Ransom Riggs
Why SNL Will Be Funny Next Season
by Ransom Riggs - September 1, 2010 - 7:25 AM

This keeps happening! A couple of years ago, my very funny pal Michaela Watkins joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. They only kept her for a season (sigh) but now I’ll have to end my personal boycott of the show because another extremely funny and talented person I know, Heather Campbell, just joined the writing staff. Hooray Heather! This gives me a perfect excuse to post a couple of hilarious videos Heather wrote and stars in for the Upright Citizens’ Brigade out here in LA. *Lots* of comedy groups make videos and try to get them to go viral, and let me tell you from experience — because I have failed at this — sketch comedy videos are very difficult to make funny, and even more difficult to get lots and lots of people to watch, partly because there are so many of them out there. Not only are these very funny — and have been seen by lots of people — they also showcase Heather’s talent.

This video hawks an abstract and lamentably unbuyable product: rich parents. (Mildly NSFW.)


This video HAS SOME VERY LOUD SWEARING right at the end but it’s only because the product it’s advertising IS SO INSANE THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE IT. Immortal Dog!

Also, she can sing. Watch her freak out a mall full of unsuspecting strangers as part of an Improv Everywhere prank.

« Previous Post   -   Next Post »
Click here to get a Risk-Free issue of mental_floss magazine
Comments (9)

  1. Immortal Dog was funny, Rich Parents was boring and too long, and the Food Court Musical was ehhhhh.

    posted by Nick on 9-1-2010 at 8:51 am

  2. I loved the Rich Parents sketch. But then again, I’ve got TWO freshly-graduated stepkids living in the house right now.

    posted by Joe Maz on 9-1-2010 at 9:03 am

  3. Yay someone new!

    I’m glad that Amy Poehler and Tina Fey aren’t writing or for the show anymore. Being a woman, I’m all about Women Power and women writers, but those two women are just NOT FUNNY AT ALL.

    It seemed like every skit they wrote were just a bunch of inside jokes between the two of them.

    And I know Kristen Wiig is the “lead” woman in SNL, but the character(s) she plays are all the same: High pitched voice and annoying characteristic.

    I really miss the pre-1995 SNL’s. Mike Meyers, Dana Carvey, etc.

    I feel like the show’s been dumbed down and the same lame skits are used time and time again with out writing content- ie “What up with Dat?”.

    Come on! I’ll give the actors credit IF they get some good writing, if not, maybe it’s time to throw the baby out with the bath water.

    Whew, what a rant on SNL!

    posted by MetalRose on 9-1-2010 at 10:31 am

  4. SNL has been dead in the water for so long that I’m afraid even your friend couldn’t help it’s terminal anemia. Having watched the show since the 70′s I would venture a guess that any move towards a rebirth, or a resuscitaion of the show, would have to include cutting the cast way, way down so that chemistry might/could actually be established between cast members. But I do wish your friend luck. In these difficult times, we need better humor than SNL currently provides, and at least she’ll give her resume a big boost. Bummer that I am skeptical, but I congratulate anyone having some success during the foul year of 2010.

    posted by bubba on 9-1-2010 at 10:36 am

  5. You know, I think I’ve seen her write for a couple of videogaming magazines – I recognized her name and photo from stuff she’d done before from Play and EGM.

    Wish your friend luck in 30 Rock!

    posted by Steve from San Diego on 9-1-2010 at 1:32 pm

  6. @ METALROSE

    So true! There were so many great years, but it was so bad after about 1994 I stopped watching entirely. I kept trying to go back, but until about 2006 there was just never anything funny about it. I still have no idea what anyone sees in Will Ferrell or Jimmy Fallon. I can’t even watch 30 Rock without constantly thinking “is it over yet”.

    posted by Wayne on 9-1-2010 at 3:06 pm

  7. LOOOOVE SNL! you guys are all just a bunch of snobs haha

    posted by rose on 9-1-2010 at 3:37 pm

  8. I love the food court musical! It was perfect for a rainy day.

    posted by Sarah in Canada on 9-1-2010 at 4:05 pm

  9. @Wayne

    Thanks. I agree with 30 Rock- it’s just behind the scenes SNL with more expensive production quality. I can’t stand Tracey Morgan on that show, and sadly found him funnier on SNL! Can’t stand Community either. I really really really tried to watch those shows to give them the benefit of the doubt. Not sure if it’s their acting or writing that makes the shows horrible… Even if 30 Rock won a million awards, I just don’t get it. (Then again, I don’t think the concept of The Office was funny either). I love sitcoms, but before Big Bang Theory the last sitcom I watched was 3rd Rock From the Sun, which was written beautifuly. Yeah so about every 10 years. Then again, I’m really not much of a TV watcher… and honestly did spend an entire 2 years with out even turning on the TV.

    @ROSE

    What are we missing that is so funny with the current SNL?

    posted by MetalRose on 9-2-2010 at 11:28 am

Comment

commenting policy