The New Intimacy

Is Saturday Night Live still "edgy" comedy...or just another funny late night show?

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Contributor: Bignuf Bignuf
Saturday Night Live used to be the real "push the envelope" edge of comedy and TV. Every week, they were pushing somewhere TV had not gone before.

Last night was their 37th season "grand opener".

For those who remember the "good old days"...John Belushi and Dan Akroyd, Jane Curtain and Chevy Chase, Eddy Murphy and DOZENS of others.....Is Saturday Night Live still "edgy" at all, in your mind, or just "funny" as with the really hilarious Justin Timberlake and Lady GaGa skits?

SNL used to be THE "talk about it around the water cooler on Monday morning" show. Kind of like "LOST" or "American Idol" became years later. It sure is not now.

How do YOU feel about that show?
Answers (public voting - your screen name will appear in the results):
Yes, it is still edgy, but it is hard to "push the envelope" on TV anymore.
Illumin8 , domsub1993 , mistressg , mizzmilla
4
No, not edgy, just another comedy show.
DeliciousSurprise , EJ , Redboxbaby , Jimbo Jones , Kindred , dv8 , hjtee , Ghost , padmeamidala , dhig , married with children , ZenaidaMacroura , wetone123 , OhMy! , stars , emilia , kadytheredpanda , ScotchIrish , Lucky21 , Ash1141 , toxie m , Badass , Ciao. , rawsonbr , blacklodge , EnterTheFist , snuggly
27
I am too young..never saw the old shows. Don't know.
Illusional , Adriana Ravenlust
2
Don't watch SNL. Don't care.
Ansley , Sammi , Errant Venture , Stagger13 , Rossie , Badass , blacklodge , EnterTheFist , pinkcupcakes
9
Total votes: 42 (39 voters)
Poll is closed
09/25/2011
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Contributor: Redboxbaby Redboxbaby
I think I am letting my age get the better of me here. I used to love SNL; it used to be funny. It hasn't been funny in years. So, I am hard pressed to say it is comedy. It's their lame attempt at it, I suppose.
09/25/2011
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
I grew up with Fallon and Fey when they first started on SNL. After Phil Hartman was brutally murdered, the show just kind of lost its essence. I haven't really watched it much since.

But, I mean you have to give them credit...look at the crap they have to work with. The times are completely different now. And a lot of their stuff in the beginning ("the hey-day of SNL") was not politically correct and its hard to make stuff like that fly these days without having six different groups on your doorstep, prostesting twelve different things.
09/25/2011
Contributor: Kindred Kindred
I don't watch SNL anymore but I grew up watching the original cast. I agree that the earlier seasons were edgier, but I also wonder if it is because today's society requires more in terms of what it considers edgy?
09/25/2011
Contributor: JessCee JessCee
Quote:
Originally posted by Kindred
I don't watch SNL anymore but I grew up watching the original cast. I agree that the earlier seasons were edgier, but I also wonder if it is because today's society requires more in terms of what it considers edgy?
My thoughts exactly. And I do think it's because it takes a lot more to be considered "edgy" in the eyes of today's society.
09/25/2011
Contributor: Illumin8 Illumin8
I think that they have their moments, definitely. Some weeks are great, and others are just... meh. Last night's premiere was more in the "meh" category for me.
09/25/2011
Contributor: dv8 dv8
SNL overall is mediocre on average but I'm a fan of the digital shorts from The Lonely Island.
09/25/2011
Contributor: hjtee hjtee
I said that it wasn't 'edgy' anymore, but I still love it just as much. I still find it has it's funny moments.

And what's 'edgy' to some might not be that 'edgy' to others, right?
09/25/2011
Contributor: Sammi Sammi
I used to love SNL, up until Martin Lawrence hosted it. That was it for me - I hadn't thought it was as funny or edgy as it had been for a while, and that was the proverbial straw. I've seen sporadic skits here and there (most notably the "More Cowbells!" one, but it's nothing we watch anymore.
09/25/2011
Contributor: Illusional Illusional
Quote:
Originally posted by dv8
SNL overall is mediocre on average but I'm a fan of the digital shorts from The Lonely Island.
Same here.

