengthy burn. “Baldwin’s impression isn’t “Sad”. You know what’s sad? In 7 wks you’ll be responsible for 330m lives & you can’t think of anything better to do than tweet abt a comedy show.” You can catch up on the rest of the tweet attack here. 

Aside from Baldwin and Stone, SNL had one more trick up their sleeve: a surprise appearance from comedy legend Jennifer Anniston! During Weekend Update, Vanessa Bayer makes a special appearance with her on-point impression of Rachel from Friends. Anniston eventually slides on over to the desk, followed by massive applause. The two talk about how they became friends on the set of their new movie Office Christmas Party (in theaters December 9th), and engage in a hilarious back and forth of “What? Oh! Yeah. What?” that perfectly showcases just how good Bayer’s Anniston impression is. Bonus: Anniston sticks around for another sketch about a round-table of female actresses who discuss sexism in Hollywood. Emma Stone and Jennifer Anniston may be in the bit, but the real star of the show is Kate Mckinnon’s Debette Goldry.  

Read More

Guys We F@#ked: The Experience by Katie Conway Saturday, December 03, 2016 - 0

GUYS WE F@#KED: THE EXPERIENCE

Like Guys We Fucked: The Anti Slut-Shaming Podcast? Ever thought what a dope-ass guest you would make? Well, you’re a narcissist, but you’re also going to LOVE Guys We Fucked: The Experience!

Coming to the Wilbur Theater on Thursday, April 13^th (just 6 days before the Women in Comedy Festival!) join co-hosts Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson as they bring their hit podcast to life through games, audience participation, rants, stories, stand-up comedy, and never before seen video. Buy a ticket. It’s gonna get weird.

The comedy duo of CORINNE FISHER & KRYSTYNA HUTCHINSON launched Guys We Fucked: The Anti Slut-Shaming Podcast in December of 2013. The podcast now boasts over half a million subscribers is one of the top downloaded weekly podcasts on iTunes and in the top 5 most downloaded comedy podcasts. With its positive feminist message, the show has been featured in The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, Elle, Bust, Salon Shape, Glamour, on Sirius Radio, among many others. They have had on amazing guests such as AMBER ROSE, DAN SAVAGE, JIM NORTON, HORATIO SANZ, ANDY DICK, LIZZ WINSTEAD (Co-Creator of “The Daily Show”) among others.

Listen to the podcast here http://www.sorryaboutlastnightcomedy.com/guys-we-fucked/, and don’t forget to subscribe to Guys We F@#ked on iTunes.

Read More

Lin-Manuel Miranda Takes On 'Drunk History', Writes 'Millennials: The Musical' by Katie Conway Wednesday, November 30, 2016 - 0

It’s no surprise that Lin-Manuel Miranda is not only one of the most intelligent, most ambitious celebrities out there, but also one of the funniest too! You can check out WICF’s coverage of his late night extravaganzas on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live here. This week, Miranda has proven once again he has the comedic chops to go on Comedy Central’s Drunk History to talk about his alter ego, Alexander Hamilton; as well as write a musical satire about millennials with actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. 

Drunk History originally started as a Funny-or-Die web series in 2007, hosted by Derek Waters. Ironically, the very first episode of the series was about Alexander Hamilton, drunkenly told by Mark Gagliardi, and starring the ever-awkward Michael Cera (Arrested Development) and Jake Johnson (New Girl). The series became so popular that it moved to television and premiered on Comedy Central in 2013, now produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Since then, the show has become a place where actors and comedians alike come to drink up and recount the tales of America’s history, now with a budget for lavish costumes, big sets, and cool special effects.

The show came full circle on November 29th in Season 4, Episode 10, when Lin-Manuel Miranda came to talk about Alexander Hamilton’s journey to the colonies, his role in the Revolutionary War, his scandalous affair with Mariah Reynolds, and the infamous duel-to-the-death with Aaron Burr. Basically it was everything and more that the Tony-Winner wrote about in his Broadway musical, but more PG-13. The episode also perfectly casts Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) as Hamilton, and Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) as Burr. Highlights include Lin’s hilarious swearing and enthusiasm ("Here comes kick (expletive) Hamilton on a flaming ship. Your (expletive) will never be the same”), Questlovle’s FaceTime session, and a drunken rendition of Semitonic’s “Closing Time”. You can watch the full episode here.

But wait, there’s more! Not only has Miranda been telling stories of the past, he’s writing a new musical about the here and now. More specifically, about millennial culture. Somehow during the time they had to spare while working on the Disney Animated feature film Moana, Miranda and his co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wrote and filmed a musical about uber millennial girl Crystal: a 22-year old from Brooklyn who works at a start-up company, takes soul-cycle, and tragically looses her phone. This takes her and her social-media deficient friend Jack on a journey from a Yoga-Work-Out-Center/Record-Store/Juice-Bar, to the Electric Dynamite Circus Night Club, to a start-up company making an app that will get you “laid, paid, and bring back Harambe.” It’s a satirical, heart-warming, cringe-worthy, coming-of-age story, where you learn the true meaning of “dank memes” and love in the digital age. What’s next for the musical-writing comedy duo? A play about the rise of Chipotle, where the opening number is called “The Guacamole is Extra But the Love is Free.” Check out the entirety of Millennials: The Musical below! 

Read More

Gilmore Girls: The Road to 'A Year in the Life' by Katie Conway Wednesday, November 30, 2016 - 0

Grab your coffee and meet me in Stars Hollow, because Gilmore Girls is back and ‘I smell snow’! For fans of the television cult classic, it was a Thanksgiving Weekend full of nostalgia, humor, and heart. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life presented fan-favorite cameos at every turn (hello there, Milo Ventimiglia), updated pop-culture references (how ‘bout that tribute to Wild), and the struggle that comes with death in the family as life decides to keep rolling along. The revival premiered on November 25th on Netflix and featured 4 episodes - each surrounding a season of change, starting in Winter and appropriately ending in Fall. 

