If you’ve ever seen the television network Video Hits 1 (a.k.a. VH1), you’re probably familiar with flamboyant Barney’s creative director Simon Doonan and his one-man crusade to reintroduce the cravat into mainstream fashion. He’s known for his typically catty comments on the I Love the series, where what follows the word “the” in the title is any number from 1915 to 2020.
In his real life, Doonan is the Creative Director of the New York department store Barneys, and is responsible for, among other things, the store’s street-level window displays. Earlier this week, the store revealed its displays for the season the theme of which, in the grandest of holiday traditions, is Saturday Night Live. If you find that to be an odd choice, I’d guess you’re not alone.
The displays are heavy on allusion to various characters, scenes and personalities from the series’ 35 years – but deciphering each of those references is hindered by the primary mode of presentation, papier-mâché. (Or, as Americans say: paper mache. Barney’s generally prefers the fancy French spelling.) I can’t help but suspect that this medium was chosen primarily to evoke sympathy – after all, it’s possible, if not probable, that they were actually made by a class of fourth graders. If their teacher saw fit to distribute gold stars for their hard work, who could possibly mock them?
Well, me. I’ve done my best, below, to identify the references in each of the four windows. I have done poorly. Therefore, I appeal to you, Internet, to help fill in the blanks as much as these somewhat dark and small photos will allow. Hop to!
Window 1
Let me demonstrate my immense SNL knowledge right off the bat: this is primarily about the Coneheads. (Don’t be intimidated by my powerful intellect folks. Just do your best.)
In the close-up, at right, you can see how I pieced this one together. The mouth full of cigarettes, the six-pack of beer, the capes – all hints toward which long-running gag this pays testament to. Also, the shape of the heads.
(You may not have known, though, that the Coneheads were also big fans of Vanity Fair. Is it possible that a similar cranial structure is what’s buried beneath all that hair?)
Window 2
This one is a bit more complicated. Will Ferrell as Janet Reno, while an odd choice, is easy to spot, as is Dana Carvey‘s Church Lady and Brian Fellow, whose name is helpfully written (and misspelled) on his glasses. Father Guido Sarducci is between these two, in the center back.
There are five other floating heads here that are near incomprehensible. For example, the one behind Brian Fellow appears to be Matt Foley, though I only guessed that because, underneath him, it says, “In a van down by the river.” It also says, “Suck it, Trebek,” though, so who knows.
Oh, I just realized that the two in the upper left of the small photo are Wayne and Garth. Good luck on the two remaining.
>>>NEXT: Paper-mache Tina Fey, Sarah Palin, Gilly and Pat
Pages: 1 2
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
