SNL Recap December 18, 2010: Jeff Bridges/Eminem and Lil’ Wayne

December 20, 2010

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Christmas Eve in Washington, D.C.
Well, there you go. Sticking with the political angle for the opening, but actually doing something out of the ordinary with it. It is clear that the writers have plenty of material on Obama, Hilary, Rahm, Pelosi, and Biden, but the focus has lately been getting fuzzy when they try to make a sketch around it. The solution, apparently: keep it simple. B+

Jeff Bridges’ Monologue
It was a treat to see Cookie Monster appear, though I imagine folks who weren’t familiar with his campaign to host found it only about half as amusing as those who were familiar found it to be. It was beautiful that Jeff introduced him as his buddy who’s always wanted to be on the show. The two of them singing “Silver Bells” wasn’t particularly funny, but it was surreal (as with much of what is actually on Sesame Street). Who else was thinking of the time Isaac Asimov and Crystal Gayle sang the same? By the way, I think Jeff broke the record for longest time between two successive hosting appearances, a title previously held by, I believe, Drew Barrymore.  (Update: It turns out that Sigourney Weaver broke the record for longest gap when she hosted this past January, and the previous record-holder had been Madeline Kahn.  So, as far as I can surmise, the order for longest gaps goes: 1. Jeff Bridges [27 years], 2. Sigourney Weaver [24 years], 3. Madeline Kahn [18 years], 4. Drew Barrymore [17 years].) B+

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VH1 Top 40 Music Videos of 2010

December 18, 2010

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown, VH1 Top 40 Videos of the Year Leave a comment

Top 20 Countdown is taking a few end of the year weeks off to make room for the Top 40 of the year countdown, but that’s no reason for me to skip my revising.  I have never quite been able to figure out how VH1 determines the order of its Top 40 of the year.  It must have more to do than with just how the videos performed on the Top 20, if that even really matters at all.  The list is ostensibly a measure of how big a hit these songs were, which is hard to objectively measure perfectly.  As far as I am concerned, it is about ubiquity, and VH1 appears to agree, for the most part.  In addition to my normal revision in terms of the quality of the songs, I am also including some thoughts on how big I measured these hits to be, by noting those that charted too high or too low.  It is worth mentioning now that I do not know how “Teenage Dream” or “Nothin’ on You” missed the cut.  For the record, “Teenage Dream” would have been number 1 on my revision if it had made the countdown (and everything else remained the same).

Original Version
1. Train – “Hey Soul Sister”
2. The Script – “Breakeven” (should be lower)
3. Katy Perry – “California Gurls”
4. Adam Lambert – “Whataya Want From Me” (should be lower)
5. Lady GaGa – “Bad Romance” (could be higher)
6. Lady Antebellum – “Need You Now”
7. Usher ft. will.i.am – “OMG”
8. Eminem ft. Rihanna – “Love the Way You Lie”
9. P!nk – “Raise Your Glass” (should be lower)
10. Bruno Mars – “Just the Way You Are”
11. Ke$ha – “Tik Tok”
12. B.o.B ft. Hayley Williams – “Airplanes”
13. Rihanna – “Only Girl (in the World)”
14. Michael Bublé – “Haven’t Met You Yet”
15. Taylor Swift – “Mine”
16. Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind”
17. Christina Perri – “Jar of Hearts” (should be lower)
18. Maroon 5 – “Misery”
19. John Mayer – “Heartbreak Warfare” (should be lower)
20. Katy Perry – “Firework”
21. Paramore – “The Only Exception”
22. Drake – “Find Your Love”
23. Daughtry – “September”
24. Jason Derülo – “In My Head”
25. Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars – “Billionaire”
26. Sara Bareilles – “King of Anything”
27. Mumford & Sons – “Little Lion Man”
28. Linkin Park – “Waiting for the End”
29. Train – “If It’s Love”
30. Usher ft. Pitbull – “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love”
31. Lady GaGa ft. Beyoncé – “Telephone” (should be higher)
32. Kings of Leon – “Radioactive”
33. Adam Lambert – “If I Had You”
34. Mike Posner – “Cooler Than Me” (should be higher)
35. Kid Rock – “Born Free”
36. Eminem – “Not Afraid” (should be higher)
37. Jack Johnson – “At or With Me”
38. Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue”
39. Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris – “Break Your Heart” (should be higher)
40. Muse – “Resistance”

Judging by the top of my list, it was quite the singular year.

