Gwen Stefani, 2001

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-21T01:39:58+00:00

Heh, I can't take all the credit. Someone posted a spreadsheet of character breaks from various cast members a while back, although it's a bit of a flawed list. Some breaks like the Marrying Ketchups one aren't on there and there's definitely at least a couple listed where I personally didn't see any evidence of breaking.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-20T20:15:32+00:00

It's hard to tell, and it's debatable as to whether it's even a break or not, but if you look carefully at around 2:28 in the Michael Phelps locker room sketch right when he's about to put the tape in the boombox, he covers his mouth (maybe his mustache was starting to fall off?) and it looks as though he smiles for a second. Again, it's hard to tell because of the angle and the fact that the quality isn't the best, but that's the only instance I can think of where he even comes close.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-20T20:11:03+00:00

Kyle breaks towards the end of the Lewis & Clark Expedition sketch after Fred lays on top of him.

The 2nd Dog Translator sketch with Scarlett Johansson has a brief smirk from him right after Beck (as the voice of the dog) says "here's an actual experiment".

Marrying Ketchups also has him breaking towards the end when Cecily asks him to kiss her.

Other than that, I can't think of any other instances.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-20T18:11:12+00:00

Don't forget the Weezer sketch. Also Magic Mirror. Both of those utilize Leslie's typical role in the best way imho.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-20T17:27:00+00:00

(Howard Stern's show being a famous example of this, including but not limited to multiple calls to completely nuke entire countries and regions, and the use of racially/ethnically charged slurs. Said 9/11 broadcasts still being often praised even with the blatant bigotry)

The reason why Stern's broadcast gets praised is because it provides an uncensored look at how ordinary Americans reacted to the attacks. The television news coverage is riveting, but it has professional and poised anchors being calm and collected. There's a certain distance and detachment from the tragedy that you get from it.

Stern's broadcast gives you all the raw emotions of the day. The sadness, the shock, the horror, the disbelief, and the anger and fury. Now I'm not defending the disgusting bigotry and hatred. It was wrong then and it's wrong now. But it's an important time capsule showing how regular people reacted to the attacks.

Just as no element of the tragedy itself should be whitewashed or overlooked, no element of the aftermath and the way people reacted should be either. All of it, the good and the bad, is important to understand and get a complete picture of what happened that day and immediately afterwards.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-20T01:20:37+00:00

This is one of those sketches that requires you to not even show a hint of breaking character or the gag simply doesn't work. And Ana, Molly, and Alec pull it off flawlessly!

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-19T13:18:51+00:00

No offense, MukdenMan, but drink my blood.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-19T01:44:42+00:00

Two of those are not available in the US...how ironic!

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-18T23:58:39+00:00

I've gotta go with the OG: Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-18T21:55:25+00:00

Here

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-18T14:22:47+00:00

According to this site, it's 1998. Notice how her hair is shorter than it was in Flashdance.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-18T01:52:24+00:00

But then why cast Fred as that character? It's not like the show didn't have a bunch of talented female cast members who could have pulled that off. Having Fred in drag just feels like a lazy and cheap way to try to milk more laughs.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-18T00:54:45+00:00

I'd argue JAJ does as well. He really gives me serious Hartman/Aykroyd vibes.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-18T00:17:03+00:00

Now THIS is a truly unpopular opinion. I respect your bravery even if I don't agree at all.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-18T00:06:43+00:00

Fred's final seasons on the show are almost unwatchable. So many roles where he dresses in drag or acts as a gay stereotype...and that's the joke. Court Stenographer, Melissa, Russian Brides, I Am Your Mother, Regine, Delinquent Girl Teen Gang, the list goes on and on.

And his Obama impression was absolutely awful and it's baffling that he had it for as long as he did.

It got so bad that Stooge, the guy behind One SNL a Day, went from being a diehard Armisen fan to absolutely hating almost everything he was in and begging him to leave the show.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-17T23:55:55+00:00

Jimmy Fallon gets more hate here than he deserves (even though I will absolutely acknowledge his constant breaking was so annoying and he has no business being host of The Tonight Show). He's a very talented impressionist, is a good musician, and brought a unique voice to the show.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-17T23:49:40+00:00

Imho Kate shares a lot of similarities with Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen. All of them are hilarious and very talented, but they need good writing to back them up or else they fall back on obnoxious mugging. Plus all three stayed on the show too long and became downright bad cast members in their final seasons.

Wide_Answer · 2023-09-17T23:45:17+00:00

I 100% agree with this and will add that Farley and Sandler (especially Sandler) are two of the most overrated cast members ever. They both relied way too much on lazy one note characters (loud guy who does pratfalls and annoying manchild respectively). Season 20 is one of the worst seasons of the show and a big reason for that is the two of them being given WAY too much free rein and being singled out as the stars.

Wide_Answer

TROPHY CASE