For those who are unfamiliar with all the hype surrounding this big-hearted comedy, Gilmore Girls was a TV staple that ran from 2000-2007, starting on The WB and moving to The CW in September 2006. The series takes place in the small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, and follows the lives of witty single mom Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her bookish daughter Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel). The show revolves around friendship, family, love-interests, hard work, as well as social-class and generational gaps. The main conflict comes between Lorelai and her wealthy, often snobby parents, and their many debate ridden dinners over lifestyle choices. Gilmore Girls is best known for its fast-paced, walk-and-talk style dialogue, as well as its clever pop-culture references surrounding movies, music, books, and television. 

Gilmore Girls was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino after she visited the town of Washington Depot, Connecticut, and had a lovely stay at the Mayflower Inn. She thought it was like a fairytale, and wanted to capture the small-town camaraderie she felt during her visit. Amy, along with her husband Daniel Palladino, David S. Rosenthal, and Gavin Polone became the executive producers of the series. After much success and critical acclaim, it was unfortunate that Sherman-Palladino and her husband parted ways with the show after the move to The CW during its sixth season. The show was dropped after season seven, and many fans were left disappointed with the less-than-satisfactory finale. Lauren Graham advocated for a film that would give Sherman-Palladino and the fans closure they were all hoping for, but alas, it never happened

Fast-forward to October 2015, where rumors of a Gilmore Girls revival were in the works. On January 29, 2016, Netflix and Warner Bros. officially announced that Sherman-Palladino and her husband would be returning to write and direct the 4-part mini series - then titled Gilmore Girls: Seasons. Unlike other nostalgia-filled television brought back to life (I’m looking at you, Fuller House), this one felt well deserved, and worth the 9-year wait! Rory is a freelance journalist in a no-strings-attached relationship with her old flame Logan (Matt Czuchry), Lorelai is living happily with Luke (Scott Paterson) but thinks she might want something more, and Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop) is dealing with the death of her beloved husband (Edward Herrmann) and her newfound independence. Did I mention Lane Kim (Keiko Agena), Paris Geller (Liza Weil), and even Michel (Yanic Truesdale) are all back, too? The latter now married and happily out-and proud. 

I won’t spoil too much more, but one of the most important parts of the revival is the last four words spoken in episode four, “Fall.” Sherman-Paladino gave an interview with TV Guide way back in 2006, where she revealed she knew what these last four words would be, before she tragically left the project. And now we finally get to hear them! Whether you’ve watched A Year in The Life or not, I can safely predict more Gilmore Girls in the years to come based on this four-word cliffhanger. What are you waiting for? Start binge watching now! 

Read More

SNL & Thanksgiving by Katie Conway Tuesday, November 22, 2016 - 0

Ah, Thanksgiving. A time of year where we give thanks, eat good food, watch football, venomously argue about politics, and dodge passive-aggressive insults from our relatives. Whether you love the fourth Thursday of November, or have been counting down the days ‘till Christmas since Halloween, we could all use a good laugh this Turkey Day. So when you’re done watching the cast of Hamilton perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and throwing the mashed potato at your obnoxious cousin from across the dinner table, take some time to stuff your face with the very best Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving sketches!

Target Commercial 

A brand new, oh-so relatable sketch. “And, if you’re home for the first time sine the Election, Target has what you need most - A Big Empty Parking Lot You Can Just Come Sit In For a Sec.”

Vincent Price’s Thanksgiving Special 

If anyone could make Thanksgiving morbid, charming, and comedic, it’s Bill Hader’s spot-on Vincent Price. Featuring the legendary characters of Judy Garland, Alfred Hitchcock, Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnaz.

Surprise Lady: Thanksgiving 

Kristen’s Wiig’s classic character, Sue “Surprise Lady,” returns full force in this hilarious skit about surprising her mother with the return of her son come home from war. Notice: Leslie Jone’s face struggling to not laugh under Wiig’s utter absurdity. 

Adam Sandler’s Thanksgiving Song

Oh, Adam. What would the holidays be like without your satirical, high-pitched, original show-tunes. A turkey for me, a turkey for you!

Back Home Ballers 

Ya’ girls are BACK for Thanksgiving break. The ladies of SNL return after their Emmy-Nominated (Do It On My) Twin Bed video short about coming home for Christmas. This time, they have a whole fridge full of free food from Cosco, movie tickets to “Penguins of Madagascar” paid by their Dad, and bowl on bowls on bowls full of M&M’s, keys, and seashells. 

A Thanksgiving Miracle 

A groundbreaking video short that lets us all come together, despite our political differences, to celebrate the gift that is Adele. 

Debbie Downer: Thanksgiving Dinner

Rachel Dratch’s Debbie Downer is here to tell it like it is. The Pilgrim’s didn’t bring the Pino Grigio to the first Thanksgiving, but they sure brought small pox.  

Penelope: Thanksgiving 

Nothing says Thanksgiving like giving back to the community and trying to prove you’re a good, if not better person, then everyone else. Check out the hilarious back-and-forth and one-upping between Kristen Wiig’s Penelope and Anne Hathaway. 

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Kid’s Table 

An early SNL skit that showcases how we all revert back to our childish ways when forced to sit at the kid’s table with our family. Some things never change.

Thanksgiving Song Auditions
There’s thousands of songs about Christmas, so why aren’t there any about Thanksgiving? Watch this song audition show-stopper that features sultry jazz, feminist folk, and hard rock musical bits about you favorite day of the year. 

Read More