Cameron Diaz's monologue wasn't quite a monologue: It was more a, "I'm going to answer dumb audience questions and hope that someone thinks it's funny." Sadly, it was not funny — or even entertaining.
Diaz is quite charming, so it's disappointing to see that charm wasted on a half-hearted monologue that includes her answering questions like, "I think you're hot" and "was working on The Other Woman, like, so much fun?" It's obvious the humor is supposed to be in the ridiculousness of these audience members, but they're not even that ridiculous — they're just bringing up past Diaz projects (Shrek, Gangs of New York) in a way that seems to say, "hey, remember Cameron Diaz was in these movies too?"
But the monologue was only three minutes of the entire episode, which had some bright spots including the night's...
Best SketchAny time the ladies of SNL get together is a good time. Last season they memorably worked together for "Dongs All Over the World" featuring Anna Kendrick and this time around, they used a similar style for a song called "Back Home Ballers" about, well, lady-ballers returning home for the holidays. It's over the top and features Leslie Jones going on for way too long about bowls (yes, bowls) — in other words, it's magical.
Honorable MentionExperimental theater is often — okay, always — weird, and the "Theatre Showcase" captures that weirdness and multiples it by, oh, 100. A group of actors dressed in black moves boxes around between seconds-long scenes, and the camera cuts to parents' reactions every so often to hone in just how strange it all is. "They moved all those boxes for that?" Kenan says at one point. "That scene was like three words!" We don't get it either, Kenan.
Best Commercial for a Strange ProductWhat America has always wanted: A Nespresso machine that incubates chicken eggs. Vanessa Bayer plays the product's saleswoman who knows little to nothing about the actual product. Case in point: Kate McKinnon and Taran Killam ask how the machine works only for Bayer to enthusiastically answer, "I don't know that part!" Bayer's positive energy combined with her ignorance about the very thing she's selling is recognizable — who hasn't asked a salesperson a simple question only for them to stutter in response? — and hilarious.
Funniest Turkey ReferenceThanksgiving's coming up — have you heard? SNL has, and worked in a few turkey mentions. Not all of them quite landed though, including Diaz's line about Rock Center's light-up turkey. But the "Night Murmurs" one was weird and wonderful: McKinnon stars alongside Diaz and Cecily Strong in a commercial trying to sell phone sex, but McKinnon is more focused on selling how bad she is at bets. "I lost a bet so now I have to get videotaped while someone throws a 20-pound turkey at my back," she says with a twinkle in her eye. "That was a bad bet to make. Who knows what I'll do next!"
0 comments:
Post a Comment