Retro SNL 4-8-95: Damon Wayans / Dionne Farris

Damon Wayans was fired from Saturday Night Live in 1986, after hijacking a sketch.  Later that season he was brought back to do stand up, and then nine years later he was invited to host.  Say what you will about Lorne Michaels, but at least he doesn't seem to hold a grudge.

An Address from Judge Ito: The OJ Simpson stuff from the mid-90s is akin to the Bush skits of today.  It's easy, and therefore it's lazy.  And it doesn't hold up.  At least it was short. 

Monologue: Wayans makes absolutely no mention of ever even being in the building before, launching directly into his stand-up routine.  I don't like it when hosts do stand-up.  It's the writers saying "We give up, just go out there and do your act.  We got nothing."  On top of that, his act is about the differences between white people and black people.  Ugh. 

Bathroom Monkey: This is one of the best commercial parodies SNL has ever done.  Monkey Hate Clean! 

Camp Ujaama: Black kids have screwed up names.  That's about it for this one.  The absurdness of some of the names produces a smile or two, but as a sketch, it's not that great. 

Men on Film: Now this is odd.  SNL is doing a sketch that originated on In Living Color.  Farley plays Roger Ebert, replacing David Alan Grier's character... until Grier shows up at the end anyway.  Simple, but decent. 

Dionne Farris sings "I Know": I've never heard of this woman in my life.  I do know this song though.

Weekend Update with Norm MacDonald: David Spade does a bit as Jeff Foxworthy that he kinda half-asses his way through but I think it's hilarious nonetheless.  Sandler comes on to convince Mike Tyson, just released from prison, to beat up his enemies.  Norm was on top of his game as well.  I believe this is the historic first mention of "crack whore" on Weekend Update. 

Perspectives: They could have done this every week and I wouldn't have cared.  I love Perspectives.  For some reason in repeats they've replaced this with the dress version.  I think the live version has better timing though. 

Stiles Monroe: Kevin Nealon and Molly Shannon get doused with spit from the spit valve of a jazz trumpet player. 

Cirque du Soleil: Chris Elliott, Mark McKinney and Morwenna Banks make Cirque du Soleil look just about as absolutely ridiculous as possible. 

Deep Thoughts: I don't think this was a part of the original airing, and was instead inserted later to pad out time somewhere. 

Christopher Walken for Skittles: This is a classic sketch from the era, and one that got Jay Mohr into a heap of trouble.  According to his book Gasping for Airtime, the sketch was supposed to run for 50 seconds.  But because of the laughs it was getting, he had to wait to deliver some of his lines and instead it ran for 80 seconds.  Mohr said that Lorne was furious backstage and didn't talk to him for an entire week afterwards.  Watching the sketch again, I'm really not sure what laughs Mohr is referring to.  The audience is not laughing that much.  He's just drawing everything out. 

Anton Jackson: Another of Wayans' In Living Color characters, testifying at the OJ trial.  I know the host has a lot of pull in what gets on the air during that particular week, but this is just lazy. 

Dionne Farris sings "Blackbird": Well, points for singing some Lennon / McCartney.

Tom Jones Underwear: Mohr is Tony Bennett, selling used Tom Jones underwear on the Home Shopping Network. 

A very mixed bag of a show.  Weekend Update was outstanding.  Christopher Walken for Skittles and Perspectives are great.  Everything else was average to horrible.  1994-95 was a very uneven season, but again, it's FAR from the worst.

Comments

[W Ferguson]

Oh my god - I have been searching everywhere for that Jay Mohr does Walken for Skittles ad.... I would do anything if you had a copy of it!!

[sins]

Life is designed by some sort of intelligence, God created life

[continent]

It is never okay to lie, sometimes okay to lie

[nissan]

Gay couples should be, should not be allowed to marry