Flipping through the channels one evening, I stumbled on the E! network, which is usually territory I attempt to avoid. The only two adequate excuses I can come up with for watching E! are: (1) hoping the censors forgot to blur out some boobs on "The Girls Next Door" or (2) watching a classic episode of "Saturday Night Live."
What caught my attention was not an "SNL" rerun, however, but an "SNL" countdown. E! aired a program titled "101 Most Unforgettable SNL Moments." The special itself was a rerun, being a couple years old. But that's not going to stop me from complaining about it.
The countdown was insanely flawed. In fact, it almost drove me to insanity. I'm already teetering on the brink as it is, and this show almost put me over the edge.
Eddie Murphy proclaiming "I'm Gumby, Dammit!" was No. 101. No. 101? Usually on such countdowns, the last spot is reserved for something that barely even deserves to be on the list. "I'm Gumby, Dammit!" definitely deserves a spot and a higher one at that. For instance, how is "The Denise Show" — ranked at 95 — more memorable than Gumby? The skit occurred like three times at most, and each instance was marginally funny at best. It's not that I don't remember it, but on the trip down memory lane, "I'm Gumby, Dammit!" belongs in a mansion while "The Denise Show" should have a shack.
I have so many complaints about this list, I could write about it every week until winter break and only get down to No. 90. However, complaining about the list is not why I began with this anecdote.
This list really got me thinking about how awful "Mad TV" is. "Mad TV" would never have a special with its 101 most unforgettable moments. Why? Because they're not sellouts? No. "Mad TV" would sell out in a heartbeat if it could. The reason they would never have a countdown is because "Mad TV" does not have memorable moments. Almost everything about "Mad TV" is forgettable. Most people couldn't even name 10 memorable moments from the show. I'm hoping some reader will try to, and I look forward to hearing what he or she has to say. Seriously, I'd really like to know if it has done anything worth remembering.
Why is this show so unimportant? Most of all, the show is not very funny. When I do watch it, which isn't often but enough to pass judgment, I feel like the writers and performers aren't even trying. The recurring characters are even more repetitive and tiresome than the characters on "SNL," which is an incredible act to pull off. If I see Stuart, Michael McDonald's childlike character, one more time, I will surely be pushed well over the aforementioned brink.
On top of that, the supposedly topical humor is often weeks (or more) out-of-date. Without the advantage of airing live, "Mad TV" has almost no reason to exist, especially in competition with "SNL." The best decision they could make is to lose the topical humor. The show will never be able beat "SNL" in that area.
That is what makes "Mad TV" so insignificant, and "SNL" a part of our culture. In fact, "SNL" is so much a part of our culture, NBC is banking on two new primetime programs based on the famed late-night sketch comedy show.
The first, which premiered on Monday, is "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." This is an hour-long drama created by Aaron Sorkin of "West Wing" and "Sports Night" fame. The show is a behind-the-scenes peek into the production of a fictional sketch comedy show. The second, which will premiere Oct. 11 (the same day "SNL" premiered in 1975), is "30 Rock." This is a half-hour-long comedy created by Tina Fey of "SNL" and "Mean Girls" fame. The show is a behind-the-scenes peek into the production of a fictional sketch comedy show.
The synopses are identical. Personally, if I'm going to watch a show about sketch comedy, I'll take the funny one. I realize "Studio 60" has funny moments, but the fact that it's classified as a drama turns me off immediately. It's like if NBC aired a new hour-long drama entitled "They Call Me Bob" in which Bob creates a list of everything he has done wrong in his life and sets out to right his wrongs, with semi-humorous results, but not so humorous as to be considered a rip-off of any existing NBC show.
Also, notice how the half-hour-long comedy has 30 in its title and the hour-long drama contains 60. Coincidence? Probably, but it sure makes the shows a lot easier to distinguish. That's good marketing, NBC.
Finally, let's not forget that "SNL" will soon be back with its 32nd season — a number I hope and predict "Mad TV" will never reach. "Saturday Night Live" may not exactly be as hip as it once was, and most college students prefer to spend their Saturday nights getting wasted, so I'm going to make a drinking game you can play while watching the show. When you hear "Live from New York, it's Saturday night," take 20 shots. That's the game. Now enjoy the show.
Mike Peters is a senior focusing on communication arts, film and business. Want to talk comedy with him? Send questions or comments his way at [email protected].
