The Best Philosophical Lessons from The Good Place

This article contains spoilers for The Great Place for all four times. Across four times, The Great Place made us laugh, weep, and ponder the very essence of our life. This NBC sitcom explores what it means to be good in this world and provides a variety of responses over the course of […]…

The article The Best Intellectual Instructions from The Great Place appeared initially on Den of Geek.

It’s impossible to sum up Saturday Night Live‘s significant impact on all forms of popular culture. Shaping the leisure industry from one decade to the next, SNL forever changed the nature of late-night sketch comedy in the late 1970s, showing Americans that, yes, we can have a long-running comedy series as socially appropriate as Monty Python, when cutting as Mad Magazine, and as beautifully turbulent as a vintage Looney Tunes cartoon.

Saturday Night Live, which is celebrating its ancient 50th anniversary this year, has produced some of the best humor capabilities of the last 50 years. Its students read like a list of who’s who in modern American humor. With some of its most recognized prior performers including people from John Belushi, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, and Tina Fey to Chris Farley, Will Ferrell, Eddie Murphy, and Jimmy Fallon, SNL‘s achievement is almost wholly predicated upon the talents of its main cast members.

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SNL has cycled through literally dozens of phenomenal cast members over the past five decades with a production history that dates back to 1975. While most performers ‘ contributions to the show have been celebrated for one reason or another, however, a handful of former SNL players have yet to see the critical acclaim they rightfully deserve. Here are some of the most ridiculously underappreciated comedians to ever appear on SNL, from underappreciated Weekend Update hosts to wildly versatile impression specialists.

15. Kevin Nealon

Every remarkable skit needs a straight man to bounce its comedic energy off of, whether we’re talking about early SNL players like Jane Curtin and Chevy Chase or ‘ 90s performers like Phil Hartman and Kevin Nealon. Nealon, a straight-faced comedian known for his deadpan delivery and unwaveringly straight-faced presence, frequently played second fiddle to more anarchic cast members from the 1990s, before faded into the background as Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, or Chris Farley soaked up the public spotlight.

While he seldom came close to matching his co-stars ‘ loud-mouthed comedic antics, Nealon’s dialed-back presence helped make each of his segments that much more enjoyable, from Hans and Franz and the Politically Incorrect Private Investigator to his stint as Weekend Update‘s regular host.

14. Victoria Jackson

Victoria Jackson, one of the many SNL alumni who left the show in 1992, tapped into her unconventional comedic style throughout her five years on SNL. A skilled mimic who could perfectly impersonate such celebrities as Roseanne Barr and Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jackson regularly veered towards more unorthodox comedic stunts during her time on the show, as evidenced by her repeated appearances on Weekend Update.

It wasn’t long before Jackson’s straightforward demeanor turned into increasingly strange behavior, leading her to hop on Miller’s desk, read poetry, perform handstands, and break out into a whimsical song and dance routine. In an era where Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, and Dana Carvey took to the stage, Jackson truly made it seem like anything and everything could happen on Weekend Update, solidifying herself as one of the best guests to ever appear on SNL‘s long-running segment.

13. Tim Meadows

Tim Meadows was oh so much more than just the obvious Ladies ‘ Man, but more dedicated scholars of SNL history might readily recognize him for his role as the effortlessly suave Ladies ‘ Man. Starring on SNL for just under a decade, Meadows somehow possessed instant chemistry with any star he appeared alongside, be it’ 90s loudmouths like Chris Farley or more theatrical 2000s cast members like Will Ferrell.

Meadows, a decent enough impressionist known for portraying the likes of Michael Jackson, Tiger Woods, and Oprah Winfrey, gave SNL’s most outrageous sketches a certain air of credibility, rarely breaking character when every other cast member sprang into uncontrollable chuckles. Watching Meadows proudly embody the straight man archetype, suddenly it seemed all the more feasible that Bill Clinton strolled into an ordinary McDonald’s, two shirtless Bible salesmen knocked on your front door, or that O. J. Simpson just wrote the words” I did it” on an ESPN football telestrator.

12. Jay Pharoah

To be clear, Jay Pharoah did a fantastic job of capturing Barack Obama’s smooth-voiced charisma whenever he donned the role of the Commander-in-Chief. But far from being a one trick phony when it came to his presidential impersonations, Pharaoh could also conjure up accurate portrayals of virtually any celebrity featured in People magazine or TMZ, be it Kanye West, Jay-Z, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, or Denzel Washington.

