We are on the verge of yet another holiday season, so I thought it would be fun to discuss a few of my fave holiday-themed skits from my Saturday Night Live Collection DVDs.
DVDs, Skits, & Commentary:
The Best of Molly Shannon-- There are actually several Christmas-y sketches on this DVD. First, Shannon appears as the irrepressible Catholic school outcast Mary Katherine Gallagher. In this installment, Mary is trying out for St. Monica's annual holiday talent show. Next, Shannon portrays another beloved character, the young-at-heart Sally O'Malley, who proudly shows a bunch of young gals that a 50-year-old dame can ace a Music City Radio Hall Rockettes Holiday Spectacular audition. Finally-- and most hilariously-- Shannon and 90s castmate Ana Gasteyer entertain viewers/listeners as the NPR ladies during a visit from special guest Pete Schwetty (Alec Baldwin), owner of a seasonal bakery known for a product with a name that begs for double entendres and inuendo. I cackle insanely when Baldwin delivers the sketch's punchline: "No one can resist my Schwetty balls!"
The Best of Cheri Oteri-- There's a couple fairly funny Christmas skits on this disc. In one of them, Oteri makes a hilarious turn as property-rights proponent Rita Delvecchio, opposite eccentric neighbor Vick, played by none other than Christopher Walken. Rita and Vick argue over the rightful ownership of a snowblower and the Vatican's official policy regarding how long Catholics can leave Christmas decorations up, and Rita expresses her very strong feelings about winter and her three sons' lack of ambition. The second yuletide snippet is a "Cheerleaders" sketch in which Craig (Will Ferrell) is rejected by a sexy majorette (Christina Ricci), whom he has a crush on, and Oteri's Arianna is seriously dissed by the "hot new guy in school-- Johnny Pinto (Jimmy Fallon)" at a local Christmas parade.
The Best of Adam Sandler-- This compilation is chock-full of multi-cultural holiday fun. The most notable seasonal contribution here is Mr. Sandler's quasi-classic "Hanukkah Song"-- which is basically a roster of Jewish celebrities. ('Goldie Hawn's half Jewish / Paul Newman's half, too / Put them together / That's one fine-lookin' Jew!') Sandler's opening monologue on this DVD is a bit of his signature musical comedy in the form of "Santa Don't Like Bad Boys." In this song, Sandler lists all his naughty deeds, including writing a death threat to then-Vice President Al Gore (yikes!). There is also a holiday installment of "Opera Man on Weekend Update with Kevin Nealon," featuring former SNL cast member Jon Lovitz and that episode's host, Glenne Close. Finally, Sandler and the gone-but-not-forgotten Chris Farley collaborate for "The Herlihy Boy." This skit is essentially a faux-advertisement for a house-sitting service through which the Herlihy Boy (Sandler) offers to watch over holiday travelers' homes while they're away. Farley plays the father, who sticks up for his weird, nerdy son through the big guy's signature screaming routine (e.g. "He's a hard-workin' boy, for the love of God!!!"). As is usually the case, Farley outshines his co-star in this skit.
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