SUNDAY MORNING LIVE: It Was a Glice Episode, but Justin Bieber Won't Be Remembered as a Legendary Host
How'd Bieber do?
Some singers make great SNL hosts. Justin Timberlake is a prime example of this. While he's moved into acting over the past few years, Timberlake became famous as a singer, but his SNL hosting gigs are legendary. Even his random Weekend Update appearances are better than entire episodes. Bieber does not fall into this category. While the Biebs was able to pose and wink his way through his episode, the YouTube novelty failed to deliver anything that could even come close to an SNL sketch that we'll remember beyond this weekend.
The majority of the episode's jokes were based on poking fun at Bieber, with the Canadian singer spending much of the time standing around as people performed around him. There were times when the audience even had to wonder whether or not Bieber got the jokes that were being made at his expense. Bieber relied on cue cards heavily, giving most of his characters squinty eyes in an attempt to mask his reliance on them. When your biggest audience reaction comes not when you've landed an amazing joke but instead when you've shown off your abs, you've failed to make the best use of your time on SNL.
I may be the only one who loves the Booker T. Washington High School sketches, but I'm going to put the spotlight on this one anyway. Did Bieber have to do a lot during the sketch? Not really. Did he get to deliver some awesome lines? Definitely. I hope at least one school prints up abstinence-awareness posters that say "Don't do that thing until you get that ring" and "Don't go pokin' until 'I do' is spoken."
Um, there were sketches that qualify as "best sketches," right?
Yes, despite Bieber's inability to add anything to the episode himself, SNL still kept on going.
If you're trying to figure out why the hashtag "#glice" is trending on Twitter, this sketch is why. This entire sketch was based on Bieber's character accidentally saying "glice" while starting to say "glad" but instead trying to say "nice," something that Taran Killam's character won't let go. With Bieber as the sketch's straight man, Killam launches himself to a higher level of absurdity. By the time he's stroking Bieber's face and saying, "Show me your secrets, beautiful drifter," Killam has crossed over in Chris Farley/Matt Foley territory. Also impressive? Nasim Pedram not cracking while Bieber does.
Before we discuss this sketch, I need to point out that no SNL spoof of Grease will ever trump the Summer Lovin' sketch that the show said goodbye to Jimmy Fallon with. That said, this episode's Greese spoof wasn't all that bad. Of course, the bulk of the sketch was carried by Cecily Strong and the rest of the cast. Bieber would say something, and then Strong would knock it down. "You know I'm 11, right?" was probably Bieber's best line of the night.
SNL also did a sketch that featured Jason Sudeikis introducing Bieber to his team of body doubles, which gave the show the chance to dress every single castmember up as Bieber. This sketch is the episode's prime example of the ambiguity of whether or not Bieber got that the show was poking fun at him. With everyone in the cast dressed up as a Bieber double (except for Kate McKinnon, who broke out her Ellen DeGeneres impression), this sketch was an onslaught against the Bieber persona. Three female castmembers being called the A-team of Bieber doubles. Everyone yelling "SWAGGY." Sudeikis' character pointing out that Bieber isn't black and he's not fooling anyone. Bobby Moynihan nailing the Bieber dance moves. If there's a Bieberism to knock down, this sketch went after it. (Unfortunately, NBC hasn't made this sketch available online.)
How about Pseudo Digital Shorts?
A Sexy Valentine's Day Message from Justin Bieber was full of laughs, but once again the show had Bieber playing the straight man as they mad jokes around him. Moynihan in adult footie pajamas is always good for a few laughs.
So if Bieber fell flat, did this episode have anything else going for it?
After being absent for a season or two, Vanessa Bayer finally got to bring The Miley Cyrus Show back, which is pretty cool. Interestingly enough, when Miley Cyrus hosted a few seasons ago, SNL did The Miley Cyrus Show and had the real Cyrus play Justin Bieber. During last night's episode, Bieber got to play the president of the Miley Cyrus Fan Club, a character who just happened to have the same dumb arm tattoo as every other character Bieber played.
SNL kicked things off in lame fashion, attempting to find humor in the Super Bowl blackout during the cold open. While Twitter managed to turn the blackout into a night-long laughfest, SNL couldn't really land any jokes about the event. The only highlight of the cold open was when Jay Pharoah (as Shannon Sharpe) remarked that "Ray Lewis knows who killled those people 'cause it was him." Social commentary doesn't count when you say it as quickly as possible and then move on, SNL.
This is the only reason Fred Armisen is still on the show, isn't it? Time for both The Californians and Armisen to go.
What's next?
SNL is back on Feb. 16 with Christoph Waltz hosting and Alabama Shakes as the musical guest.
Previous editions of Sunday Morning Live
Jan. 27, 2013: Adam Levine
Jan. 20, 2013: Jennifer Lawrence
Dec. 16, 2012: Martin Short
Dec. 9, 2012: Jamie Foxx
Nov. 18, 2012: Jeremy Renner
Nov. 11, 2012: Anne Hathaway
Nov. 4, 2012: Louis C.K.
Oct. 21, 2012: Bruno Mars
Oct. 14, 2012: Christina Applegate
Oct. 7, 2012: Daniel Craig
Sept. 23, 2012: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Sept. 16, 2012: Seth MacFarlane
SUNDAY MORNING LIVE: It Was a Glice Episode, but Justin Bieber Won't Be Remembered as a Legendary Host
Reviewed by Bill Kuchman
on
2/10/2013
Rating:
Reviewed by Bill Kuchman
on
2/10/2013
Rating:
No comments: