Is SNL Reading My Mind???

All throughout the Summer of 2008, me and a friend at work would periodically send a (now deleted) youtube link to each other that is essentially a shorter version of this video:

[Youtube Video Removed]

Love that song. The clip, in case you don't recognize it, is one from one of the opening scenes of "The Lost Boys" a defining movie of my youth.

The idea was you send a video link, the other person doesn't know what it is, click... oops, oily buff guy playing sax again! A catchy 80's song, a guy that's oily, buff, playing sax and, as if the clip needed more, is constantly "thrusting" his hips; this clip has it all. We'd send it to each other, I posted it on forums, I emailed people with it, I sent it via IM... I basically felt that, for me, this the new "rickroll". Apparently no one else agreed. I assure you that not only did this "rickroll" never catch on with the general public, it didn't even make the leap beyond two people!

And so I was a little astonished, watching Saturday Night Live yesterday, when this sketch aired on a nationally televised television show. See if there's any doubt in your mind as to what joke/reference is being made here and consider how truly obscure and random it would have to be:

Yeah, and I still believe.

News Report

Something significant has happened and the news organization is there:

Kimmel On Leno On Oprah On Kimmel On Leno

Or in other words, Jimmy Kimmel talks about the recent Oprah interview with Jay Leno where they discuss Jimmy Kimmel's appearance on Leno's show.

In some ways I feel bad for Leno because it really is NBC that's to blame for the entire mess but even if Jimmy Kimmel is going too far, it is entertaining to watch him go too far.

Not seen in this video: Oprah criticizes personal jokes Leno made about Letterman as being "beneath [him]". You go girl! I kind of disagree, I've watched Leno make unfunny offensive jokes for years. Leno's viewing audience doesn't complain (or perhaps register) that the jokes are offensive probably for the same reason that they don't complain that the jokes are unfunny.

Earlier on his show, Leno had said, "Letterman has been hammering me every night. You know the best way to get Letterman to ignore you? Marry him. He will not bother you. He won't look you in the eye." And then later said that Letterman's attacks surprised him because, "usually he's just taking shots at the interns."

The most surprising thing about the "counter-attack" is that Letterman didn't really attack him in the first place. He's been talking about the drama pretty consistently but has been very impartial and even defended Leno saying that Leno hadn't done anything wrong. He does, however, refer to him as "Jay 'Big Jaw' Leno" and imitate him in a high, whiny voice. But even so, that level of immature mockery doesn't call for personal, vitriolic attacks in my opinion.

The Most Expensive Comedy Skit(s) Ever

Dear Internet,

With the end of his show imminent, Conan decides to write sketches that aren't so much "funny" as they are crazy expensive in order to waste as much NBC money as possible.

With this idea, Conan presents the most expensive comedy character ever - the Bugatti Veyron Mouse with special "theme song" - the original master recording of "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones:

The theme song means that the video can not be uploaded online because of the copyright licensing issues.

The next night Conan revealed the most expensive comedy skit ever:

This skit only held the record for one day, however, as it was surpassed the next night by this "comedy" sketch:

The Most Expensive Comedy Sketch In The World Ever

I especially got a kick out of Conan's disclaimer to the people on the internet that it was all fake because I had earlier read one of those articles. [Here I planned on linking the exact article but I was unable to re-find it. Any search will turn up similar examples.] Ah, the media. They're supposed to be our eyes and ears but it helps if they have a brain also.

The Heavy - "How You Like Me Now" & Encore

This video is significant for only one reason: talk shows are an exercise in repetition and this completely violates the pattern.

In the almost 30 years the David Letterman has had a show, I don't think he's EVER told the guest to sing it again. As far as I know, this is a phenomenon completely unique to this episode. Although the entire encore performance was not broadcast on television, much of it was. The full thing is available as a web exclusive.

Late Night Wars - The Chinese Animation

A while ago you might recall seeing the Chinese news animation of the Tiger Woods scandal. If you haven't, see it here, now.

But the hard-hitting reporters of the Chinese media have a new late-breaking story to cover: the recent late-night talk show wars. Like the Tiger Woods video, this is an actual news broadcast - this is absolutely real.

I would love to have more insight into the Chinese culture to be able to explain why they supply Sims-style reenactment videos for their stories but I'm as dumbfounded as the next guy. Even if we all lived in a Sims game, do we really need people represented as comic book heroes in a battle royale?

I wonder if they made Conan "The Hulk" because he once turned into the Hulk for a classic comedy sketch or if it's just coincidence.