While Pharoah’s histrionic approach to comedy gave him the uncanny ability to disappear into a variety of celebrity personas, each of whom came equipped with distinct characteristics, body language, and tonal differences in their voices and pronunciations. After all, who else but Pharoah could have made the line “I’ll do it” pop off the page so organically as he did in the darkly comic” Aron’s List”?

11. Chris Kattan

Chris Kattan regularly went all in with his most animated sketch characters, dialing his performances up to a solid 11 no matter how little screen time his screen time might be. This is true of fellow 2000s cast members Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri. He may never have achieved the long-standing recognition of his fellow Roxbury Guy Ferrell, but Kattan easily matched his co-stars when it came to his wacky physical comedy and unparalleled dedication to a skit’s punchline.

No matter how embarrassing or outwardly ridiculous it may seem, there was something fearless about the way Kattan completely immersed himself in a role. Recognizing the fact that audiences were laughing at him and not necessarily with him, Kattan threw himself fearlessly into the most preposterous characters imaginable. ( Cough, cough, Mango the flirtatious male stripper, I need to say more ) )

10. Aidy Bryant

Saturday Night Live has always thrived when it comes to inspired partnerships or irreverent trios of comedians. SNL wisely relied on the expertise of Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Cecily Strong throughout the 2010s, following in the footsteps of Belushi and Aykroyd, Farley and Spade, Myers and Carvey, and Shannon and Gasteyer, which resulted in all kinds of unique sketches and unforgettable musical performances.

Working together to weave otherwise so-so sketches into pure comedic gold, Bryant, McKinnon, and Strong simply clicked whenever they worked together in a single skit, effortlessly knocking it out of the park as Katy Perry-style pop singers or Irish game show contestants. Bryant consistently excelled in any role she was given, including playing mild-mannered school teachers, inquisitive UFO officials, and “half-fly, half-fairy” Tinker Bell characters humorously known as Tonker Bell, despite always holding her own against such talented co-stars.

9. Jan Hooks

Like her fellow ‘ 90s-era co-star Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks put her dramatic flair to good use every time she appeared in a sketch. Hooks demonstrated that, in some situations, the best way to make a comedic segment that much funnier was to take your role seriously, drawing inspiration from her theatrical background for roles both big and small. &nbsp,

Hooks ‘ acting prowess helped her turn otherwise forgettable sketches into certified classics like Brenda the Waitress or the fan-favorite Sweeney Sisters musical act, helping to elevate otherwise forgettable sketches into certified classics like Brenda the Waitress or the fan-favorite Sweeney Sisters musical act. Each of her characters had their own unique personality quirks, facial tics, and distinct body language.

8. Bobbie Moynihan

In many ways, Bobby Moynihan appears as the ultimate SNL performer: a perfect amalgamation of buoyant slapstick, believable impressions, and the seamless ability to transition from a comedic straight man into a wild-eyed, cartoonish character. &nbsp,

While his contemporary co-stars proved themselves adept in one category or another, Moynihan could do it all, eliciting widespread laughter with a subtle change in his facial expression or a slightly higher pitch to his voice. Moynihan left viewers doubling over in unending giggle fits in almost every scene of his most well-known sketches, a scene-stealing cast member who improved every sketch he appeared in. ( I. E., Drunk Uncle, Hobbit Office, David Pumpkins, etc. )

7. Vanessa Bayer

Nobody could play ditzy cluelessness quite like Vanessa Bayer, and I mean nobody. Waltzing across the screen with a vague smile and a childish glint in her eye, Bayer was more than a dependable straight performer on SNL’s sound stage. With her overly devoted Toto’s Pizza Roll character or her soft-spoken Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy, she somehow took otherwise normal characters completely new heights and made their mundane presentation seem somehow alien and unnatural. &nbsp,

Bayer demonstrated that sometimes less is more when it comes to memorable comedy sketches, especially when she was paired with utterly flamboyant characters like Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, or Bill Hader.

6. Chieri Oteri

Like her fellow Spartan Cheerleader Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri could inhabit seemingly any character she chose to play, quickly adapting herself to a variety of roles with the dexterity of Mike Myers, the confidence of Dana Carvey, and the believability of Phil Hartman.

