SNL - "Katy Perry/Robyn"

Season 37, Episode 9

We’ve seen out fair share of weird or ill-fitting guests this season – Charlie Day, Jason Segel, Steve Buscemi – but Katy Perry exists in a different class all together – the “WHY?” class. Much like Miley Cyrus before her – and, to reach back into past seasons, Lebron James and George Steinbrenner – Perry seems to exist as a host because the show needs a famous name to slap on the episode, and nobody else in available. And while Katy Perry proved herself to be some amount of comedic talent in her appearance on How I Met Your Mother last season, and her cameo on this show last season, both of those were roles that didn’t require all that much from her, and I’m not sure if she has to chops to be as front and center as host usually are. (I say should because Cyrus and Buscemi were both relegated to the sidelines in their hosting duties; only one of these made sense.) Well, let’s see how she did….

Cold Open – The Trump Debate: This week, Stephen Colbert mocked Donald Trump’s planned debate my offering up his own (possibly fake, possibly not) debate, and he sold this by doing his own faux-Trump impersonation. It was incredibly long and incredibly unfunny, and it was still better than this extremely terrible sketch. When will people learn that Donald Trump is already such a cartoon himself, and so just doing impersonation of him doesn’t feel funny, because it’s hard to feel like you’re adding anything to the joke. (Extra points off for having Monyahan, Samberg, and Wigg as Gingrich, Santorum, and Van Susterhorn and not even using them to deliver any jokes.)

Monologue: What the fuck is up with those dance moves? What the fuck is up with her hair? What the fuck is up with her dress? Okay, so that one was actually addressed, and it actually was the main hook of the monologue. Well, what an unfunny hook, as was the second joke of everybody trying to kiss Perry because, well, you know, “I Kissed a Girl”. Seriously, how old is that song, and how old is that joke? About the only good thing here was Hader, and there’s no surprise in that.

J Pop America Fun Time Now!: As yes, I remember this one. It premiered just a few weeks back when Anna Farris was hosting. I found it funny then, but I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much this time around, which is weird because it was exactly the same joke told again, and it didn’t feel as if the sketch was being lazy about it or anything. Maybe its because the first iteration happened not recently. Maybe there wasn’t enough Sudekis. Or maybe this a joke that only works the first time around. Yeah, that’s probably it. (And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that that this is the second time already that the show has made use of Perry’s signing voice.)

The Apocalypse: Okay, so it’s just a bunch of celebrity cameos thrown together. But unlike this other times, there actually more to this, as it also sets about mocking those terrible large cast Gary Marshall movies, and it also did the fast-paced listing of random celebrities. Good job, everyone. (And that’s three singing Katy Perrys.)

Kalle: I don’t know of this is a recurring character, but it certainly feels like one, and if this is the first appearance, well, we can certainly expect more. And as loathe as I am for Wiig to have yet another recurring character, this is one I wouldn’t mind having back for a few more appearances.  It’s a stupid concept, and one that can’t last forever, but considering how weird the clips got in this sketch, there’s always the chance for later ones to get even weirder. (And we didn’t get another signing Perry as herself but she was wearing a black wig, for some reason.)

Digital Short – Best Friends: Well, what can I say other than that was pretty awesome? I’ll admit it took it a little while to get to the joke, but once the show started adding and swapping out new “friends” (Matt Damon as bum! Val Kilmer as a crazy inventor! An old Land of Gorch Muppet!) it just got progressively weirder and funnier, and it was all backed by a highly enjoyable tune. (That’s four.)

Doggy Duty Soundtrack: Though this sketch technically shouldn’t be confused with the Time Life theme album sketches, they certainly are similar is idea, and given that we saw an example of the former just two episodes ago, this is another case of the show doubling down on humor too close together.  Beyond that, this isn’t a sketch that I find all that funny, and I can’t believe how old some of those song riffs were. (Meat Loaf? Really?) Nor can I ignore the fact that Perry played Florence (of ‘+ The Machine’ fame) when the actual singer was on just two episodes ago – and in that Time Life sketch to boot. The Clint Eastwood appearance made me laugh though. (That’s five.)

