Marked Safe (and Laugh Crying) from SNL's 50th Anniversary
I gotta have more content!
What in the SNL takeover happened this weekend (compliment)?! But seriously, thank goodness Monday was a holiday because I think my entire weekend was just consuming SNL 50th Anniversary content – morning, noon and night – which didn’t leave a ton of time for much else. And you know what? It was WORTH IT! I had the best weekend of my life taking it all in and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
I had already watched the 4-part SNL docuseries on Peacock, leading up to the 50th Anniversary weekend. So I was ready. Or I thought I was. But then cut to Friday where I was fighting a bit of a bug.
I had a fever and the only prescription was more content!
Specifically in the form of the SNL 50th Anniversary Homecoming Concert (Peacock). The Homecoming Concert was one of the most dynamic, eclectic, fast-paced, live TV events I have ever seen.
The concert was produced in its entirety by Questlove. So this all makes sense. The man is a music historian. He’s the drummer of The Roots and he also provided drums for the majority of performers on Friday. He is Jimmy Fallon’s right hand man and in-house band lead on The Tonight Show. Questlove knows what he’s doing. Questlove is down for the people. We need to be talking more about Questlove. He is definitely one of Lorne’s favorites.
The night was a fever dream and while we felt the magic at home, I can only imagine what it was like to be in the room. Kevin Costner and Jon Hamm were absolutely losing it over Cher. LAURYN HILL WAS ON TIME. Paul Rudd went full fandom for BSB and nobody was having a better time than Andy Samberg and Kristin Wiig. Seeing the wonderment on the faces of our favorite SNL cast members and celebrities alike was adorable. They were positively BEAMING at the performances, musical mashups and medleys. And keep in mind this was just the Friday concert. We still have a full weekend to go.
Sunday’s 50th Anniversary Special brought even more surprises. We got to meet Domingo’s brothers! Meryl Streep took the stage alongside Kate McKinnon for one of her infamous alien abduction sketches. Scarlett Johansson did husband, Colin Jost, a solid by being on the show in more sketches than he was. We got a John Mulaney musical! Robert Goulet and Lawrence Welk! Black Jeopardy! The list goes on and on and on.
Of course there were some awkward moments which any live taping will have. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively attended the show and even walked the red carpet. Ryan participated in the live event, joking with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler about Blake’s lawsuit. Many people critiqued him saying the joke was in poor taste. Kevin Costner was not missing a second of this SNL weekend and while he was there for the crowd work live, he was not laughing at Ryan’s silly little joke. But don’t worry, Ari Emanuel has officially sided with Ryan and Blake, they will be fine!
I know I have I’ve barely scratched the surface of remembering every tiny detail from the 3+ hours show. There is so much to still unpack. I now demand a docuseries on the making of The Homecoming Concert and 50th Anniversary Special. My favorite part of the whole weekend? Lorne Michaels didn’t say a freaking word. A whole weekend celebrating him and his work and he just kept quiet as he is so notorious for. ICON.
Personally, SNL holds a special place in my heart – it's something my parents loved, so we grew up watching it, even when we were probably too young to stay up that late (my sissy and I always fell asleep) or even get the jokes.
The anniversary weekend brought back so many personaly memories but ultimately I came out on the other side with one key thought in mind:
Who really is Lorne Michaels and what does he have on EVERYBODY?
All jokes aside, the sheer star power this weekend brought out is truly a testament to the power of SNL. There is an energy being involved in the show brings and you could feel it this weekend. Whether its hosting, musical guest, cast, writers, staff or crew, Studio 8H holds something magical within it and I hope we get to keep the laughs coming for another 50 years. Thank you SNL! Thank you Lorne!
Conversation Starters
Meghan Markle pops up on IG to reveal she’s changing the America Riviera Orchard brand name to ‘As Ever’. Now full disclosure, I LOVE THIS. I have been saying for years that we need Meghan to get back to her ‘The Tig’ blogging roots as this is who she is and where she shines. That being said, I am fully aware that there is more to this rebrand than what she’s sharing, i.e. lots of trademarking issues with ARO. I don’t mind the obvious PR spin in this case, as I genuinely just want our girl to find her groove and honor her highest self. I swear this is magic to be made here if she keeps on this path, and with As Ever now launching alongside her Netflix show, and with Netflix as a brand partner, I think this could be the start of a beautiful new chapter.
Lily James and Glen Powell left a pre-BAFTA after party together. I am SORRY but this is where the UK Media shines. Because nothing is more 2000s UK pap aesthetic than a grainy, rainy, back of the cab Daily Mail shot. He gave her his suit coat, she is positively giddy, he is eating it UP! I am HOOKED. Spectacular, give me 14 of them. Who are these people’s publicists? I need an ice cream date in the park part two ASAP!
Grace O’Malley has finally announced her new show with the Unwell Network. I am obsessed with the creative design behind this. While it’s different than anything else we’ve seen in the podcast space recently and possibly “risky” to launch a tonight show-style format in a Gen Z world, I have a feeling it will do really well. The people want more Grace. And Alex Cooper said she doesn’t want to be the next Howard Stern – could Grace fill that spot?
Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner cannot be stopped as he keeps momentum full steam ahead for A Complete Unknown! She is full-on a part of his Oscars campaign trail and I am genuinely living for it. I’m sorry! Who have I become?! They got me y’all. I am fully on board for First Lady Kylie Jenner because what the heck is this love tour they’re on and why am I ALL IN?! They’ve started coordinating their looks. Are we going to get them walking the red carpet at the Oscars together? Will he not bring his mama despite being a frontrunner to win? Please don’t tell Ms. Club I’m asking these questions because I will never be able to recover if she blocks me.
Even though it was an SNL takeover, there were actually 8452767 sports on TV this weekend. We had The Genesis Invitational (which I went to and let me tell you it was gorgina bambina Torrey Pines in San Diego) and Four Nations Hockey. Heck, it was the NBA All-Star Weekend and I feel like we barely heard about it all! Did anybody even know it was Valentine’s Day?
Weekend Watchlist
We have a jam-packed Weekend Watchlist and I barely scratched the surface. We gotta have more content! There was a lot to watch this weekend. So much so, that I wasn’t just glued to the TV, I busted out TWO televisions this weekend. Something I am simultaneously proud of and concerned about if I’m being honest.
#dailycry
You didn’t think I was gonna let today’s newsletter go by without mentioning Adam Sandler on the SNL 50th Anniversary Special did you?! DID YOU?! I have been watching the Adam Sandler song ON REPEAT since it aired. BAWLING MY EYES OUT. So now you have to too. <3
One Last Thing
I am so upset to report this as a Marvel girly, but IDK if I’ll be seeing Captain America: Brave New World. Reviews are kind of meh. The good news is that it actually did okay at the box office, so I guess the lack of my one theater ticket won’t hurt the film too much though it would’ve been nice to be excited about a big Marvel blockbuster again.