10

Is is just me? Or, is SNL unwatchable?

Posted by $ Abaco 7 years ago to Entertainment
65 comments | Share | Best of... | Flag

I grew up watching SNL. I have fond memories of sketches like Mr. Bill, Dan Akroyd as a plumber, John Belushi going nuts...etc. Great stuff. My wife and I decided to sit on the couch and try to take in an episode about 9 months ago and it was unwatchable. We, for the most part, avoid politics (a survival tactic here in California). But, at least every other skit was about Trump. The script seemed to have morphed from good humor to just pure political rhetoric. Unwatchable. We got through about 30 minutes without laughing once and just changed the channel. Sad, really - because it was a funny show back in the day. The cast and writers reminded me of several of my liberal friends. You can't sit in a room with them anymore because all they want to talk about is Trump. There's so much more to life...


Add Comment

FORMATTING HELP

All Comments Hide marked as read Mark all as read

  • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 7 years ago
    Most everything on TV these days sucks and not just the politics but the culture. Nothing is funny, nothing is intriguing, nothing is interesting, serious, profound or heart tugging.
    Everything is Trash! The left has ruined it all.

    I watch the street racing stuff on Discovery on monday nights...that's about it. I go to netflix for a good show from time to time.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by mccannon01 7 years ago
      Right on OUC! It seems everything is dripping with so much PC it's entirely unwatchable. I find myself watching old movies and TV programs for almost all my entertainment. Even the History Channel is losing its "history" in favor of the PC narrative of pseudo-history. Since, apparently, history isn't taught anymore the younger generations don't even notice.

      Edit: Forgot to add even the commercials on TV are dripping with PC.
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 7 years ago
        Ya, not only are they PC and morally disgusting but leave you scratching your head as to what the hell the point was in the first place!

        Gota wonder who is tying their shoe laces.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by $ 7 years ago
      John Cleese went on an epic rant the last couple years about political correctness killing comedy.

