feb 5
2007
Dakota SNL
Is Amy Poehler keeping SNL afloat or what? Her take on Dakota Fanning was pretty funny.
6 comments
SNL happens to be in the middle of its best season...ever. The female cast is by far the best the show has seen...ever. Amy's just one part.
posted by hotpink at 6:34 AM on February 5, 2007 
Loved the Pynchon reference.
posted by J. Herzog at 3:57 PM on February 5, 2007
Agree that the Dakota Fanning thing was superb. I'm not overly hot on this season, though, and not overly hot on female cast. I thought the rest of this episode blew hard. I don't feel like Kristen Wiig is good at all. I think the best things she's got going are somebody's Aunt on WU, and Target checkout lady, and I think those things stink. Bush-league impressions with no real identity.
Maya Rudolph continues to be an underachiever, and by that I mean that I think she is super super super talented and could be ruling that show or others, but seems to be slumming long term. It's like having a really bright person in your company whose mind is somewhere else and who just does the bare minimum to scrape by, with the occasional standout flash, but no real interest or initiative. She seems to do what she does effortlessly, and be bored with it, and you know she's got so much more.
I think Andy Samberg is il bomba. A couple of the other guys are OK but not standouts. Fred Armison has some excellent stuff in him but rarely seems to really hit. The time he was the giant parrot in a previous season was spleen-poppingly funny. I'm glad dead weight Horatio Sanz and Finesse Mitchell are gone. Keenan Thompson seems like he could be more, but so far seems to be following the Maya Rudolph path of I don't give a shit, but with less talent. He always seems to still be himself to a large degree regardless of what character he's playing, which seems lazy and sort of entitled.
I discovered Lily Allen on this week's episode and couldn't be happier. I can't remember the last time I saw an unknown on there and wound up saying Eureka. I now know she's been out in the UK and elsewhere for a while, but I'd never heard of her before. Anybody who can sneak the words "crack whore" into a sunny, fun, feelgood summer hit is to cherished, studied, and given a parade.
And what a lovely, rich voice she has. It sounds like it belongs on an older person, like it comes from a soul that has seen more than her 21 years.
The juxtaposition of images of unvarnished fuck-you London youth culture with smooth, soulful, polished, carefree melodies and infectious pop hooks just creates the most delicious contrasts. Remember how Housemartins and Beautiful South would sing happy songs about miserable topics? This reminds me of that, not in sound but in concept. Similarly, remember how Morrissey would sing songs that completely and unashamedly laid bare his pettyness and other character flaws (which we all have but won't admit) and offered no apology? Lily's lyrics have that sort of honesty and confidence too. For example she sings tra-la-la happy in "Smile" while relishing in her ex's pain. No remorse and a smile to boot! Love it. And in another one she talks about laying around her own dirt all weekend. This she sings from her frilly dress and glamorous look. Very nice.
posted by Eric at 4:20 PM on February 5, 2007
wow, eric.
i was saying to my cohort the other night that i think amy might be the funniest woman ever on the show, except for gilda. her range is amazing (though her hillary needs work).
posted by adm at 12:21 AM on February 6, 2007
Thanks for the link - first-time poster here.
That did make me laugh and I caught myself smiling afterwards.
I haven't watched SNL in years, mainly because it has been pretty crappy.
But that was good.
posted by rougy at 3:35 AM on February 6, 2007
Now that Tina Fey's gone, the writing actually does seem better this season.
posted by Mitch at 3:31 PM on February 6, 2007
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