5.09.2010

A 'Golden' night for SNL

Let’s start by saying I was watching the clock throughout Saturday and counting down the hours to 10:30 p.m. central time.

You had to have been living under a rock (or a non-Facebook user) to not know that Betty White -- at 88 years old -- was hosting “Saturday Night Live” last night for the first time. When show time rolled around, you could just feel TVs lighting up across the country.

Admittedly, after all the hype, I went into it a little nervous. I couldn’t keep from thinking, This is either going to be really good, or it’s going to be really dumb. This season’s SNL shows haven’t exactly been stellar.

But when midnight rolled around, and the cast members had surrounded Ms. White for the final send-off, I could not only say I had watched the entire show without dozing off, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I was smiling from beginning to end at what also was a fantastic Mother’s Day tribute to this generation of hilarious and successful SNL women (who also got their due a couple weeks ago on "SNL in the 2000s").

Of course, some skits were better than others, with the best of the best front-loading the show. White’s monologue was a simple reflection on her long entertainment career, loaded with hilarious deadpans about live television and Facebook. She needed no fancy musical number to keep it interesting.



I burst out laughing every time White's knitting old lady spouted "She's a lesbian!" White's turn with Tina Fey as a census-taker also was memorable. Even the MacGruber skits, which I normally don’t care for, had me laughing out loud with White playing MacGruber’s nagging grandmother.

The Digital Short, which began with the SNL gang singing a charming “Golden Girls” tribute for White, turned shocking when White plunged into her own death-metal, mayhem-laden version. It wasn’t funny as much as it was strong proof that White remains hip and willing to try anything.

(It's also worth taking a look at sketches that didn't air, including "Debbie Downer" and "Bronx Beat.")

My only complaint of the show is that I wished Seth Myers had taken a week off from “Weekend Update” to let Tina Fey and Amy Poehler reoccupy the news desk. Instead, we got Myers doing his regular shtick before Poehler joined him for a special segment of “Really?!? With Seth & AmyFey did join them for a stint at the end, but it seemed pointless.

Best skit of the night: “Delicious Dish” featuring White with SNL alumnae Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon, hands-down. One word: muffins.



Good reads ...
aBetty White is just right on 'SNL'
a'Saturday Night Live' recap: Betty White was funny, vulgar, and totally charming
aBetty White goes not gently into that 'Saturday Night Live'
aBetty White on 'Saturday Night Live' provides golden hosting
aThey haven't hosted 'SNL'?! 8 other celebs who should

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