      I watch golf and boxing. I do like the occasional science show and River Monsters. Nothing else.
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by $ nickursis 7 years ago
      That is also true, down to History Channel, AHC, Science, some Discovery, all of it only available through premium package. I would switch to digital but I do not have HS, and DSL just can't hack it for video like that. So, DVD's make it up...
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ allosaur 7 years ago
    I refuse to watch a progressive pinhead (who can scream like a banshee on the phone at his daughter) like Alec Baldwin do a "Trump is a clown" act even one whole time.
    I do kinda like the way Kate McKinnon (had to look her name up just now) plays $hillary with a crazed look in her eyes. I ran into a couple of Kate's skits not for watching SNL but on the internet. Oh, and I've since noticed that's the way Kate's eyes always look, though, due to a movie presented by Netflix I saw.
    I stopped looking at SNL decades ago when it degenerated into to big time bore.
    Gone are the days of the human-absorbing killer Christmas tree and the "land shark" that would ring the doorbell and call out, "Candygram!"
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by $ Suzanne43 7 years ago
      I'm haven't watch SNL for a very long time. I used to wait for it to be on because it was funny. I even got my news from the show's news skit. Gone are the days when Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, and John Belushi starred. As Gilda Radner would say, "Never mind."
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by $ allosaur 7 years ago
        LOL! "Never mind." That's funny.
        I used to love listening to Gilda's comic character get all worked up over some point she totally missed and then saying that when reality strikes.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by Dobrien 7 years ago
      Yes , Baldwin is a piece of work . I heard his rant at his daughter and it was discusting also heard him scream derogatory gay words at a paparazzi .Typical Hypocrite liberal.
      SNL has always had a liberal slant see this video from 77. http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-liv...
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by $ allosaur 7 years ago
        I don't recall Mr. Peanut having that much of a brain.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
        • Posted by Dobrien 7 years ago
          It was interesting how he was portrayed in such a favorable manner.
          Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
          • Posted by $ allosaur 7 years ago
            About five or so issues ago, Popular Science had two heroic looking full page photos of the Liar-In-Chief with an article about what he foresaw for our future. I immediately hurled the magazine into a trash can with disgust.
            A couple of days ago Popular Science sent notice for me be to resubscribe for another year or two. On that slip I wrote down why I would not and put it in my mailbox on their dime yesterday.
            I predict whoever reads it will accuse me of racism.
            Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
            • Posted by mccannon01 7 years ago
              I stopped subscribing to "Scientific American" a couple of decades ago for similar reasons. It made a "left turn" and the articles were becoming less scientific and more political. I thumb through it at the newsstand from time to time only to see it has gotten worse. Not getting my dollars, for sure.
              Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
            • Posted by Dobrien 7 years ago
              I did the same with National Geographic when they had The gender revolution cover story followed up
              With the next issue 7 things you need to know about climate change
              1. The earth is warming. ----- false
              2. It's because of us . --------- lie
              3. We sure.. --------- Bullship
              4.Ice is melting fast. --------false
              5. Weather is getting intense.. ---yes due to GSM
              6. Wildlife is already hurting. ---- And thriving
              7.We can do something about it. ----- stop lying.
              On there renewal offer I wrote.
              "No renewal ! I am interested in geography not your propaganda"
              Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
              • Posted by $ allosaur 7 years ago
                Now I'm reminded of cancelling the Smithsonian Magazine during the 90s.
                They ran a negative article about the USA twice nuking Japan when I had read elsewhere that it was done to save a predicted million American lives if we took Japan with an old-fashioned invasion.
                The editor actually wrote back with "I know those guys up the hall" with some kinda I got good friends drivel that didn't make a lick of sense.
                Me dino supposes that if if I knew some "guys up the hall" I as a magazine editor should publish a negative piece about dropping the MOAB because it was mean and that Islam is King Barry's "religion of peace."
                Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
                • Posted by mccannon01 7 years ago
                  A very good friend of mine (now deceased and I miss him - RIP) made 5 beach landings in the Pacific during WWII and was stationed on Okinawa making ready for an assault on one of the main islands when the bombs were dropped causing Japan's surrender. He said it was the best decision made because "they would have murdered us" in his words. After the surrender he was assigned the duty to assist in cataloging and dismantling their coastal defenses and he said they were very good and were ready for us. He was quite adamant the bombs saved a tremendous amount of death and destruction on both sides.

                  Edit add: He also said the PC narrative that the bombs were a "racial thing" is pure horse sh_t. After the war he did a little backup singing for Frank Sinatra and then became a teacher.
                  Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
                  • Posted by $ allosaur 7 years ago
                    This is the first I've become aware of anything about Japan's coastal defenses or the dismantling thereof. Thanks.
                    Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
                    • Posted by mccannon01 6 years, 12 months ago
                      I wish I had met him much earlier than I did, but I met him only a four or five years before he passed. He wasn't very talkative about the war and never about the actual combat except broad statements like "it was brutal". I didn't press him because I quickly realized most of the memories weren't good ones so I let him open up on his own terms.

                      Our meeting was by chance even though he lived in my neighborhood because both of us are the sort to keep to ourselves. I built a 2 car garage/workshop detached from my house in case it caught fire. Big band music is before my time, but I enjoyed putting it on sometimes when I was working and when the weather is good I leave the door up. I started to notice this older fellow, who when out walking, would stop once in a while by a big maple at the end of my lot and just stand there facing the street with his back to the workshop. One day I took a break from my work and simply called out "hello" and struck a conversation. He said he had to go out for a walk for his heart and always went by my place in hopes of hearing the music. From then on he was always invited to come in and listen and chat while I worked. He knew a lot about the bands and told me about playing the piano and horn and background vocals with Sinatra and a few others. Later he mentioned being a WWII veteran in the Pacific.

                      We were listening to the radio one day and a news snippet about the Enola Gay came on and the mention of people declaring the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were some racist action that was purely unnecessary. I never heard him cuss before that, but he really let go! This is when he started talking about Okinawa preparations and then a bit about after the surrender and disarming the Japanese. Interesting that he and many other American soldiers were placed in Japanese homes and the residents were ordered to take care of their "guests" while the disarmament took place. He said it was more like he took care of them because they were driven into such poverty by the war and his army pay and connections put food on their table.