Weekend Update: Well, that was actually a pretty good WU offering. And I don’t mean by this sketch’s standards. I mean by the show’s standards; I mean it wasn’t great, but at least I didn’t feel like any of the commentators were complete wastes of time. Wiig’s Rebecca LaRue may have been just another over-the-top recurring character type (or not; I have a hard time keeping track), but Wiig made her adorable enough that it worked. Alec Baldwin as Captain Steve Rogers was deliciously meta. And top it all off, we got Stefon! Even if some of the jokes were cribbed from this performance, it was still absolutely hilarious.

Kate Middleton’s Pregnant: This sketch just seems to get progressively worse. I enjoyed it in its first incarnation when Anne Hathaway played Kate, and I enjoyed the weirdness when Elton John got his shot at picking a wedding song, but this? This was just too weird for words. I did like how Perry as Pippa really through herself into the sketch and bounced off of Hader and Armisen, though.  And I’m pretty sure that that Christmas song is a adaptation of a song of The Clash’s first album, but I’m hard pressed to remember which one. (And Perry sang part of it. That’s six.)

Politics Nation with Al Sharpton: Much like Trump, Al Sharpton is the sort of cartoonish personality that’s hard to mock, because of how over the top one would have to act in order to make the joke work. And I wasn’t too pleased with this sketch when it started out with Sharpton switching up his words because it’s not funny, it doesn’t feel specific enough to Sharpton, and feels an eensy bit racist. However, I rather liked the idea of Sharpton holding on to ridiculous metaphors for politics today, and I wished the sketch has pushed on this angle harder. (That blueberry story is based on something that Sharpton’s actually said, by the way.)

Soul Mates: So obviously the best part of this sketch was the really dark joke at the end where Perry’s character takes a fall down an elevator shaft (way to earn that 12:55 slot), but I liked everything leading up to it as well. The similarities between the two of them were weird enough, and their romance moved fast enough, that this sketch worked fairly well.

Goodnights: Okay, maybe that dress she wore for her monologue wasn’t just part of the joke…

So, out of nine appearances, Perry sang in six of them. I’ll admit that none of these were particularly song-heavy – it was only a few lines per sketch, when you get down to it – but the point remains valid. However, I’ll give the show credit fro using Perry fairly well, and even though I won’t say she’s comedic dynamite, she wasn’t as terribly awkward (nor did she need as much assistance) as Elton John did, nor a was the episode generally terrible as the Cyrus episode was. So, so much for that whole “a singer host automatically bombs the episode” theory. And on that note, I’d say that this was a fairly solid, and even, if not spectacular episode, and among the stronger episodes of the season so far, even if there wasn’t anything as standout as has been offered so far.  

Best Sketch – Kalle

Worst Sketch – The Trump Debate

Next Week: Jimmy Fallon will attempt to break the Curse of the Returning Cast Members, and Michael Buble will just make us wish that Jon Hamm was hosting again. 

Quotes, Etc.:

“If I see that tree in the after party, that bitch is going down.”

“A lot of people coming in with perms, and leaving with diabetes.”

“Because a faculty member is required to use the studio, AHHHHHHHHHH!”

“And if there’s such a thing as a loving version of racism, I think you’ve found it.”

“Sir Judy Dench.”

“Yes, we have an excellent research team?”

“I’m going to the mall to have sex with a white girl.”

 “And they really don’t like his decision to refer to Jesus as ‘December Man’.”

“Still, they did bust that old myth about suburbs being safe from cannon fire.”

“I have no idea how much toilet paper that is.”

“It’s all part of concerted effort to make the movie Contagion come true.”

“Now Seth, Words With Friends can be frustrating…”

“But that’s only because Reno, Nevada finally killed itself.”

“The bouncer is a bulldog who look like Wilferd Brimley, and the past word is ‘diabeetus’.”

“Plus a showing of the African holiday classic, A Fish Called Kwanza.”

“Look who just walked in, it’s a lady who works at CVS, but do not bother her, because she is ON BREAK.”

“I just thought you were built by gay scientists.”

“Ricky Gervais stopped by, and the dogs are attacking him.”