Lorne Michaels Reveals ‘SNL’ Secrets to Political Comedy Credibility
Hint: It’s the exact opposite of what cable is doing
Tony Maglio | June 24, 2016 @ 11:21 AM
Last Updated: June 24, 2016 @ 1:20 PM
This weekend, “SNL” executive producer Lorne Michaels will finally take a break from sketch comedy and get down to business.
The “Saturday Night Live” boss must begin thinking about casting for his upcoming Season 42. With so many key players moving on in recent years — ironically due to their very success on the NBC 11:30 p.m. staple — consistency has consistently been a challenge for Michaels and his crack staff. This summer, he’ll have to be more calculating then ever in deciding fates for a season starting mere weeks before the November election. And those tough decisions will start for him right … about … now.
“I used to have an old rule in the ’70s: Don’t make any decisions in June,” Michaels told TheWrap. “By the end of the season, you don’t like anyone. And then you get away from it, and you start to see how good things were, and you just see things more clearly.”
Two stand-up comics who definitely won’t be going anywhere any time soon are the “Weekend Update” duo of Colin Jost and Michael Che. Jost, who was head writer before stepping down from that post, was paired with Che in an effort to remind viewers of other fun tag-teams of the past, like Meyers and Amy Poehler, Poehler and Tina Fey, Fey and Jimmy Fallon, etc. Many TV critics found that the new two-man team had a bit of a rough go finding their collective voice, but those cries appear to have been silenced as the suit-and-tie guys become more comfortable.
“This is the season that gelled. Living through it is never fun,” Michaels said. “I think there’s real chemistry now. I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of them in a more interesting context.”
In other words, expect election specials. After all, there’s no way a comedy mind like Michaels misses out on parodying the Donald Trump-Hillary Clinton general election debates.
After all, that’s exactly how Michaels stayed atop the comedy world through his show’s 41st season. Trump, Clinton, Bernie Sanders and others gifted Michaels’ cast of characters with seemingly endless fodder — and the late-night staple took advantage of the opportunity.
It is years like this when “SNL” can be at its best and most effective, and Michaels wisely stays true to a formula that’s seemed to work for him forever — even if that doesn’t follow the current television trend he sees.
“Our DNA is in the ’70s, so what I’ve always wanted it to be is non-partisan. So whoever is in authority, you’re challenging that, theoretically — and hopefully,” the executive producer told us Wednesday during a telephone interview. “More and more in the last 10 or 15 years … things turned more partisan, particularly in cable — both in news and in comedy.”
“So the idea that whoever it is, you’re against it, is a harder thing to make work now, because people want you to go, ‘He’s all bull,’ ‘I don’t like her,’ whatever that is,” Michaels continued. “We just go week-to-week and hopefully the only criteria is: ‘Is it a smart take on it?’
“I think you lose all credibility — at least in comedy — when everyone knows what side you’re on,” he summed up, pointing out the obvious exception of a one-voice talk show, like the rising one from protégé Seth Meyers.
Credibility is something that Michaels has in spades, much like Emmys. He’s got 14 of those, and may be clearing off shelf space for more as you read this. You know, after those casting calls are made.
'SNL's' 40 Most Hilarious Sketches (Photos)
CHIPPENDALES Chris Farley's memorable moments on "SNL" are endless, but his abs-meet-flab male revue with Patrick Swayze is immortal.
THE BEYGENCY Beyonce's following, the "Beyhive," is not one to be messed with. Take the risk and face disappearance.
OPERA MAN Adam Sandler was always entertaining as this Pavarotti parody, but his Eddie Vedder impression, following Pearl Jam's rise to the top of the Billboard chart, hit a whole new octave.
LAZY SUNDAY Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell could have given the Beastie Boys a run for their money with this rap that hits hard on cupcakes and Matthew Perry.
MATT FOLEY, MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER "SNL's" gems involve more than just memorable characters -- there are also those moments when the cast can't keep it together. David Spade and Christina Applegate know that thanks to the iconic Foley.
THE CALIFORNIANS On this send-up of an entire state, Kristen Wiig (Karina) and Bill Hader (Devin) giggle over Fred Armisen's (Stuart) mocking California accent when he catches the pair locking lips. Classic.
MR. ROBINSON'S NEIGHBORHOOD If only Mr. Rogers had Eddie Murphy for a neighbor. The comedian sent the audience into a laughing fit after his infidelity bore him a brand new baby boy.
JUSTIN BIEBER FOR CALVIN KLEIN A relatively new entry, Kate McKinnon's spoof of the singer's underwear campaign is bound to earn an official spot in "SNL's" hilarious history.
WAYNE'S WORLD Rock on, Wayne and Garth. And so they did, with Aerosmith. The band kept their composure, but Garth's silent freak-outs were perfect.
"DELICIOUS DISH" Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon's calm sexual innuendos about Alec Baldwin's "Schweddy Balls" on NPR never get old.
SUNSEEKER YACHTS Ex-porn stars promoting yachts with Captain Jack Swallow (James Franco) and James Franco (Seth Rogen)? Enough said.
THE LOVE-AHS Jimmy Fallon was notorious for breaking character, but he wasn't alone in this sketch, as Will Ferrell, Rachel Dratch and Drew Barrymore barely hold it together in a hotel hot tub.
THE FESTRUNK BROTHERS Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd can hold their own, but are ridiculously entertaining as "two wild and crazy guys" on the hunt for ladies. Note the Jim Belushi appearance.
WHITE LIKE ME Many considered Eddie Murphy's undercover sketch not only comedic, but a game changer touching on race issues.
WEEKEND UPDATE GUEST BENNETT BRAUER Chris Farley's "I have a weight problem" line is a historic flub. And Kevin Nealon's reaction while trying to free his wires is even better.