                      Hey, I've rambled on enough. He was a good friend and I wish I knew more. I told him he should write this down, but he never did. He's missed by me, his family, and many more.
                      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
                      • Posted by $ allosaur 6 years, 12 months ago
                        Thanks again.
                        You've given me extra insight for why the occupied Japanese people came to think that MacArthur was great.
                        (Something I recall reading too. Where? Can't remember that).
                        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ blarman 7 years ago
    I gave up on it long ago when the original (and best cast) of Belushi, Ackroyd, et al moved on. It's nothing more than political commentary now.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by CTYankee 7 years ago
    Unwatchable! So is Colbert -- what an ass he's become. I like to watch CBS News at 11:PM; just to I can change the channel as soon as he appears on the screen. I figure as long as my watching habits are being tracked, the loudest signal I can send is changing the channel!
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ jdg 7 years ago
    I made the same choice for the same reasons when Belushi died (and the rest of that cast, Aykroyd, Curtin, Radner, etc. left). All of the more recent cast members are not only biased in favor of the bad guys, they're simply not funny.

    I'm just sorry that Johnny Carson got the whole thing started by forbidding NBC to continue showing reruns of his shows on Saturday nights. If he hadn't, maybe Al Franken would still be unknown, as he deserves.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by freedomforall 7 years ago
    I haven't watched SNL this century. It has long been a disgusting excuse for entertainment and a statist, socialist biased pile of excrement.
    NY itself reeks of such putridity, so why should SNL be any different.
    Like you, SNL was a staple in my youth. I remember one occasion when my roommate and I were in a bar at about 11:05 pm Saturday night and decided SNL was a better bet. The guy we rode with disagreed so we decided to walk home, about 2 miles away following the road across a one-lane bridge over a fast moving white water river. We knew the bridge was being repaired and had been closed for some time, but were optimistic until we arrived at the river. The metal frame was the only remainder of the bridge. That did slow our progress a bit. With some trepidation we clung to the metal frame and passed above the rapids mostly undeterred. SNL's humor at that time was a suitable reward.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by zonoz 7 years ago
      I too have not tainted my TV screen with SNL in this milenium. For the most part my regular viewing stopped when Belushi, Aykroyd, et al were all gone from the show. Back in those days I worked selling stereo equipment for Pacific Stereo in Houston and most weekend nights and even a few weeknights were spent at parties with fellow employees enjoying one's favorite alcoholic beverage, the newest version of weed that had made it across the border, and the latest music because of course we all had screaming hifi's, only to stumble home to drag yourself into work the next day. Luckily we didn't open until 10 am.

      But the one thing that always happened at those Saturday night parties, always; the music would stop, conversations would be reduced to whispers or stopped, people came out of the bedrooms and bathrooms, to watch SNL and when appropriate participate with the show when the landshark knocked or Roseanne Roseannadanna ended her spiel or someone ordered a cheeseburger.

      And once the show was over the party tokk right up where it left off. I tried a few times in the late 80's and the 90's to watch SNL but as many have said, it's no longer funny and what they try to pass off as humor is forced and scripted far too tightly, the SNL players don't appear to be comfortable in their own skins. It's as if they are afraid they'll lose their jobs if they don't get laughs. If one looks back at any of the really funny TV comedy shows like Lucy, Danny Williams, Carol Burnett, Dick Van Dyke, Mork and Mindy, or Jackie Gleason you see actors that are confident, comfortable, and willing and able to go off script when opportunity arises and those results are often some of the best moments ever seen on TV. The original cast of SNL had that willingness although not always the ability for there were some skits that flopped. But far more succeeded because of the SNL cast's constant reckless quest for laughs. Maybe too much is expected because the originals set the bar so high, or maybe what was funny then isn't now because what is supposed to be funny now most certainly is not.
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ nickursis 7 years ago
    Excerllent point, and true of most shows. Look at Star Trek Discovery and all the hype of the "characters". Rather than focus on just the characters, CBS has to make noise about if they are gay, racial, women, etc. Gene Roddenberry managed to break all the rules, and never once had to announce "This week we have a black woman kissing a white guy". Symptomatic of when the educated "elite" get programmed in college, and become "managers" who morph into "executives" and can't wipe their arses without getting dirty, but will force crap on you, then blame the audience for "not supporting them". Bah...
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ DriveTrain 7 years ago
    I'm amazed that there are still people who watch that thing. It's like "rap" or post-mortem MTV (MTV 1981-1984 RIP) - it's been propped up like a lurching zombie for mostly collectivist political reasons, decades after it should've been allowed a peaceful death and given a decent burial.

