Making friends in adulthood can be challenging. It’s something that’s been written about extensively, even as a growing body of scientific evidence makes it eminently clear that friendship is good for one’s health. (In addition to the pleasures of friendship for its own sake.) It’s something that Saturday Night Live has also addressed, in sketches with subjects ranging from a “man park” to motivational speaker Uneesa Confidence.
This week, SNL returned to that well with a sketch about a group of socially awkward men trying to converse while their wives chat in another room. Also, it featured host Jack Black tapping into a mainstay of classic rock radio.
Some SNL sketches feature high concepts or elaborate punchlines. This one is, at its heart, about the inherent humor in a slow-building a cappella version of Kansas’s “Carry On My Wayward Son.” But here’s the thing: the degree to which the players commit to the bit makes it work, as the five men at the center of the sketch go from shyly whisper-singing to revealing some truly epic jumpsuits.
Jack Black and “SNL” Revisited the History of Theater
A good premise executed wellThe sketch made good use of both Jack Black’s skill at physical comedy and his singing ability, much like last year’s “Bass Lake.” It’s also worth noting that Kenan Thompson’s singing voice is also a comedic secret weapon, a talent that also featured prominently in one of my favorite SNL sketches of the last decade. This week’s sketch managed to give a large number of the cast memorable things to do, along with showcasing Black’s own talents; watching it, you might well end up inspired to sing along.
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