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The joke may have been obvious, but the execution was flawless -- which is more than you can usually say for Saturday Night Live. Last night, the show got off to a shaky start with a plodding President Obama and China press conference that dithered with gay jokes, followed by a musical theatre-type monologue from host Joseph Gordon-Levitt, in which he sounded like Kermit the Frog and committed acts of physical comedy. But then, a digital short! That means tons of editing and high-quality footage and no line flubs and celebrity cameos and... voilà. Laughs. A topical movie parody paired with the author of the biggest book in the land: Sarah Palin, 2012, Glenn Beck, Going Rogue -- just watch: (more...)

Strong return by SNL last night after two weeks off, with a surprisingly strong host in the unselfconscious and rather adorable Taylor Swift. Swift had a heavier load to carry in this ep than most hosts, since she was the musical guest as well, but you could barely tell (I only noticed the cue-card eye-wander in one sketch) and the writers used her well. Great ensemble show, too — tonight was one of those nights when SNL felt like a team and not like a showcase for a few stars. Some great hair & makeup work (Twilight, Kate Gosselin) but some weak stuff too (Barbara Walters, Joe Trippi). You're not supposed to notice the discrepancy — just as you're not supposed to notice that Shep Smith is being lampooned for something he doesn't do. Glenn Beck on the other hand? So is. Extra points for getting a health care vote joke in "Weekend Update," too — the bill passed at 11:15 pm and they went to air at 11:30 pm. (more...)