DEBATE '76 This sketch was great, particularly for Gerald Ford's (Chevy Chase) fall at the end with Jimmy Carter (Dan Aykroyd) rolling on top of him.
TOTAL BASTARD AIRLINES Flight attendants David Spade and Helen Hunt made it OK to tell people "Buh-bye" and not mean it. To you both, thank you.
HAPPY FUN BALL This commercial remains a hilarious send-up of unscrupulous manufacturers who will put anything in a product. And Phil Hartman's voiceover is the perfect touch.
MARK WAHLBERG TALKS TO ANIMALS Andy Samberg mimicks the "Boogie Nights" actor's mannerisms and voice perfectly as he tells barnyard beasts to "say 'hi' ta ya' mutha' fuh me."
STAR WARS AUDITIONS This is the perfect dose of comedy, especially with Kevin Spacey impersonating Christopher Walken, Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.
JEOPARDY Will Ferrell offered his take on host Alex Trebek numerous times, but his adversarial back-and-forth with Darrell Hammond's clueless, lecherous Sean Connery combined with Norm MacDonald's juvenile Burt Reynolds provided the segments' deepest belly laughs.
DICK IN A BOX Andy Samberg. Justin Timberlake. Two dicks. Two boxes. Two dicks in boxes. And thus a legend was born.
KERRY WASHINGTON'S COLD OPEN With a growing chorus of voices clamoring about a lack of diversity on "SNL's" cast, the show did the only thing it could (besides diversify its cast, of course): It made, uh, light of the situation. "Scandal" star Kerry Washington did double duty, single-handedly playing First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey in the space of two minutes.
TWO A-HOLES Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Wiig's recurring portrayal as a pair of vapid, airheaded, arrogant human canker sores would probably be even funnier if we didn't actually run into people just like this All. The. Time.
CONSUMER PROBE Dan Aykroyd as sleazy toymaker Irwin Mainway, who peddled such decidedly unsafe children's products as "Bag O' Glass," "Mr. Skin Grafter" and "Doggy Dentist," was a dark-hearted delight. And some would say a precursor for modern business practices.
COLON BLOW Long before colon cleanses became a trendy weight-loss technique, "Saturday Night Live" conceived of the perfect breakfast cereal to help you clear your pipes.
DEBBIE DOWNER Afraid that your next party might suffer from too much joviality? Make sure to put Debbie Downer on your guest list; she'll keep things somber with her turd-in-the-punchbowl conversational technique.
CHURCH CHAT Dana Carvey's pinch-faced, perpetually judgmental Church Lady was the perfect reminder for "SNL" viewers that Sunday was just around the corner. The installment featuring Justin Bieber was a highlight, if only because he might just actually be a product of Satan.
KING TUT Steve Martin, who plays a pretty mean banjo when he's not cracking up the population, also showed off his singing and dancing skills in this entry in the canon of "SNL" musical sketches.
WILLIAM SHATNER TRASHES TREKKIES Long before he made a joke of himself as a beloved Priceline shill, William Shatner mocked his Star Trek fame. Or at least Star Trek fans. Watching Shatner tell the nerdy assemblage at a Star Trek convention to "Get a life!" was out of this world.
BEHIND THE MUSIC (MORE COWBELL) A shirt many sizes too small and a zealous passion for precision timekeeping made Will Ferrell a delight as Gene, the utterly essential cowbell player for Blue Oyster Cult. Is there anything that more cowbell can't cure?
THE CHRIS FARLEY SHOW Chris Farley as a super-awkward, terminally unsure-of-himself talk-show host was a revelation, especially since Farley was typically so outgoing. His interview with Paul McCartney, during which he asked the former Beatle if rumors of his death in the '60s were a hoax, was a treat.
THE FRENCH CHEF Dan Aykroyd delivered some bloody good laughs as culinary institution Julia Child, who gets so wrapped up in extolling the many uses of liver that she cuts her finger, resulting in a kitchen that looks like a mass-murder crime scene.
UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER Yes, he was just a caveman, thrust into the modern world to practice defense and personal injury law. But Keyrock -- as portrayed by the late, great Phil Hartman -- provided plenty of laughs.
THE SINATRA GROUP Hartman played Ol' Blue Eyes as the no-nonsense, old-school host of "an unrehearsed discussion of current issues in the recording industry," berating young bucks such as Billy Idol, Luther Campbell and Sinead O'Connor -- or, as Hartman/Sinatra variously refers to her, Shine-Ade, Sinbad and Cueball.
SAMURAI DELICATESSEN John Belushi definitely made the cut as a deli employee with a particularly brutal method for slicing lunch meat.
CONEHEADS FAMILY FEUD These oblong aliens appeared on any number of skits during the early days of "Saturday Night Live," but watching Dan Aykroyd and his space-alien crew on this game-show staple was particularly delightful.
THE BLUES BROTHERS Not so much a comedy skit, just two very funny guys (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) with a crackerjack backup band paying homage to some classic tunes. And it was magnificent.
NICK THE LOUNGE SINGER Another example of an "SNL" cast member flexing his musical chops -- and this time it was definitely for comic effect. Bill Murray brought a double dose of schmaltz as he belted out the hits of the day, including the "Star Wars" theme as you'd never heard it before.
WORD ASSOCIATION Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor square off in a skit that uses a job interview to explore America's racial tensions with a candor that you won't be seeing on network TV again, late-night or otherwise.
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From Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze’s Chippendales spoof to the Beygency, TheWrap looks back at the NBC sketch show’s most laugh-inducing moments
CHIPPENDALES Chris Farley's memorable moments on "SNL" are endless, but his abs-meet-flab male revue with Patrick Swayze is immortal.
