TTH 3/4/26

SNL Recap

Connor Storrie’s rise from obscurity to fame has been so rapid that it’s enough to give someone the bends. I have no idea how any person could possibly be able to handle such a drastic change in fortune, but I wish him well. His stint as SNL host bodes well; he demonstrated a natural flair for the gig. That, and a physique which makes me feel terribly inadequate. This week featured more whoops and whistles from the studio audience than has been heard in quite some time.

It was an episode filled with cameos. News had leaked that members of both gold medal winning hockey teams were going to appear, the only question was would that come in the monologue or on Update. It was the monologue; the Hughes brothers appeared first, followed by Hilary Knight and Megan Keller. Let the record show that the cheers for the women were significantly louder than those for the men. The next question was if Storrie’s Heated Rivalry co-star Hudson Williams would also appear, and yes he did. Finally, the current radio hit from musical guest Mumford & Sons is a duet with Hozier. Would he join the band this week? Indeed, and Sierra Ferrell & Aaron Dessner guested as well.

My pick for Top Sketch Of the Week is a twist on a format that SNL has used a few times in recent seasons - the serious conversation taking place in front of a chaotic backdrop, such as the Waffle House sketch. There were 2 key differences this time: this one was done live, so the madness was not as elaborate, and the sketch stars were fully aware of what was happening in the background. Here, the setting was the Rockefeller Plaza ice skating rink. Tommy proposed to his girlfriend Veronika on their first anniversary. She turned him down, while behind them a group of skaters were having themselves a grand old time. This was where Hunter Williams showed up.

A close second is the pre-taped Gentleman’s Code piece. Set in Victorian Era London, a group of foppish British men continuously remove their gloves so that they can slap the faces of those who had insulted them. It was eventually going to lead somewhere, and it did when it was Kenan’s turn to get slapped. After warning the other man not to do it, he responds with an uppercut to the face instead of a glove slap. Things quickly degenerate from there; most SNL films of this type tend to include buckets of stage blood. No such viscera was to be seen here, which is a nice welcome change. It’s good to mix things up once in a while.

Storrie was good, I just wish the episode was better. In addition to the standard problem seen too often this year in which the first post-monologue sketch was subpar, too much of the material was over reliant on Storrie’s impressive physical dexterity, Marcello’s scenery chewing, or both. The best of the bunch was one which was dialed back a little further. There was an office meeting after a series of layoffs, the topic of which was to raise morale. Storrie’s suggestion was to hold a dance.

Veronika had her first Update desk piece this week, as a maid of honor discussing the news. The concept was promising, the execution not so much. It’s worth a revisit; perhaps it might be better on a second try. In the other Update piece Sarah portrayed the mother of Punch the monkey. She played the mother as a trailer trash type who had abandoned her poor lonely son.

Connor Storrie was a first time host; next week an SNL perennial will return to move one step closer to receiving his Five-Timers jacket. Dr. Giggles will host; some may know him better as Ryan Gosling. Gorillaz will be the musical guest.

Ballot Breakdown - Mariah Carey

It’s hard to say if this is the sole reason why Mariah Carey is not in the Hall yet, but I have to believe that first impressions are playing a role. When she debuted, she was promoted as the next Whitney Houston. Tommy Mottola had her record a series of huge, booming ballads which were not terribly exciting but were used to showcase the range of her voice and her ability to hit notes that most mere mortals could never hope to reach. She obviously did that well, but it was all flash and no substance and very many people this part of her career remains as her lasting image. It wasn’t until she escaped from Mottola’s clutches that she recorded music that she was more passionate about. She is a fan of hip-hop and R&B, she has a special skill for modulating her voice and riding over the beat. That’s a better representation of her skill set; she is a much more subtle performer than her reputation would lead one to believe. Recording with rappers brought out the real Mariah.