One shouldn’t overlook the Oteri’s entertaining stint on the show, even though most modern viewers are more fond of Ferrell for his role in the late 1990s and early 2000s-era SNL. Whether portraying a toothy Barbara Walters or deranged addict Collette Reardon, Oteri conjured up an eclectic rogues ‘ gallery of unforgettable SNL personas, proving her ability to hang with the very best of SNL‘s most talented impressionists.

5. Jon Lovitz

With Eddie Murphy leaving SNL in the middle of the 1980s, Lorne Michaels struggled to find a performer who would take over as the series ‘ mainstay. Enter: the unassuming everyman-turned-SNL-savior, Jon Lovitz.

It’s easy to underestimate Lovitz’s successful tenure on the show because it’s sandwiched between two memorable eras in Saturday Night Live’s history. While he may not exactly rise to the critical might of Murphy or the so-called” Bad Boys” of Chris Farley and Adam Sandler’s generation, Lovitz’s colorful characters made SNL worth watching in the late 1980s, as seen through his nasal-voiced Annoying Man on Weekend Update or his woefully inept Pathological Liar. &nbsp,

4. Laraine Newman

Nowadays, people tend to talk about the Not Ready For Primetime Players with a mixture of reverence and awe, viewing them as fabled deities and eclectic trailblazers within the uncharted realm of sketch comedy. While most people are quick to point out the contributions of SNL‘s original, underappreciated player Laraine Newman during the series ‘ early years, it’s also worthwhile to remember the contributions of John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and Dan Aykroyd.

Though often relegated to a supporting role, Newman used every second of her screentime to hammer home the main premise of a sketch, no matter how dark, twisted, or outright absurd it seemed on the surface. Whether it was creating the archetypical Valley Girl with Sherry or portraying the obviously inhuman Connie Conehead, Newman’s time on SNL was just as influential as her fellow OG cast members.

3. Angie Gasteyer

Years before Tina Fey and Amy Poehler shattered the boys ‘ club mentality in SNL‘s writing room, Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer were hard at work asserting their own irreverent comedy on the series ‘ main stage. While the pair’s soft-spoken NPR Delicious Dish duo was immensely popular, Shannon and Gasteyer also had amazing success in their individual endeavors, as evidenced by Gasteyer’s erratic Catholic schoolgirl WASP Ginger Attebury and Mary Katherine Gallagher’s erratic WASP.

More often appearing as the proverbial sidekick to her fellow SNL talents, Gasteyer showed she could handle herself as the center subject of a sketch time and time again. Every time the cameras squared her, Gasteyer dazzled viewers with her cartoonish voice, a curiously polite smile, and hilariously over-the-top manner of voice. ( Seriously, can anyone keep a straight face listening to her” Culps” musical act with Will Ferrell? )

2. Darrell Hammond

Where do I even begin with Darrell Hammond’s accomplishments and accolades on SNL? Departing the series in 2009, Hammon was the oldest comedian to maintain a starring role on Lorne Michaels ‘ hit series, portraying a grand total of 107 different celebrities over his 14-year tenure on the show.

In the late 1990s and the majority of the 2000s, Hammond became SNL‘s go-to impressionist, effectively filling the void left by the late great Phil Hartman. Whether appearing as a comically boring Al Gore, a combative Sean Connery, or a lecherous Bill Clinton, Hammond quickly adapted to any role Michaels required him to play, joining the elite ranks of equally iconic impersonators like Dana Carvey, Bill Hader, Will Ferrell, or Mike Myers.

1. Will Forte

Will Forte excelled as a comedic straight man as he did with endlessly eccentric characters like political hopeful Tim Calhoun or the absent-minded MacGruber parody, MacGruber, making an excellent debut in any sketch he was asked to do.

Like all the best SNL performers, Forte thrived in roles no other cast member could have properly played, especially when it came to such ceaselessly odd creations as the Falconer or Andy ( the” Ohhh, noooo” guy from Reinhold Investments ). Before The Office, Parks and Rec, or Modern Family became a staple in contemporary pop culture, Forte could make audiences laugh, wiggle, and shake their heads in agony whenever he walked on-screen. In more ways than one, he was like a soft-spoken cross between Chris Farley, Steve Carrell, and Bill Hader, delivering overwhelmingly original jokes with an expressionless face and hilariously nonchalant tone of voice.

The Most Underappreciated SNL Cast Members of All Time appeared first on Den of Geek.