Sunday, November 25, 2012
Regrets
Lately, I haven't been able to devote as much time and energy to Jester (jesterjournal.com) as I might like, but from time to time, I'll still be adding new reviews and content. This became more obvious to me this past month or so, as I had two books I planned to review, but the time for honestly reading them became scarce due to a lot of other additional commitments. I'm only just today getting a review posted of the R. Crumb comics compilation, published last month. I've had the review copy since this past summer and feel a little bad it took me this long to get to it. But that review is now up, and another book just published this month, which I also got a review copy of this summer, will be reviewed soon. Thanks for your patience.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Louis CK on SNL
In short -- I was a little disappointed with how SNL used Louis CK as host last night. The monologue was great because they let Louis simply do some of his stand-up, as they should. There were two great bits -- the filmed parody of his own show "Louie" with him playing Lincoln in similar loser-ish situations and with the exact same tone, and then a sketch buried late in the show with Louis and Kate MacKinnon as the last two drunks hooking up at a bar at last call.
Other than that, I really don't know what the writers were thinking, having Louis CK do odd funny voices as he did as the FEMA spokesman on the "Fox & Friends" parody and the hotel clerk reciting a litany of unlikely charges to a guy trying to check out. Impersonations or characters aren't Louis CK's thing. The writers didn't seem to be thinking about playing to his strengths as a comic actor. And the sketch where Louis played a deluded Norseman annoying everyone by repeatedly blowing a giant ram's horn didn't really go anywhere at all, characters or no characters.
People say you can tell how the SNL crew liked the host or vice versa by the closing bows -- are they standing close to them or hugging them, or as far away as possible? Louis CK was flanked by the musical guest, .fun, in the end of the show -- but that seems to be more of a failing of the cast and crew to really do him proud rather than Louis being an asshole to anyone, I would guess. About five hours before airtime, Louis sent out a great email to fans being thankful for the opportunity and especially in the moment of New York trying to recover from Hurricane Sandy. It's too bad that SNL didn't really support him in helping relieve the drama of the news when showtime came.
Other than that, I really don't know what the writers were thinking, having Louis CK do odd funny voices as he did as the FEMA spokesman on the "Fox & Friends" parody and the hotel clerk reciting a litany of unlikely charges to a guy trying to check out. Impersonations or characters aren't Louis CK's thing. The writers didn't seem to be thinking about playing to his strengths as a comic actor. And the sketch where Louis played a deluded Norseman annoying everyone by repeatedly blowing a giant ram's horn didn't really go anywhere at all, characters or no characters.
People say you can tell how the SNL crew liked the host or vice versa by the closing bows -- are they standing close to them or hugging them, or as far away as possible? Louis CK was flanked by the musical guest, .fun, in the end of the show -- but that seems to be more of a failing of the cast and crew to really do him proud rather than Louis being an asshole to anyone, I would guess. About five hours before airtime, Louis sent out a great email to fans being thankful for the opportunity and especially in the moment of New York trying to recover from Hurricane Sandy. It's too bad that SNL didn't really support him in helping relieve the drama of the news when showtime came.
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