Remember when SNL cast members DIDN'T laugh in their own skits?

[HughBeaumont]

It just seems amateurish and one of the things that annoys me about the modern SNL (that, and the fact that they're rarely funny). The 70s and 80s cast never broke that wall with as much regularity as the late 90s-00s cast did/does.

[fishwax]

1. I don't know -- I remember some of that in the first few seasons as well

I wasn't around for those when they first aired, but I've watched them on reruns and have the first couple of seasons on DVD. The one I remember best was Candace Bergen (not a cast member, I know) trying not to fall over in a skit with Gilda Radner, but there were others too. I haven't watched much of the recent seasons, so I can't say for sure, but in what I have seen it hasn't jumped out at me.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

2. I think they always did

on occasion

I lived in Tampa back in the 70's when SNL first started and back then after it was over the tv station would play the National Anthem and sign off for the night
About ten minutes after the so-called sign off, a voice would come on asking "Did you forget to turn off your tv?"
If you had dozed off before SNL was over, that would certainly wake you up

[siligut]

3. I remember watching them trying not to laugh

That was funny in its self. Now I don't watch SNL much, it just isn't the same.

[Iggo]

4. I was raised on Conway, Korman, and Burnett.

Laughing during a skit don't bother me none.

[nolabear]

8. In fact it was one of the joys of watching!

The outtakes from that sketch about the Siamese circus elephants still makes me cry laughing.

[nadine_mn]

11. Didn't they try to make each other crack up

I thought I heard in an interview once that Tim and Harvey would try to make the other "break"


I loved it!

[Iggo]

17. Yep, and Tim Conway was the champ.

When he played that old man character that'd take a couple of minutes to walk across the stage, it wasn't even fair. Carol Burnett never had a chance...lol.

[Arugula Latte]

29. Harvey Korman had no defenses against Conway.

He'd lose it almost immediately.

I loved that show.

[cynatnite]

14. That was what I loved the most...

When they would try to make the other laugh. I loved the show so much.

[treestar]

13. Thought of them at first, too

Conway didn't do it, but he caused others in the scene with him to crack up.

[TreasonousBastard]

21. Red Skelton, too...

an ad-lib or accident cracking them up on live TV was one of the things you waited for.

Yeah, to the purists it is unprofessional to lose it on stage, but it's still damn funny-- and with comedy shows trying to crack up the cast was common in Vaudeville and probably goes back to Shakespeare's troupe.

[Iggo]

22. Red Skelton!

Wow! Had to reach way back for that one!

I remember he used to do this thing, maybe in the opening monologue, where he'd be walking around on stage and intermittently jump up and do a running step in mid air. Every time he did it, the sound effects guy would ring a cow bell. Every now and then they'd miss the cue and hilarity would ensue. I couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old, but that shit would crack me up. I bet that's where it started. That's where I learned to love miscues. Later on, watching Goldie Hawn on Laugh-In or the usual suspects on The Carol Burnett Show (and yes, even Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Saenz on SNL, gawd help me), it's when things started to fall apart that I was the most entertained.

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. I remember Eddie Murphy cracking himself and others up on a fairly regular occasion.

.
.
.
Like Iggo said, the Carol Burnett show was INFAMOUS for doing that -- and, while it might be
amateurish and distracting/annoying in most venues, SNL and TCBS both were made MUCH
more enjoyable for me when they cracked themselves (and MUCH better -- each other) up.
.
One of my favorite "TV moments" was when Whoopi Goldberg and Bobcat Goldthwait were
presenting some TV award to someone. Whoopi was reading and HIGHLY distracted by Bobcat...
who was to her side and behind her by about a foot and seemed to be having some SERIOUS
self-control issues (as only he could).
.
All of a sudden, Bobcat BLURTED out awkwardly, "I-I-I-I-I-I'VE GOT A WOODY!!!!!!!"
.
Network TV -- probably the 80's or 90's.
.
Whoopi and the audience COMPLETELY lost it (Bobcat did NOT ) and it was a SUPERB
example of breaking the fourth wall on purpose (at least for Bobcat).
.
.
.

[undeterred]

6. I remember Cheri Oteri and Will Ferrell in a hot tub doing a really funny skit

and trying desperately not to laugh.

