SNL Blake Shelton Episode Discussion

learned:

* SNL goes country? this will be weird for me. this show will probably get the biggest numbers ever cos finally liberal coastal SNL is catering to the middle heartland of the country. it'll be, like, the patriotic thing to do to watch.

* first off, Kyle's Comedy Club skit which was cut for time: more like King of Comedy Club. this was absolutely excellent and another example of the show wonderfully veering off simple comedy/parody/farce/impressions to do actual heartfelt drama. those tears were real, this was a stunning portrait of a comedian's inner turmoil coming out when he realizes he's not as good as his bravado and really does jokes to gain love.

* Deflategate: can you blame anyone? these are Brady's balls we're talking about. real life is stranger than comedy: Bill Belichick the Science Guy's press conference where he discussed the exact psi required to iron his hoodies. i agree, Blake should have played Brady. and then have the real Tom Brady show up to raucous applause playing the equipment manager being thrown under the bus, make it real shoe-on-the-other-foot meta-like.

* if Hee Haw were like that, it would be cancelled after one show. but what a one show that would be.

* Wishin' Boot: now you want to see the serious original of this. what's the opposite of parody anyway?

* Farm Hunk: porn stars are people, too. farm hunks are fake, though. go to an actual farm. see? only the farmer's daughter is ever good-looking, she becomes a porn star and goes on a reality show to find love...

* Parole Board: cannibals are people, too. people, people who eat people, are the luckiest...

* as the musical guest: first time i've ever sat through two full country songs to completion. the woman in the back there was having a grand ol' time so i did, too, she was contagious. neon light at the end of the tunnel? i got ya, Blake, the tunnel representing the woman's vagina so the neon is the glow-in-the-dark condom.

* Blake was a good sport throughout. it's almost as if they were making the writing as cringeworthy as possible to see if they could break the country boy with city decadence. i mean you have Blake talking about going down on himself, that's not exactly the theme of most country songs. fascinatingly awkward.