As Saturday Night Live celebrates its 50th anniversary, a memory recently popped into my head: it’s 2014, and I’m at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center for a presentation on writing comedy for Sesame Street. Being an SNL fan, I’m particularly drawn to the moderator, cast member Bobby Moynihan. Setting up the panel, he explains that growing up, he had pictures of his two heroes on his bedroom wall: Lorne Michaels and Jim Henson. Something about that has stuck with me (and not just that Bobby Moynihan and I would probably be friends if it weren’t for the whole “running in different social circles” thing). Lately, I’ve started to realize just how similar SNL and the Muppets are, and not just in the obvious ways. Sure, they’ve both relied over the years on sketch comedy and musical performances, and they’ve both had substantial presences in both television and the movies, and of course, the Muppets were a part of the show in its first season, but there’s more that ties them together than you might think.
Well-Planned Anarchy
Like the Muppets, SNL is always in a balance between chaos and order. Each week, the writers create more sketches than the public will ever see, and it’s a race against the clock to get it ready to be produced for that week’s show. From there, it’s only a matter of a couple of days to get sets, props, and costumes, record music, and determine camera shots. Sometimes things aren’t finished until the last minute. And even if the sketch makes it to the dress rehearsal, there’s no guarantee that it’ll make it to the final lineup that the world gets to watch. That lineup is decided 45 minutes before the live show begins. Sounds mind-boggling, right? In a way, the Muppets reflect that chaos. On The Muppet Show, Kermit often made judgement calls to change the order while trying to stay one step ahead of the mayhem (the non-electric kind, at least). Having all the Muppets’ different personalities under one building led to a lot of anarchy, but somehow, there was always a show and it always ended with a round of applause (and Zoot, proving some kinds of mayhem can’t be avoided).
Recurring Celebrities
There’s something about SNL and the Muppets’ sense of play that appeals not only to viewers and fans, but also to creative talent. Not only are there tons of celebrities eager to work with them, but many are happy to work with them more than once. Just as SNL has a history of bringing back old friends like Candice Bergen, Elliott Gould, and Steve Martin, between The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, and more, the Muppets have a roster of recurring collaborators like Candice Bergen, Elliott Gould, and Steve Martin. Huh. That’s odd. I guess this means the Muppets need a 5-Timers Club of their own.
Haven’t I Seen You Somewhere Before?
Not only have both properties shared guests, in the early years, they also shared characters! When Gilda Radner showed up on The Muppet Show, she brought along one of her most famous SNL characters, Emily Litella. (She’s the one calling it “The Muffin Show,” in case you don’t recognize her.) But it turns out it was a matter of returning a favor, as a year before, a Muppet Show character appeared on SNL. In 1977, Muppet Show writer Jack Burns hosted an episode of the show, where he played failed comedy writer Gags Beasley, who, in the Muppet world, just happens to scribe for none other than Fozzie Bear. It certainly explains a lot about Fozzie’s own struggles with humor. But the connection doesn’t end there: in the sketch, Beasley mentions he wrote the Banana Sketch, which annoyed Kermit in the Sandy Duncan episode of… you guessed it… The Muffin Show. I mean The Muppet Show. Dangit, Emily!
Bernie Brillstein
Another big connection (and probably a major contributing factor to the many guests the properties have shared) has to be legendary agent Bernie Brillstein, who represented both Lorne Michaels and Jim Henson, not to mention SNL cast members like Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, and Adam Sandler. Without Bernie, who knows if the Muppets and SNL would’ve ever crossed paths?
Johnny Fiama
He’s basically Nick the Lounge Singer, just without the simian sidekick. Look him up. (Nick, not Johnny. Johnny Fiama is already world famous.)
Memory and Nostalgia
As the decades have passed, these two iconic properties still remain beloved because of their endless source of nostalgia. Each is chock full of iconic visuals and catchphrases that have made themselves comfortable in our collective memories. “More cowbell,” Mr. Robinson and The Blues Brothers sit alongside “wocka wocka,” Statler and Waldorf in the balcony, and the Muppets bathed in rainbows at the end of The Muppet Movie in the zeitgeist. The unbridled creativity has led to those short, punchy memories that stick with us because they mean something to us. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, for better and for worse. I suppose that’s why both the Muppets and SNL are subject to what feels like a perpetual debate over its continued merits, and nostalgia often clouds the conversation. Lorne once said in an interview that people often attach themselves to SNL when they’re young and just starting to watch the show. And when people get nostalgic about the way things used to be, it’s hard to convince them that things are still good. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to listen to people say that the show isn’t funny anymore, or that they don’t take risks like they used to, or there are too many people in the cast. And yeah, I hear it about the Muppets too. Like it or not, the past is in the past. We can’t go back; we can only learn from what we’ve had and apply it to what we’ve got. Which leads me to…
Reinvention
So what has enabled these properties to continue on while the others fall to the ash heap of time? I think it lies with the fact that over the years, both the Muppets and SNL have torn down and rebuilt themselves over and over. Veteran performers leave, new performers, inspired by those who have come before, arrive and make their own way. New characters and stories are introduced, allowing for more moments to enter our memories and remind us of that youthful energy we once experienced. If they hadn’t had the courage to make Muppets Tonight and just stuck with the ensemble from The Muppet Show, Pepe might never have become such a well-known character. Without the rebuild after SNL’s controversial 11th season, we might never have been introduced to the likes of Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, Molly Shannon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kate McKinnon, or Bowen Yang. It’s that cycle of risk-taking that enables new visions to emerge, and that’s what keeps entertainment staples like the Muppets and SNL to survive and enrich new generations.
Oh, and both have a legacy of premature anniversary celebrations, like, say, starting a 70th anniversary celebration for 2025 in August 2024, or a big anniversary special in February for something that doesn’t turn 50 until October. That’s also very important.
Click here to thank the cast, the crew, Lorne, and the Hatrack on the ToughPigs Discord!
by Matthew Soberman – Matthew@ToughPigs.com