[nolabear]

7. Heck no. Candace Bergen and Gilda Radner could never keep a straight face.

[nadine_mn]

9. I think they always have laughed in their own skits

And it makes it funnier IMO

Sometimes things go wrong on live tv that no rehearsal can prepare you for... its great

[RiffRandell]

10. I think it's funny.

It makes me laugh, too.

[femmocrat]

12. I can remember when the skits were funny enough to laugh at.

Not so much anymore.

[pokerfan]

15. It's the nature of live sketch comedy

Examples going all the way back to original cast:

SNL‘s Greatest Moments: Top Ten Cast Member Crack Ups
http://www.bestweekever.tv/2010-04-27/snl-top-ten-crack-ups/

[nolabear]

16. Oh yeah...Jimmy Fallon. He can't keep it together ever.

More cowbell!

[Orrex]

18. If you distilled the entire run of SNL down to its honestly funny bits...

You might get enough to fill one good season. That includes the Radner years and the Fey years.

[edbermac]

19. Usually if the cast laughs the sketch is really not that funny.

There are exceptions of course. I remember when Chris Farley first did the Matt Foley sketch, David Spade and Christina Applegate could barely keep a straight face. Farley was hysterical in that bit.

&feature=related

[UrbScotty]

20. Heck, I remember when SNL was somewhat funny.

I feel old (I'm 24).

[90-percent]

24. nice to share DU with young people

On behalf of my generation to yours, I apologize for wrecking the future of your entire generation. I was in hock for $5000 upon my graduation back in 1979, but I got a career out of it. You poor kids graduate with the debt of a first mortgage and a future asking customers if they want paper or plastic.

OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE INFESTED WITH GREEDY AND CORRUPT SOCIOPATHS

Being semi-facetious, but I do hope you find your way to some happiness and what's left of the American Dream.

-90% Jimmy,
who elected not to reproduce

[90-percent]

23. SNL breaking character

I read in an SNL biography book that Frank Zappa really pizzed off the SNL cast because he mugged to the camera. He broke their ultimate taboo of their time, but Frank will be Frank.

I have very fond memories of my late 70's college dorm days and making it to the TV every Saturday Night just for SNL in their golden era. I grew up within walking distance of Stony Brook University on Long Island, and saw SNL even before there was an SNL. Saw a performance of their Lemmings Show. Belushi, Ackroyd?, Chevy and some others that came and went. Chevy played a biker drunk that stumbled and spilled beer through the audience and Belushi did Joe Cocker. I was at a Flo and Eddie show at the Bottom Line, and met John Belushi (still before SNL) Hey, you're John Belushi, aren't you? "Yeah", his G.F. (Jackie?) was yelling to him; "John, I found some seats over here."

Mark Volman noted that Leslie West was in the audience; "Thanks for coming, Leslie. You're the biggest rock star we know."

SNL was intertwined with National Lampoon, which was kind of a grown up version of Mad magazine, which I devoured as a youth. Extra points if anybody remembers the issue that included "College Concert Comics". "The Miracle Monopoly Cheating Kit" was almost the funniest thing I ever read in my life!

-90% Jimmy

[Lex]

25. Really?

That's not my recollection at all. I've seen them crack up at various times in the different casts and I've watched from the beginning. Yes, I'm that old.

[Dorian Gray]

26. Really?

I seem to recall more laughing and breaking the wall in the earlier years as it was all so ridiculous. (And more funny then!)

[HughBeaumont]

31. Yes, really. I'm no spring chicken either and used to watch the 70s-80s regularly.

Not even CLOSE to the frequency of fourth-wall breakage nowadays, and often times for completely unfunny skits.

[geardaddy]

27. It's one thing to "break"

Last edited Mon Mar 5, 2012, 02:33 PM - Edit history (1)

it's another thing to think you're funny and laugh while delivering lines a la Jimmy Fallon.

He sucks.

[MrCoffee]

28. Truth

Fallon is nowhere near funny.

[HughBeaumont]

30. I think that's mostly what I mean . . . laughing at their skits that aren't that funny.

And I still never saw as much of it going on in 70s/80s episodes as I do now.