    I wish I had that kinda time to burn.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by NealS 7 years ago
    It's not just you, and yes, it is unwatchable. It used to be that a TV show’s business charter was to present things that were enjoyable and addictive to as many people as possible without offending or trying to persuade people to do anything, it was strictly for enjoyment, to pull in advertisers, and other profitable purposes, or in the case of the news for factual and informative purposes for the majority of the population. Today SNL’s new charter must be to try to present politics in some extremely prejudiced, untruthful, and agenda that should persuade people to join them. They will only entertain and make the ignorant part of the population addicted to their show(s) and possibly get a whole new line of sponsors. What they don't understand is what they are actually doing is driving away about half of their viewers, their customers, in this to attempt to persuade people how to think and vote that agrees with their leaders (CEO, President) individual views. What they don't understand is that the majority of the people are smart enough not to believe, and more will be driven away as they learn the facts and the truth. Eventually they will destroy their original charter completely as more people catch on. I guess a shorter way of saying all that is, SNL used to be a fun show designed to draw high end advertisers and as many viewers as possible so they all can make a whole lot of money. And now it's just a one sided political show to try to persuade the ignorant to agree with their leaders political views, and hell with the other half of the population that isn’t impressed.

    The media is doing the same thing. I’ve tried to, but actually am unable to, watch MSNBC (and some of the others) just to see what they are reporting. But I can’t watch them for over a few minutes without throwing up. Their reporting doesn’t report the news, the facts, it’s pure political one sided nonsense, there is absolutely no news there. It’s become almost strictly a “Hate Trump” movement. It will eventually become their demise. I can hardly wait to see MSNBC go broke and actually shut down. It’s also unfortunate that some of their advertisers (sponsors) are really great companies. I guess these sponsors feel that their products or services are needed by everyone, even the ignorant. Given a choice I still select products that are not sponsoring them if I have a choice. I occasionally get lists as an example, by Googling “MSNBC Sponsors 2017”, etc., that way I don’t have to watch them to find out who sponsors them.

    FOX News may be one sided but at least it’s presents some of both, even lets the other side spew their garbage, and remains mostly “news” especially in the mornings. Notice the ratings between MSNBC (CNN & the others) and FOX Cable News, even the local FOX Stations. It says something, people seem to be steadily moving. I was surprised to hear that Mr. Top of the Cable News (Bill O’Reilly) is retiring, I guess he’s sold all of his books (little to do with any of the scandals) and can finally afford to retire. FOX’s viewership ratings may have a lot to do with the mid-term elections, and results may again surprise a lot of (ignorant) people. I think FOX really had a lot to do with the last general election too.

    And finally (and thanks for letting me rant), for Sweden I see a parallel thing going on in Sweden with their media. The people are so PC, afraid of being called racists, that they will allow their country to be destroyed before they will admit or even listen to any truth about their immigration issues. Their government and media seem to be the ones that are most complicit in allowing the whole country to be taken over and changed in a way that they will never be able to recover from. The only real tools we have is our ability to vote, but we’ve got to use historical facts and current facts in order to make the right choices. https://www.prageru.com/stockholm-syn... We could have been next.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by mccannon01 7 years ago
      "I’ve tried to, but actually am unable to, watch MSNBC (and some of the others) just to see ...". NealS your entire narrative was worth the read, but that line really caught my eye because I started watching FOX this morning but switched over to CNN (Clinton News Network) because I wanted to see what the latest hooplah concerning Bill O'Reilly was all about and it seemed FOX wasn't giving. Anyway, when I switched I was immediately greeted with a video of protesters demanding Bill be fired carrying signs that seemed professionally made (who prints & assembles this stuff so fast?), but was too late to get any information because the story was immediately followed by 3 separate I-Hate-Trump narratives all within a 3 or 4 minutes. I switched back to FOX because nausea was setting in.