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Only Girl (in the World)
2. The Only Exception
3. Find Your Love
4. Radioactive
5. Breakeven
6. Tik Tok
7. OMG
8. Bad Romance
9. King of Anything
10. Little Lion Man
11. If I Had You
12. Telephone
13. Cooler Than Me
14. Just the Way You Are
15. Love the Way You Lie
16. California Gurls
17. Not Afraid
18. Resistance
19. Jar of Hearts
20. Haven’t Met You Yet
21. Whataya Want From Me
22. Break Your Heart
23. Waiting for the End
24. Misery
25. Airplanes
26. Firework
27. Empire State of Mind
28. Born Free
29. DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love
30. At or With Me
31. Mine
32. In My Head
33. Stuck Like Glue
34. If It’s Love
35. Need You Now
36. Heartbreak Warfare
37. Raise Your Glass
38. Hey Soul Sister
39. Billionaire
40. September

Rethinking Colin Quinn, Weekend Update Anchor

December 17, 2010

jmunney Saturday Night Live, Television Leave a comment

When I began seriously following Saturday Night Live, it was during an era that featured a memorable cast, and a memorably bad Weekend Update anchor.  For much of SNL‘s history, Weekend Update has been a safe bet for some solid laughs in case the rest of the show was not up to snuff.  But from January 1998 to May 2000, it was always a struggle to get through.  Lately, though, I have begun to wonder: was Colin Quinn really as bad as I originally thought?  VH1 has begun airing SNL repeats, and I caught a few late nineties episodes, and, since Colin does not deserved to be lied to, I must admit that I did laugh a few times.
Maybe it is just a relief to watch somebody at the Update desk who is not current anchor Seth Meyers, the worst Weekend Update anchor (long-term anchor, anyway) of all time, whereas when Colin’s episodes originally aired, he was preceded by the best anchor in the show’s history (Norm MacDonald) and followed by the vibrant and energetic duo of Fey and Fallon.  While comparisons to Colin’s chronological neighbors could only be unfavorable to him, Seth’s notorious run has made it clear that it could have been worse.  Whereas Seth displays no ability (or interest) in interacting with the audience, such a skill was an unquestioned necessity during Colin’s time.  Colin never pulled off such interactions on Norm’s level, but now that I have given him a second look, I realize that what he could pull off made him endearing.  He never did settle into a comfortable rhythm with the timing of his Update jokes, and he knew it.  He also knew that there is a give-and-take between performer and audience on live TV, particularly in a format as intimate as reciting the news.  So he bartered with the crowd, asking that they allow his dumb punchlines and plainly blunt delivery and just enjoy themselves.  And boy, were a lot of his jokes dumb.  But then he would make a goofy face, I would laugh, and I would have to wonder if that dumbness was the point in the first place.
This appears to be a case in which you cannot fully know something until you hold it up against its opposite, or a bad version of the same.  Seth Meyers needs to vacate the Update desk immediately or dramatically improve, and if he wants to improve, he could learn a thing or two from, of all people, Colin Quinn.

SNL Recap December 11, 2010: Paul Rudd/Paul McCartney

December 13, 2010

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television , , , , , 1 Comment

A Message from the President of the United States
And is this what the world (or just the country) has come to? B

Paul Rudd’s Monologue
Good-natured, but too short. Jeez, let a premise develop, why don’t ya? B

Feline Culinary Creations
I’ll allow it, since it didn’t last very long, but it didn’t do very much. C+

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VH1 Top 20 Countdown – 12/11/10

December 11, 2010

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown Leave a comment

Why is “Please Don’t Go” moving up so high? It is no “Cooler Than Me.”
Also, this countdown features two of the most unnotable American Idol winners.

Original Version
1. Katy Perry – “Firework”
2. P!nk – “Raise Your Glass”
3. Mike Posner – “Please Don’t Go”
4. Nicki Minaj – “Right Thru Me”
5. Christina Perri – “Jar of Hearts”
6. Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
7. Nelly – “Just a Dream”
8. Kid Rock – “Born Free”
9. Rihanna – “Only Girl (in the World)”
10. The Script – “For the First Time”
11. Linkin Park – “Waiting for the End”
12. Lee DeWyze – “Sweet Serendipity”
13. Trey Songz ft. Nicki Minaj – “Bottoms Up”
14. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – “Paris (Ooh La La)”
15. Keri Hilson – “Pretty Girl Rock”
16. Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue”
17. Jason Derülo – “What If”
18. Maroon 5 – “Give a Little More”
19. Fantasia – “I’m Doin’ Me”
20. Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Only Girl (in the World)
2. Paris (Ooh La La)
3. Right Thru Me
4. The Cave
5. Jar of Hearts
6. Firework
7. Waiting for the End
8. Grenade
9. Please Don’t Go
10. What If
11. Give a Little More
12. For the First Time
13. Born Free
14. I’m Doin’ Me
15. Pretty Girl Rock
16. Sweet Serendipity
17. Stuck Like Glue
18. Just a Dream
19. Raise Your Glass
20. Bottoms Up

SNL Recap December 4, 2010: Robert De Niro/Diddy-Dirty Money

December 5, 2010

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television , , , , , Leave a comment

Cold Opening – WikiLeaks TMZ
The cold opening should always be reliable, and Bill Hader playing someone with an English (actually Australian in this case) accent is certainly reliable. I don’t know if Julian Assange is anything like the way Bill played him, but the accent allowed him to be in his comfort zone. This worked best when the political figures had no idea why the cameras were following them, and thus, the first bit, with Fred as Qaddafi, was the funniest. B+

Robert De Niro’s Monologue
I was watching De Niro’s first appearance as host recently, and in that monologue, he looked incredibly stiff. It barely lasted a minute; it looked like he couldn’t wait for it to be over. This time, he was actually willing to be funny. And scary at the same time. Damn straight New York is the home of EPCOT. A-

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VH1 Top 20 Countdown – 12/4/10

December 4, 2010

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown Leave a comment

A slight change of opinion on my part allows P!nk to avoid a distinction previously accomplished only by Daughtry.

