The Ten People Who Should Host SNL To Keep It From Sucking More
Monday, March 16, 2009 1:35 PM
We have a rescue plan for SNL.
If The Fill spent all our time partying at The Kress with Heidi and Spencer, we would not be long for this world. For health’s sake, it’s occasionally necessary to fritter away the weekend in front of the tube. That’s why last Saturday, The Fill found ourselves watching Dwayne Johnson do a surprisingly good job of hosting SNL. Even more surprising than The Rock’s comedic chops, however, was the fact that he’s hosted three times. And this Saturday, former cast member Tracy Morgan will be hosting. As great as he’ll surely be, isn’t it time to bring in some new blood? There are lots of deserving celebrities who have never graced Saturday Night Live’s stage, and we complied a list of the ones who would do the best job. Since some choices are a little “outside the bun,” we even included video proof of their hilarity. Lorne Michaels, if you’re reading, give these people a chance, pronto.
10) Ryan Seacrest
Yes, we know you think Ryan is a douche, but he’s a professional douche. There’s not a man who works harder in all of Hollywood, and he’s actually good at what he does. Homeboy never misses a beat on Idol, he’s great at trading off-the-cuff insults with Simon, he’s always willing to make fun of himself, and if you need more proof, check out this clip of him being hysterical in Knocked Up:
9) Leslie Mann
Speaking of Judd Apatow movies, Leslie is the unsung hero of all of them. Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill can do their sarcastic shlub act ‘til the cows come home, but when The Fill laughs, it’s mostly at Ms. Mann. She also happens to be married to the director, but don’t hold that against her. Nepotism works, people.
8) Kathy Griffin
The knee jerk reaction is to think Kathy is annoying, but if you actually pay attention to the words coming out of her plastic surgery-addled face, you’ll soon notice that she’s also funny. And since she has a penchant for saying outrageous things on live television, those SNL censors are advised to keep their fingers poised over the dump button.
7) Larry David
Larry co-created Seinfeld--the best sitcom of all time and he’s brilliant in his own show, Curb Your Enthusiasm. As if that’s not enough, he once quit a writing job at Saturday Night Live because his sketches seldom made air, so there will definitely be some genuine bitterness. The only question is; would Larry actually do it? Probably not, but The Fill can dream.
6) Ricky Gervais
Ricky created the original British version of The Office--the other best sitcom of all time--and is so good in it, he’ll make you say, “Steve Carell who?” Add that to his uproarious awards show appearances, and you’ve got yourself one solid host.
5) Kaitlin Olson(a.k.a. Sweet Dee from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia)
“Who?” you ask. Only the funniest woman on TV right now. If you haven’t been watching It’s Always Sunny, shame on you. It’s all good, and the stand out happens to be Kaitlin. She may not be a household name, but if she were lucky enough to host, we guarantee she’d be the most talented chick on SNL besides Kristen Wiig.
4) Dave Chappelle
So maybe he went crazy and bailed on the third season of Chappelle Show. Dave still needs to make a return to sketch comedy some time, and there’s no better platform than SNL. Now, if they let him and Neil Brennan write most of the show as well, we’ll really be cooking with gas.
3) Robert Smigel
Writers rarely get the respect they deserve on SNL, but the show can rectify all past slights by letting Smigel host. Not only is he one of the best sketch writers who ever did it, he’s the voice of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Let’s face it, the man knows funny.
As the much funnier yin to Jon Stewart’s yang, Coblert expertly plays the character of a conservative pundit every night, and with his Second City improv training, we’re sure he’d knock other characters out of the park as well.
From his standout performances on Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘n Out to his genius-level stand up comedy, few people make us laugh harder than Katt Williams. Just watch his “Everyday I’m Hustlin’” routine if you’re a non-believer. Now imagine 90 minutes of that and you’ll have an inkling of what an incredible host he’d be.