Although I'm too young, I don't recall the old ones.
09/25/2011
Contributor: domsub1993 domsub1993
I love the classics from the '80's!
09/25/2011
Contributor: indiglo indiglo
Quote:
Originally posted by Redboxbaby
I think I am letting my age get the better of me here. I used to love SNL; it used to be funny. It hasn't been funny in years. So, I am hard pressed to say it is comedy. It's their lame attempt at it, I suppose.
I totally agree. We watched the Season Premiere, to see Alec Baldwin... but we sure didn't laugh much. Alec was good with what he had to work with. It just isn't funny anymore, sadly.
09/25/2011
Contributor: married with children married with children
I do not like SSL. I was sad when they took madtv off the air a few years back. That was so much funnier then SSL
09/27/2011
Contributor: UnknownGirl UnknownGirl
SNL hasn't been funny in years.
09/27/2011
Contributor: wetone123 wetone123
Back in the day, it was the funniest show on tv. Couldn't wait to watch it every week! Laughed my ass off! Now, it just sucks, and not in a good way.
09/27/2011
Contributor: kadytheredpanda kadytheredpanda
My dad had old SNL tapes with the Coneheads on them. So funny.

I fall asleep when I try to watch the current stuff, and I'm a night owl.
10/02/2011
Contributor: mizzmilla mizzmilla
It's not as good as the older ones. But still funny.
10/02/2011
Contributor: Lucky21 Lucky21
There are good episodes, but they have so much competition with the weekly late night cable shows.
10/02/2011
Contributor: ScotchIrish ScotchIrish
Quote:
Originally posted by Bignuf
Saturday Night Live used to be the real "push the envelope" edge of comedy and TV. Every week, they were pushing somewhere TV had not gone before.

Last night was their 37th season "grand opener".

For those who ... more
They have gone way down hill, by employing so called stars and the likes of kutcher, NP Harris and fey. Yes, some occasional humor but, not like they did in the 70's and the 80's. They have to go back to their roots and find the folks that have had it rough. Rough is not suburbia with a jacuzzi and having sex in HS. It is not learning about the World City college and seeing pictures other than those from Nat'l Geographic. It is going to the bank. Not one sponsored by WALL Street. But, a FOOD BANK. Once a month or the Salvation Army one every three. These people live. They learn to appreciate. And, sex, drugs and Rock and Roll are choices and experiences. Not ways of life. The difference is what makes comedy. It is a fine line; one that the Motor Club will never have on a map; and far less Traveled.
10/02/2011
Contributor: Illumin8 Illumin8
Did anyone see last Saturday night's episode? It was fantastic. Miles ahead of the season premiere.
10/03/2011
Contributor: Cherrylane Cherrylane
I havent bothered with SNL in a while. The only thing I've enjoyed for some time now has remained the weekend update, but I don't want to watch the whole show just for that and at the end of the day, The Daily Show is miles and miles ahead.

I don't really think they have anyone who's really a great comedic mind anymore. Andy just doesn't do it for me.
11/13/2011
Contributor: Badass Badass
Gotta admit, it used to be pretty sweet...
02/11/2012
Contributor: rawsonbr rawsonbr
Used to be awesome. The only thing I love is the Lonely Island now.
02/12/2012
Contributor: SMichelle SMichelle
Honestly, I don't find SNL to be funny at all anymore. It used to be funny, years ago...
02/12/2012
Contributor: EnterTheFist EnterTheFist
SNL used to be such a great institution. Now it's just like a shitty community college where comedy people go after graduating from the high school of Groundlings or UCB before getting thrown into way too many movies. I don't really like the term "edgy", because nowadays a lot of things see that as a goal. Like they're trying to shock the internet generation. We're the people who have experienced goatse and tubgirl--SNL, you're not going to shock us with anything you can air on a major network, even if it is late at night. When SNL actually was edgy, it actually lent itself to the comedy and actually made things funnier, but it wasn't like they abused it. It still had a fair share of light-hearted silliness (the Spartan cheerleaders, Chevy Chase's "Candygram" shark, etc.). Nowadays, SNL is just so hit-and-miss, it's really not even worth watching. And it's SO distracting to watch everybody constantly stare at their cue cards. Are they even trying anymore? What's the point of rehearsals? Unbelievable.
02/12/2012
Contributor: snuggly snuggly
It's gone so far downhill it's depressing.
02/12/2012