      I still haven't seen any facts regarding Bill because I've been on the road and haven't seen much news.
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by NealS 7 years ago
        I was being somewhat facetious in my remark that Bill only “retired, it had little to do with the scandal”, and I only got one real bite. Of course he was at least “asked to leave”. At least FOX gets tired of the negative press and actually does something to fix it. MSNBC and the others still hang on to their scandalous people, they even broadcast it directly to the public. It’s like having an affair, the democrats get caught and make excuses, republicans get caught and resign or get fired. Then again, as it stands, there is no proof of anything (yet). We’ll never really see the real picture, it will be covered up even if it really was not that big a deal. Hell, under today’s standards (PC) I too could be accused of sexual harassment from a long time ago. In truth several times in my younger life when I was told, “No.” I immediately stopped expressing interest in an individual(s). It was nothing but today it could be front page especially for a conservative republican white male. That just the way it is.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by Dobrien 7 years ago
        "(who prints & assembles this stuff so fast?)
        G.Soros, Sign and Riotous Agitators Inc.
        Company Goal: organize the destruction of USA
        From within.
        Motto: lie deceive and destroy for the greater good
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ Stormi 7 years ago
    You are so right! SNL has been unwatchable for years now. The talent is not that of the earlier players. Sometimes constraint leads to better humor, they have become just self indulgent and mean spirited,. Robin Williams was always best when in the care of a director who knew how to reign him in, and that was the case with the earlier SNL players. This bunch just thinks they ar so funny, when they are not. It is about them. It is like when a singer like Sinatra honored the writer of a song, and drew the best from it, vs the Mariah Carey bunch who think their own endless vocalizing is more important than the song. Alex Baldwin is a pit, his talent is minimal, shame too as his brothers do good work.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by Riftsrunner 7 years ago
    SNL was best when it was an equal opportunity offender against both sides of the political spectrum. Lately, it has become one note and trying to push some sort of narrative. Many of the skits are unfunny because there is no payoff to the setups. And it seems sooooo forced. They try to manufacture aspects of the people they are trying to satirized, but it doesn't work if it isn't genuine to the subject. I would definitely laugh at an Anti-SJW skit if it was done right, but they go at it in a stereotypical manner.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by Snoogoo 7 years ago
    I would make a parody to the SNL obsession with Trump that likens it to a little boy on the playground who keeps poking and teasing a little girl because he is secretly in love with her.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by TomSwift 7 years ago
    You guys are funny. You have a buffoon of a president who deserves to be treated like the buffoon he is and you attack the group who is satirizing him so brilliantly. SNL has gone after every politician since Ford yet when your clown is parodied, you get huffy. The press has treated Trump with kid gloves for some bizarre reason yet you still think he is being attacked. Remember Howard Dean? Out of the running for laughing too loudly. Remember Dan Quale? Couldn't spell potato and is attacked at every angle. Trump, probably illiterate, is a complete disgrace to the office of the Presidency yet he seems to be untouchable even after every insane thing he does. Bizarre.

    SNL is going after him, and rightfully so, and doing the job the press should have been doing. If Clinton would have won, I would expect the same satirical punching, but I really doubt she would have been as easy a target as Trump.

    Trump! I still can't believe Americans voted for this fool! You could have had Ted Cruz who would have been a much better choice if you ignore his weird religious crap. Instead, you picked a mediocre property developer who made his money with daddy's fortune, is famous for not paying his bills, who lies on a consistent basis, is a draft dodger, cheated on his wives, and has a creepy thing for his daughter. Even Pence, again if you ignore his insane religious mumbo-jumbo, would make a better president although that is not saying much.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  

FORMATTING HELP

  • Comment hidden. Undo