willyoubemyfriendsteratmyspace.com

Does anyone remember what people used to do with their time when they were bored? Hell, back in the day (which according to Dane Cook was a Wednesday) when we were bored, we'd go outside, go on biking trails, beat the shit out of each other, or just masturbate. But no, things have changed and the universe is not the same as it once was. Kids today (damn I sound like I'm the oldest 22 year old in the world) now have the Internet to connect to one another in artificial ways we could only dream about in the nineties. Where once poking actually involved a physical activity now it is just a mouse click away.

Networking used to entail awkward school dances with shitty music, corny gimmicks, and being picked up by 9:30 by your mom in her mini van. Now there's a social networking for just about everyone be it the desperate: hot or not.com, or the academic: facebook.com. And while these sites are designed to bring us together, are they really serving their purposes? Of course not. More and more we are seeing these networking tools simply reinforcing our preconceived notions of who our friends are and allowing ourselves to perpetuate the pattern to the Nth degree. And yes, I am currently a member of such prestigious networks as facebook (the college years), my space (the post-college years), and friendster (the dark place I don't wish to discuss anymore). But what has my membership in these groups taught me? Absolutely nothing. On myspace I can rank my friends (or at least the top 8 or so) but beyond that friendship is a pretty loose term. Yes I have some of my closest friends on these pages, but among my friends I am happy to count Tom, Borat, Jon Favreau, and Dane Cook among my "friends." It's remarkable when I can place those people who I hang with on a consistent basis next to fictional characters and comics who probably wouldn't give me the time of day on the street.

At the end of the day, these sites were established and run on the basis that allowing people to connect would strengthen our cultural fabric, expanding our otherwise slim view of the world and allow us to keep track of people we other wise might lose touch with due to geographical distances. But I'm beginning to think that’s maybe not such a bad thing. Because if I get poked one more time by Karen, the girl who I got stuck kissing in a spin-the-bottle game gone horribly wrong, I might need to break off her online finger and shove it where they don't write code. Times change, friendships lapse and ultimately I'd like to forget certain people.

And what I hate even more is those who constantly use the site who lob complaints against me for not keeping my page updated to the fullest extent. I may be unemployed, living with my parents, but that doesn't mean I want to spend every waking hour of my life ensuring that both myspace and facebook are as up to date as possible. I'll save that to the people who use these sites as procrastination tools.

Alright, well I hate to cut this blog short but I have some work to do on my myspace profile.

And remember you can't spell friendster without F-I-E-N-D, or was it friend?

Dead From NY

LIVE FROM NY IT’S SATURDAY NIGHT!!

Remember when these words used to mark the opening of a great show? As a child growing up in the late eighties/-nineties I fell in love with Dennis Miller, Adam Sandler, Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, David Spade, Mike Myers, and Dana Carvey. I consider these years, some of the greatest years in SNL history. I understand I am at a bit of a disadvantage considering I was only born in 1984, and to judge SNL based on these years is akin to judging Marlon Brando’s career based on The Island of Doctor Moreau, but I have been privileged to view their reruns on their cable stations such as Comedy Central and E! reruns.

I remember fondly my summers at camp staying up late on Saturday nights while I huddled around the small black and white TV we had in our bunk and watching hilariously funny skits featuring the aforementioned players. There was something magical in those skits as I was one of twelve pre-pubescent Jewish boys huddled around a black and white screen watching comedy at its finest late into those summer Saturday nights. Even when my friends were jumping ship to the rival Mad TV, I held faithful to SNL.

As hard as this is for me to say about a show that I’ve loved so dearly, the past four years have been a struggle. (I’m not sure which is worse, admitting I’ve been home on Saturday nights, or admitting I watch SNL) I have watched SNL’s prominent faces be replaced with new personalities that have seemingly never found their stride. I have an immense amount of respect for the creation process, especially when faced with SNL’s tight weekly schedule, but it seems as though the biggest challenge facing SNL right now is the lack of a consistent product. Creatively, Saturday Night Live is no longer the cutting-edge show that it once was twenty to thirty years ago. Wildly funny sketches featuring audience favorite characters have been replaced with broad skits that seem to play without end and lag after their initial push.

SNL used to be edgy; it forced us to rethink the way we perceive the world. The portrayals of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and George W. Bush had a profound impact on how the public viewed our politicians. But honestly, six years into the Bush presidency we understand pretty clearly Ole’ W is dumb, ‘nuff said. Let's move on and tackle something a little more creatively

SNL’s relevance as a whole has taken a significant hit over these past several years. As a result, SNL has been replaced in the comedic world with shows like South Park, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Da Ali G Show, and Chappelle’s Show.

From my vantage point, I believe the road to take is the one which leads SNL back to its original roots in order to reclaim its thrown as the edgiest/funniest show on television. The emphasis must be placed on the creation and implementation of characters. Characters have always been the backbone of SNL’s humor from Belushi’s Samurai Chef and Phil Hartman’s Caveman Lawyer to Will Farrell and Cheri Oteri’s Cheerleaders. Characters will always be the foundation of any sketch comedy show, and SNL is no different. In recent seasons, it seems as though the focus has been shifted away from highlighting several players and their characters into a more democratic approach. SNL has never been about amazing acting, but it was about incredibly smart and crafty writing. While Will Farrell and Tim Meadows were not the best actors, they certainly were able to carry their skits with certain panache. Gone are the loveable characters and their catch lines (“I’m Brian Fellows”= comic genius) replaced with sketches that seem to last ten minutes at a time without any reason. Simply put, the show has begun to labor in its comedy. Even when SNL was hosted by the very funny, edgy comedian Dane Cook it lacked that punch it once had.

I find myself continuing to watch SNL despite common sense telling me to give up. I feel like an abused woman making excuses for her husband who continually disappoints. It’s reached the point now where I see the potential in these skits but instead of laughing I want to cry at the forgettable set ups and wasted punch lines.