The 50 Best Saturday Night Live! Sketches of All Time |
What constitutes a great Saturday Night Live! sketch? The question is more complicated than it seems. Besides the obvious issue of subjectivity—I'm sorry, but I just don't think "Opera Man" is funny—there are several SNL-specific issues we have to think through before we pick favorites. For instance, what's the difference between great characters and great sketches, or are they synonymous? I love Tracy Morgan's lip-glossed embodiment of the idiosyncratic zookeeper, Brian Fellows, as well as Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri's Spartan cheerleaders. But did either of those characters produce one of SNL's best sketches? I'm not so sure. To be clear, funniness is not the only factor that matters. Legacy counts, too. How well has the sketch held up over time? Do people still quote it? What about its impact? Did it change the culture of the show? The culture of America? The way we view a certain celebrity or politician? So let's get on with the reason we are all gathered here today: Esquire's definitive list of the 50 Best SNL sketches of all time. It's the "Matt Foley Motivational Speaker" of Best SNL Sketches listicles, if you will. And if you've got a problem with that reference, I look forward to not reading the opinion you shared with me in the comments section. |
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The Man Who Broke Breaking |
When Victor Montalvo's shoulders hit the floor, they glide. He's a whirlpool, spinning round and round, pulling you closer with every impossible rotation. If you didn't know better, you'd think the floor—not Victor—was revolving. He pivots from his back to standing on his head to a full 360 degree spin on the palm of his left hand. This is the world-champion breaker's signature move: the Super Montalvo. It's cheeky, cocky, and a downright nuclear weapon that has made Montalvo the face of breaking (or breakdancing—the sport has enjoyed a rebrand since you originally watched You Got Served). In August, the 30-year-old will represent Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. |
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Before y'all shame me, I know how crazy this sounds. Advocating for a mall brand suit in Esquire. I should be debating lapel widths, shoulder styles, and fabrics with fellow menswear guys. I should be telling every man the value befriending a tailor. But hear me out. I'm young, broke, and have amassed a small collection of too-nice-for-my-income vintage suits at estate sales, eBay auctions, and consignment stores. But wearing those suits felt like a schtick. I always felt like a dandy cosplay or a Pitti Uomo peacock. I needed a Level One suit, something cheap that I could beat up and incorporate into my way too casual New York City wardrobe. This Collins suit from Abercrombie & Fitch is exactly what I needed. |
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In the War Room with Steve Bannon |
"Donald Trump won the 2020 election," Steve Bannon pronounces. "Of that there is not even a question." Obviously you expect me not to agree with you, I say. "Of course I expect you not to agree with me," he says. "And I'm also not looking for you to agree with me. And I also don't give a fuck who in the mainstream media agrees or disagrees with me." And so off we go—about this and about Covid (the Bannon view: "It's 100 percent a bioweapon—fucking not even a question") and about vaccines ("I would never in ten million years get this vaccine," Bannon says, and asks if I would; I simply hand him my vax card, which he looks at with apparent amazement: "I've never . . .") and about what I view—but naturally Bannon doesn't—as his incessant anti-Semitic dog-whistling. At one point, he rhapsodizes about the range of information available to people these days. Or misinformation, I say. "A wide range of information," he counters. "One man's misinformation may be somebody else's Holy Grail, right?" |
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The Remarkable Story Behind Gucci's Seminal Horsebit Loafer |
The Gucci horsebit loafer is surprisingly spry for its age. The style is 71 years old, but—thanks to continuous reinvention by Gucci's design minds and rediscovery by generation after generation of stylish fans—never seems to slip one bit. And though it's a genuine icon of Italian design, according to company lore, it owes its existence in no small part to American tastes. Immediately a smash-hit with Wall Street types, the horsebit loafer made its way onto the feet of Hollywood's A-list—and into the very fabric of how we all dress these days. Ultimately, the horsebit loafer's versatility and and staying power—not to mention comfort—come down not to the name on the insole but the craftsmanship, materials, and know-how that go into making it. And that's exactly what we're exploring in the latest episode of our series Iconic. Enjoy the show. |
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When Should My Baby Be Sleeping Through the Night? |
It's 3:00 a.m., the house is hushed, and you're sinking into a deep sleep. Suddenly, your slumber is shattered by a scream. Yup, your baby is up. Again. Every parent has been here, wondering when their tiny bub will reach that magical milestone of uninterrupted, all-night sleep. The good news is that by three or four months, most babies can handle a five-hour session of straight snoozing. But if your dream is for dusk-to-dawn serenity, hold on to your nightcap. About 30 percent of babies don't get there until their first birthday! Even as they achieve longer stretches of shut-eye, there are two situations that can still interrupt sleep (theirs and yours). |
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