Top 5 SNL Sketches of 2008

Now a quarter of the way through Season 34, Saturday Night Live began 2008 with the fifth episode of Season 33 on February 23. Normally, several additional episodes would have been produced by the start of the new year; however, in light of the Writers' Guild of America strike, SNL produced a total of 12 episodes in its 33rd season rather than its standard 20. Still, the previous cycle produced some memorable sketches, including my picks for all but one of the top five:

5.) Season 33 Return, Cold Open: The February 23 comeback after the strike opened with a parody of the final primary debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and was also the debut of Fred Armisen's Obama characterization. The sketch served to make fun of the news media's romantic obsession with Obama, and included an appearance by You Tube's "Obama Girl" (Kristen Wiig as Campbell Brown told Amy Poehler's Hillary that if she ever made fun of Obama Girl again, she would "personally escort you from this building"). Viewers who love SNL for its past habit of mocking both sides of the political spectrum thought it would be a predicator of things to come as the election progressed. Later in the year, they found the exact opposite to be the case.

4.) "Annuale": That same episode, hosted by Tina Fey (yes, she had a career before Sarah Palin impressions. What is with people acting like she's some kind of new celebrity?), was otherwise uneventful, with the exception of this parody of a commercial for a pill that guarantees women a once-a-year period, with a few unfavorable side effects.

3.) "Six Year Old": On March 15, Jonah Hill played a six-year-old channeling Rodney Dangerfield in Benihana. Bill Hader is the embarrassed dad who cringes at Hill's age-inappropriate observations to the female patrons at the teppan bar, many of which are followed up by the declaration "I'm six!"

2.) "The Japanese Office": The May 17 finale of season 33 featured host Steve Carell and the SNL cast in a Japanese version of Carell's NBC sitcom. "Office" creator Ricky Gervais makes an appearance an introduces it as the "inspiration" for the British and American successors. Whether the actors are truly speaking Japanese or not is not entirely clear, but the story is easily followed - and of course, and hilarious - nonetheless.

1.) "Palin Rap": Oh yes, I did. I only included one season 34 sketch on this list, and I intentionally omitted Tina Fey as Sarah Palin in favor of the real thing. Not because I'm a bitter McCain supporter, not because I don't understand her snarky brilliance - please, spare me that stuff. I've followed her entire SNL tenure closely and was one of the few people who watched all of 30 Rock's first season on the original air dates (unlike most entertainment show hosts, it seems. Seriously people, she is not new!). But I digress: Let's talk about this rap. There is more to the story, it seems, of Sarah Palin sitting at the Weekend Update desk alongside Poehler and Seth Myers. After being introduced by Myers as appearing on the show to "clear up misconceptions," Palin tells him that she didn't think the piece they rehearsed would be good for the campaign. At that point, Poehler picks up a microphone and launches into a hilarious rap that was supposedly written for Palin - although it is obvious to the audience that the sketch is being performed as it was written, and the rap was never intended for Palin to perform. Or was it? A few days later on the official SNL political site, one seemingly naïve viewer posted a message that implied her disappointment at Palin for not performing the rap. When another member chided her for her failure to realize that the rap was always written for Poehler, the forum's moderator (who presumably has some ties to NBC) posted his own response, saying that many sources told him it may have indeed been written for Palin after all. The rap is funny no matter what, but the story gives us something to ponder when the reruns air.
Because no one can produce an unquestionably definitive top five list of anything (seriously, have you seen those new AFI lists? They're ridiculous!), I know many will disagree with me - and I welcome your input as well. Feel free to post your SNL 2008 Top 5 in the comments below.