Original Version
1. P!nk – “Raise Your Glass”
2. Katy Perry – “Firework”
3. Bruno Mars – “Just the Way You Are”
4. Christina Perri – “Jar of Hearts”
5. Mike Posner – “Please Don’t Go”
6. Nicki Minaj – “Right Thru Me”
7. Kid Rock – “Born Free”
8. Rihanna – “Only Girl (in the World)”
9. Linkin Park – “Waiting for the End”
10. Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
11. Kings of Leon – “Radioactive”
12. Trey Songz ft. Nicki Minaj – “Bottoms Up”
13. Lee DeWyze – “Sweet Serendipity”
14. The Script – “For the First Time”
15. Nelly – “Just a Dream”
16. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – “Paris (Ooh La La)”
17. Maroon 5 – “Give a Little More”
18. Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue”
19. Keri Hilson – “Pretty Girl Rock”
20. Jason Derülo – “What If”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Only Girl (in the World)
2. Radioactive
3. Paris (Ooh La La)
4. Firework
5. Jar of Hearts
6. Waiting for the End
7. Just the Way You Are
8. Grenade
9. Right Thru Me
10. Please Don’t Go
11. What If
12. Give a Little More
13. For the First Time
14. Born Free
15. Pretty Girl Rock
16. Sweet Serendipity
17. Stuck Like Glue
18. Just a Dream
19. Raise Your Glass
20. Bottoms Up

The Weather Channel

November 29, 2010

jmunney Television Leave a comment

I frequently find myself watching the Weather Channel.  I come for the updates on current and upcoming conditions, but I stay for the music.  Typically, it is just that elevator music-style jazz, but occasionally I am treated to something like the Rolling Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” or “Theme from Shaft.”  But even when one of those rarities is not playing, the light jazz is enough to keep me around in a soothing, meditative daze.  There is a slightly melancholy feel to it – a sense that this is Life, this is Truth.  At that moment, it feels like the 3-hour Doppler loop is all that needs to be known.  Everything for those 5 to 10 minutes is simple and comforting.

VH1 Top 20 Countdown – 11/27/10

November 27, 2010

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown Leave a comment

The Perry(i) sisters are 1-2!

Original Version
1. Katy Perry – Firework
2. Christina Perri – Jar of Hearts
3. Bruno Mars – Just the Way You Are
4. Rihanna – Only Girl (in the World)
5. P!nk – Raise Your Glass
6. Mike Posner – Please Don’t Go
7. Nicki Minaj – Right Thru Me
8. Michael Bublé – Hollywood
9. Linkin Park – Waiting for the End
10. Trey Songz ft. Nicki Minaj – Bottoms Up
11. Kings of Leon – Radioactive
12. Kid Rock – Born Free
13. Bruno Mars – Grenade
14. Sugarland – Stuck Like Glue
15. Maroon 5 – Give a Little More
16. The Script – For the First Time
17. Keri Hilson – Pretty Girl Rock
18. Nelly – Just a Dream
19. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – Paris (Ooh La La)
20. Kanye West ft. Pusha T – Runaway

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Only Girl (in the World)
2. Radioactive
3. Runaway
4. Paris (Ooh La La)
5. Firework
6. Jar of Hearts
7. Waiting for the End
8. Just the Way You Are
9. Grenade
10. Please Don’t Go
11. Right Thru Me
12. For the First Time
13. Pretty Girl Rock
14. Born Free
15. Give a Little More
16. Just a Dream
17. Hollywood
18. Stuck Like Glue
19. Bottoms Up
20. Raise Your Glass

SNL Recap November 20, 2010: Anne Hathaway/Florence + the Machine

November 23, 2010

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television , , , , , Leave a comment

As y’all probably heard, I’m sexy now.

Cold Opening – The Rachel Maddow Show
This is a step in the right direction for political cold openings. A parody of a cable news talk show is always an apt setup for a forum of craziness, although this time around the craziness was a little jumbled, with the Charlie Rangel parts not really having much to do with Boehner/Pelosi. B-

Anne Hathaway’s Monologue
Another monologue premised on the physical attractiveness of a female host and the possibility of nudity? It would have been funnier if Anne had not admitted to K-Wiig that she was not being serious with the guys. B-

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