I love watching SNL, and this week, I polled all of my Facebook friends to get an idea of their top sketches. That being said, this is my own list of what I remember most, in an order that I tried to make as rational as possible.
10. Olympia Cafe (otherwise known as “Cheeburger Cheeburger”)
UD has a wonderful cheeseburger restaurant on Main Street that I love going to, and people are always surprised when I ask if they have seen the SNL sketch that (maybe) inspired it. Most haven’t, which is a crime.
In the sketch, John Belushi is a Greek restaurant owner who is selling cheeseburgers and Pepsi (“No Coke!” he yells at the customers who ask) and as more and more people come in, there is more yelling out to Dan Aykroyd who is working the grill and repeating every order that comes in. It may not be the most hysterical of sketches, but it’s definitely one that I grew up knowing about.
9. Cheerleaders
Any version of this sketch can make the list, since all of them feature Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri as cheerleaders Craig and Arianna, both of whom have undeniable school spirit and enthusiasm, but could not make the varsity cheer squad. Instead, the two are seen at sporting events (and other events like chess tournaments). Each sketch had different homemade cheers and stereotypically teen cheerleader movement with the inclusion of Will Ferrell dancing (which I find to always be a fun time).
8. Land Shark
This is one of the first sketches my dad showed me, and it has stuck in my mind as being one of the most simplistic and random sketches I’ve ever seen. In the sketch, the door is answered by unsuspecting people after a land shark has escaped its enclosure. What’s funnier is the fact that the land shark can: a) talk, and b) keeps coming up with reasons why they should answer the door, including delivering a candy gram and being a dolphin.
7. Judy Miller Show
The Judy Miller show features Gilda Radner as girl scout Judy Miller who hosts dance parties and a talk show from her living room, playing herself and every other guest she invites on. I’ve seen only a few segments, but my favorite has to be when Judy pretends to be the Queen of France and speaks some very creative, made up French.
6. Weekend Update feat. Stefan
Anytime I was watching Weekend Update and New York was mentioned, I was sure to pay attention for when Stefan, one of the trendiest people ever, would come out to talk about the latest hotspots to travel to. Usually, these places were hugely inappropriate and watching Bill Hader break character (as he did not know what would be on his cue-cards before the show) was almost as funny as watching the sketch.
5. Alien Encounter
There have been two Alien Encounter sketches so far and I haven’t decided which one I like more, so both are included. The scene takes place at NASA headquarters where three friends are talking about their recent encounters being abducted by aliens. Two of the friends have positive happy stories...and then there’s Kate Mckinnon, who has had the worst experience. Part of you wants to cringe, but the overwhelming urge to laugh (and the actors in the sketch laughing) makes it a lot easier to take.
4. Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker (also known as “Van Down by the River”)
There was a series of Matt Foley sketches, but the very first, including two pot-smoking teens being given a talking to by their parents, has to be my favorite, where Chris Farley goes crashing through a table and getting sassed by a young Christina Applegate and David Spade. Every now and again, I still have the urge to tell someone who makes bad decisions they’ll be living in a van down by the river.
3. Total Bastard Airlines
This snappy sketch features two airline workers who are so over it they don’t bother to really speak to any passenger as they leave, silencing them with a simple “Buh-bye!’ before sending them along. The sass is real, and the sketch is so simple, it’s brilliant.
2. Point/Counterpoint- Michele Triola and Lee Marvin
This variant of Weekend Update came before I was born (1978 to be exact) but since I’ve been old enough to hear some mild profanity, my parents have quoted one line from this sketch. Dan Ackroyd and Jane Curtin are taking opposite ends of an argument, and after Jane Curtin goes on a feministic tangent about Michele Triola wanting to leave Lee Marvin, Dan Ackroyd, seemingly out of nowhere, responds “Jane, you ignorant slut!,” a line that has been parodied by The Office and other shows. I’m glad to know how the joke started.
1.Celebrity Jeopardy
This segment never seemed to run out of jokes, with quirky ‘celebrity’ guests played by other celebrities and Will Ferrell as an overly annoyed Alex Trebek who just wants to get through one show without it being a complete trainwreck. This sketch still lives on today, but no versions seem to compare to when “Sean Connery” is playing the game and mispronouncing category names to be more inappropriate than they are.
What do you think? Did I miss any great SNL sketches that should have made the top 10?