Who was the first Oscar winner to host ‘Saturday Night Live’?
This year, Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary. Some of the biggest names across film and music took part to mark the occasion – so why is it also one of the most contentious topics in modern television?
Whether or not SNL is actually funny or worthwhile TV has long been debated, its over-the-top gags proving too cheesy for some to stomach. While there is a core of loyalists who’ll jump at any opportunity to defend it, those on the periphery see it as the one thing most strive to avoid when it comes to TV: cheap sketches with barely any moments actually worth your attention, no matter how big the name involved.
Ask anyone about their favourite SNL skit, and most people will fumble to think of any. There have, all things considered, been a few good ones over the years, like Pedro Pascal’s overprotective mother and Jim Carrey’s scarily good impression of Joe Biden. But what others claim is the biggest selling point of one of the most iconic shows in TV history isn’t actually how much we measure comedy, but the names attached to it.
For instance, it’s hard to think of another show that’s had as many of the biggest names from all industries, from politics and business to film and music. And most people don’t actually care if a skit is funny or not if the person involved is someone they like, mainly because it shows them doing something so far out of their remit that it’s worth paying attention to, whether it’s actually entertaining or not.
Who was the first Oscar winner to host SNL?
This also supports the claim that, with SNL, it’s never actually about the theme or concept of the skit itself but the silliness and humiliation of whoever’s in front of the camera. Put it this way, SNL has boasted countless A-Listers, from Robin Williams and Leonard DiCaprio to Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig. Many of whom are major award winners. And yet, on SNL, all you’ll see is them doing their worst – that’s the point.
When Lorne Michaels first employed a team to create SNL, it was about making something silly and sardonic, ensuring that a set of names that nobody knew but would soon have a leg up in the world of comedy. A sort of reverse effect now, when it’s usually those who break character the most who end up being the funniest, SNL became an intentional hotbed of incredible talent showing themselves up on camera, and it didn’t even matter what their credentials were.
In fact, many in the beginning went on to become major names after appearing on or hosting the show, while others already had the fame and respect before trying their hand at Michaels’ ridiculous, off-kilter comedy. This is more commonly the case now, though one thing that remains impressive about SNL is that it was fairly quick to explode, drawing in a mix of those from various stages of their career.
Many, like Ruth Gordon, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lawrence, and Natalie Portman, already came equipped with Oscar nominations and wins under their belt, the first being Gordon, who hosted in 1977 after winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1969.
Although not as memorable as many episodes that came after, it proved how far SNL had taken flight in the two years it had been on air, already with a bunch of well-established names in its orbit. And it would only soar from there, remaining one of the biggest shows on TV today, and still rarely faltering when it comes to the lineups, even if the tone and comedic elements themselves remain a point of contention.
