Some Random Thoughts About SNL 36x13: Eisenberg/Minaj

Tonight, Jesse Eisenberg is hosting SNL for the first time. Earlier this week he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Social Network. Earlier this season, Andy Samberg, as Mark Zuckerberg, had something to say about Eisenberg:


Nicki Minaj will make her first appearance as musical guest tonight.

Some predictions:
-Rumors have been going around all week that Zuckerberg himself will cameo tonight. I can easily see a sketch with Samberg as Zuckerberg, Eisenberg as Zuckerberg, and Zuckerberg as himself.
-Eisenberg's Social Network costar is Justin Timberlake, always a cameo possibility. If he does show up, I think a Barry Gibb Talk Show may be in line.
-I think we open with a State of the Union sketch.

See you back at 11:30

Sketch 1- And we've got CNN's coverage of Bachmann's 2nd attempt at responding to the SOTU. Wiig is Bachmann. And she still cannot look at the camera. And the chart is completely facing the wrong way. Now we get a blank graph. It's kinda funny, but the same joke over and over. Wiig's Bachmann is fine, but nothing spectacular. B+.

Monologue- Ooo Eisenberg is in a full suit. Apparently in real life he is cocky, and he's an expert in women. And here is Sudeikis as Zuckerberg, who's upset Eisenberg got nominated for an Oscar as him. And now the actual Zuckerberg is talking to Lorne. And it's an awkward meeting between Eisenberg and the real Zuckerberg. Predictable, but amusing. B+.

Sketch 2- Our ad promo isn't pubic hair replacement! It's for estrogen supplements for transvestites! The joke is all the men are mid-change transvestites. And then there's a TSA joke in there. "Men taking Estro-Maxx may gain an interest in TLC's Say Yes to the Dress" B.

Sketch 3- Nick at Nite's Mr. Wizard. Hader is Mr. Wizard, Eisenberg, Pedrad, Kenan, and Elliot are kids, and I'm assuming Gilly is showing up...maybe not, as Pedrad and Eisenberg are rubbing balloons on eachother's genitals. And that is apparently the entire sketch. And now we have a vibrating generator. You can pretty much guess where this went. Not good. D.

Sketch 4- Midbreak- Looks like we're getting Don't Forget the Lyrics. It is with Sudeikis as Mark McGrath who "does this now." Eisenberg is our contestant. First song- Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll." I guess the joke is he's incredibly confident but is completely off on the lyrics. When he admits he's nervous, McGrath says it's understandable because "it's VH1 and it's 2:00 in the afternoon!" And he goes with "Doctor Doctor" over a Sugar Ray song, insulting McGrath. Next he thinks the lyrics of "Celebration" are "Celebrate Suddam Hussein." He needs to get the title of Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual," but he keeps going with inappropriate lyrics. That was it. That was the joke. C.

NEXT WEEK- DANA CARVEY AND LINKIN PARK!

Sketch 5- WXPD News New York, Sudeikis is an anchor, and we're bringing back Herb the on site reporter, again celebrating his 50th year on air. This was horrendous last time. It doesn't seem much different today. Oddly his questions fit more for 60 years ago. This is just a pure waste of time. F.

Sketch 6- A Digital Short. "The Creep" is some sort of dance. It had a random cameo from John Waters. And that was pretty much it. Oh no, here's Nicki Minaj. And was that a famous TV Judge? Either way, not great. C.

Music 1- Nicki Minaj performed "Right Thru Me"

Weekend Update- Egypt. Bachmann. SOTU. Comcast-NBC merger. And here's Egypt's President Mubarak, played by Armisen. The people are upset because the internet is down, and Time Warner didn't come in the window they promised and he had to go to a meeting and then they came, so the internet is still down. "I'm hiring a new cabinet made up of fired members of the old cabinet." Kucinich's law suit. Charlie Sheen. No cheerleaders at the Super Bowl. Hotel waitresses. Elderly drivers. And commenting on Oscar nominations- Tyler Perry presents Tyler Perry, as portrayed by Kenan. He got no nominations, but he has a ton of money. Suicide survival. Lady Gaga fragrance. Jersey Shore. And that's all. Ehh. C+.

Just a warning here- Internet is acting up so posts may not be immediate.

Sketch 7- Another Turner Classic Movies sketch. They clearly like these. Today we look at 1970's Blacksploitation Horror Films. Here's a look at the Bride of Blackenstein. Pharaoh is the doctor, Kenan is the monster, Eisenberg is Igor, and Minaj is the bride of Blackenstein. This isn't very good. C-.

Sketch 8- Midbreak- We're looking at some sort of home set, decorated for a party. Samberg is MTV's head of programming. Ahh, we're going Skins. The set is falling around him, but he's not breaking. Eisenberg and Elliot are cast members in Skins, now featuring bad product placement. Also Killam and Pedrad. Just nonstop bad product placement. This is actually amusing as each product is more ridiculous than the last. And Elliot comes through by saying that the condoms Eisenberg just pitched "sound great for young vaginas." B.

Sketch 9- Spa Talk with Talya Wanters (sp?) played by Wiig. Elliot and Kenan are a fighting couple, and Talya is trying to help them. This is horrendous. Just pure garbage at this point. Here is the Vinetti family, played by Moynihan, Bayer (first time tonight?), and Eisenberg. Like the couple before, this family is fighting. And Talya is doing random stuff to them. This is pathetic. F.

Music 2- Minaj performed "Moment 4 Life," and inexplicably did it in her "Bride of Blackenstein wig.

Sketch 10- An advertisement for El Shrinko, for people who's penises are too big. Bad. D.

Overall- Just a horrible episode. It started semi-promising, and just went way downhill from there. Pathetic. Boo. Hiss. D-.