Jeff "Jmunney" Malone's Self-Styled "Expert" Thoughts on Movies, TV, Music, and the Rest of Pop Culture
January 15, 2017
Television, What Won TV? Bob's Burgers, Boob Mountain, Carrie Fisher, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Hot Robot 3: Journey to Boob Mountain, Man Seeking Woman, New Girl, Saturday Night Live, SNL, The Good Place Leave a comment
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Bob’s Burgers
Monday – Not a bad College Football Championship game
Tuesday – New Girl
Wednesday – Man Seeking Woman
Thursday – The Good Place
Friday – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Saturday – Carrie Fisher on SNL Vintage, Boob Mountain on new SNL
December 18, 2016
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Casey Affleck, Chance the Rapper, Hillary Actually, Jingle Barack, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4210, Saturday Night Live Season 42, SNL, SNL Season 42 1 Comment
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — “Casey Affleck” Episode 1714 — Pictured: Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton during the “Hillary Actually” sketch on December 17, 2016 — (Photo by: Becky Vu/NBC)
This review was originally published on News Cult in December 2016.
News Cult Entertainment Editor Jeffrey Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then organizes the sketches into the following categories: “Love It” (potentially Best of the Season-worthy), “Keep It” (perfectly adequate), or “Leave It” (in need of a rewrite, to say the least). Then he concludes with assessments of the host and musical guest.
Love It
Hillary Actually – I generally cut SNL slack for not having the sharpest political satire around, but I do encourage more adventurous ideas, and this is exactly what I am talking about. Using a movie parody to make sense of the current twist in the election is what SNL is uniquely equipped to do. Hillary wooing an elector in the style of Love Actually’s cue cards scene may be over-the-top, but it rings through and through with essential truth.
I love the hacky comedy in the nativity play covered by New York Now and wish it had lasted even longer and gotten even more ridiculous…At Frankie’s Ale House, it is not just the guys looking to score who are deploying faux shyness: it’s also the bouncer, the guy calling 911, the EMT, and even God.
December 18, 2016
Television, What Won TV? Jeopardy!, New Girl, People of Earth, Rectify, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Son of Zorn Leave a comment
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Son of Zorn
Monday – People of Earth
Tuesday – New Girl
Wednesday – Farewell, Rectify.
Thursday – Jeopardy!
Friday – Jeopardy!
Saturday – I’m sorry to say this, this is really embarrassing, but SNL with Casey Affleck was pretty good.
December 12, 2016
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television John Cena, Maren Morris, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4209, Saturday Night Live Season 42, SNL, SNL Season 42 Leave a comment
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — “John Cena” Episode 1713 — Pictured: Host John Cena on December 6, 2016 — (Photo by: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC)
This review was originally posted on News Cult in December 2016.
Love It
Hook a Hunk – The hook of “Hook a Hunk” is clear from a mile away. As soon as all the contestants on this dating show parody are introduced, and not one of them is played by John Cena, it follows that the hunkiest of hunks in the building must be playing the host and Cecily Strong’s contestant must fall for him in favor of any of the contestants. And yet, “Hook a Hunk” succeeds despite its obviousness, as Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney carve out their own little scene amidst the disappointment, because love wins.
Aidy Bryant clings to the ledge while holding on to the Office Christmas Tree, and some terrifying camera angles ramp up the tension necessary to build to the catharsis that is so important in comedy.
December 7, 2016
Television, What Won TV? Arrow, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Jane the Virgin, Legends of Tomorrow, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Saturday Night Live, SNL, Westworld Leave a comment
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Westworld
Monday – Jane the Virgin
Tuesday – Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Wednesday – Arrow
Thursday – Legends of Tomorrow, Successful Crossovers of Today
Friday – Comedy Bang! Bang! says Comedy Bye! Bye!
Saturday – SNL, mostly for those Woodbridge HS kids
December 6, 2016
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Emma Stone, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4208, Saturday Night Live Season 42, Shawn Mendes, SNL, SNL Season 42 Leave a comment
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — “Emma Stone” Episode 1712 — Pictured: (l-r) Beck Bennett, Mikey Day, Kate McKinnon, Emma Stone, Kyle Mooney, and Aidy Bryant during the “High School Theater Show” sketch on December 3, 2016 — (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC)
This review was originally posted on News Cult in December 2016.
Love It
Woodbridge High School Student Theater Showcase – I love the maddeningly self-righteous Woodbridge crew, but with each new edition, I fear their appearances have run their course. But then I remember what is going on in the world, and I realize how much we need them. Where else are we going to get a joke about a modern Holocaust that is so nonchalant and so cutting? Or a Black Lives Matter joke that is so loopy? And you know this is the only we can hear Aidy Bryant say, “Yep. You guessed it. I have AIDS.”
November 20, 2016
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Anderson Cooper 360, Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4207, Saturday Night Live Season 42, SNL, SNL Season 42, The xx 1 Comment
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — “Kristen Wiig” Episode 1711 — Pictured: (l-r) Kate McKinnon as Napoleon, Pete Davidson, Kristen Wiig, Cecily Strong, Sasheer Zamata, and Leslie Jones during “Kristen Wiig’s Thanksgiving Monologue” on November 19, 2016 — (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC)
This review was originally posted on News Cult in November 2016.
Love It
Kristen Wiig’s Monologue – The world is perpetually in need of good Thanksgiving songs, so “Thanksgiving freak” Kristen Wiig gives us a ditto supposedly about the origins of Turkey Day. But first, she fidgets with her instruments and the placement of props, in a deconstruction of form worthy of Will Ferrell. Dropping by are Steve Martin and Will Forte – big-name cameos that could distract, but since Santa Claus is already there, and Sacajawea is paying for dinner with her own coins, they just add to the wittily written, delightfully rhyming cacophony.
The Bubble is the deceptive utopia we’ve all been waiting for…Anderson Cooper 360° is a whole series of brick jokes mashed together, with a timely twist for the ages.
November 20, 2016
Television, What Won TV? Billy on the Street, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, feminist bikini area, Jeopardy!, Last Week Tonight, Name a skin color, People of Earth, Saturday Night Live, SNL, You're the Worst Leave a comment
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – People of Earth
Tuesday – Name a TV show you should be watching: Billy on the Street
Wednesday – You’re the Worst
Thursday – Jeopardy!
Friday – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and its “feminist bikini area”
Saturday – SNL Thanksgiving by way of Westworld
November 13, 2016
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television A Tribe Called Quest, Dave Chappelle, Leslie X Kyle, Love and Leslie, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4206, Saturday Night Live Season 42, SNL, SNL Season 42 1 Comment
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — “Dave Chappelle” Episode 1710 — Pictured: Host Dave Chappelle during the monologue on November 12, 2016 — (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC)
This review was originally posted on News Cult in November 2016.
Before I get into my Love It/Keep it/Leave It picks, a word on the Hillary “Hallelujah” Cold Opening, which I have chosen not to categorize. Normally when SNL forgoes a proper sketch in favor of a song for the opening, it is in the wake of a national tragedy. So add one more way in which this election is unprecedented. The song selection memorializes the recently departed Leonard Cohen, rendering this moment less depressing and more bittersweet.
Love It
Dave Chappelle’s Monologue – I guess somebody knew that Trump was going to win. That somebody? SNL’s talent booker. How else to explain how we got Dave Chappelle on the exact week that we needed him? This is not the most laugh-out he has ever been (although Bradley Cooper being the only white person at a BET-sponsored White House party is hilarious enough for the whole set), but that is fine, because he is mainly aiming for truth and strength. A lot of disappointed citizens have been struggling to say something positive while also holding on to their legitimate disappointment. By finding hope while passionately defending enfranchisement, Dave Chappelle hits that multilayered note.
November 13, 2016
Television, What Won TV? Better Things, black-ish, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Dave Chappelle, Jeopardy!, Leslie X Kyle, People of Earth, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Westworld Leave a comment
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Westworld
Monday – Thanks for all the empathy, People of Earth.
Tuesday – Jeopardy!
Wednesday – black-ish
Thursday – Better Things
Friday – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Saturday – SNL, thanks to Dave Chappelle talking and Leslie and Kyle loving
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