She is also far and away one of the most successful recording artists in history. How many can legitimately be listed above her? The Beatles. Elvis Presley. Michael Jackson. Maybe Frank Sinatra, although it is difficult to accurately gauge record sales from the peak portion of his career. Otherwise, that could be it. She currently has 19 #1 hits on the Hot 100, only 1 behind The Beatles’ record. Moreover, the start of her career coincided with a change in chart methodology; Billboard began to use electronic tracking, one result of which is that songs that hit #1 tend to stay at the top much longer. Carey’s records have spent a total of 101 weeks at #1, practically lapping the field. And because she spends 3 additional weeks at #1 each December, she is going to continue to add to that total. Also keep in mind that she wrote or co-wrote practically every one of those songs. There is a lot of substance behind her divaesque image.

I am not going to get into the “is this rock & roll?” argument here; her musical roots lie firmly within several of the sub genres which have been part of the rock & roll recipe from day one. At this point it seems absurd that someone who has been such a musical force for as long as she has is not in the Hall of Fame yet. I have to believe that this is the year it is going to happen.

My personal favorite: Breakdown

If elected, will she perform at the ceremony?: I believe so. It’s unclear if she would turn her performance into a splashy production, or one that is more stripped down. But I think she would be a part of the festivities and that she would be a likely show opener or closer.

Ballot Breakdown - Phil Collins

No.

I suppose I should expand upon that. After all, of the 17 nominated artists Phil Collins is the most likely to be inducted. But I don’t care how good that In the Air Tonight drum break is, his solo career is nowhere near being HOF caliber. Too much of his solo output consists of terribly bland ballads. For all of the people who make the “this isn’t rock & roll!” complaints, there is a huge percentage of his solo work that is more likely to be heard on adult contemporary radio than on classic rock radio. (As you shall soon see I am going to contradict my point when I reveal my favorite Collins solo track. I contain multitudes.)

I give him credit for using his solo career to explore musical forms which he could not do within the parameters of Genesis. But there is too much of a whiny tinge to his voice to make him an effective soul singer. I also found his production work to feel very antiseptic. When you combine his solo career, his Genesis career, his session work, and his output as an in-demand producer, Phil Collins music was omnipresent for years. That doesn’t mean it was particularly good.

I could also use his music as an example of ingrained bias. It’s a natural reaction to form a judgement about an artist and have that result in one automatically liking or disliking a song purely on that basis. As an example of what I mean, think of the song Beth. A sincere, string-laden love ballad would normally be anathema to fans of hard rock, but because it was recorded by KISS, the KISS army wrapped their arms around the tune. Let’s see if they would have liked it if it was a Bread record instead. Collins’s No Jacket Required album came out when I was a freshman in college, and I knew a lot of people eagerly awaiting its release. The lead single was the drippy ballad One More Night, and it felt like that song was played on auto repeat in every dorm room. I almost wanted to scream at people. “If Dan Fogelberg had recorded this song, you would have immediately dismissed it as sappy dreck. But because it’s Phil Collins, that makes it OK?”

Alright, rant over. I realize that his chances of election are quite high. I only get bothered over the induction of an artist whom I do not believe is worthy because that means it would shut out someone else who is much more deserving. There are worse artists that Phil Collins in the Hall; there will be worse ones elected in the future. If/when I see his name on the list of 2026 inductees, I won’t be angry but I will be deflated.

My personal favorite: Against All Odds

If elected, will he perform at the ceremony?: No. his health is quite poor and he requires 24 hour care. It’s a long shot that he would be well enough to travel, but even if he could performing is out of the question. He is popular enough that it will be easy to assemble a team of all-stars to perform in his absence.

The Oscars Approach

The Academy Awards are only a week and a half away, and now that most of the various guild awards have been given out, several favorites have emerged. Keep in mind that running the table in the pre-Oscar award shows does not necessarily mean that an Oscar is a fait accompli. 5 years ago everyone assumed that Chadwick Boseman was going to win Best Actor, so much so that the producers slotted that award so that it would be the last one presented and the show would end on an emotional high. Instead, it was an all-timer of an anticlimax when Anthony Hopkins won instead. All of which is to say that no one should assume anything until the envelopes have been opened.

Despite that disclaimer, the overwhelming consensus for months has been that Jessie Buckley is going to win Best Actress, and nothing has happened since that would leave anyone to believe otherwise. Similarly, as tightly contested as Best Picture figures to be, Paul Thomas Anderson remains the clear favorite for Best Director. That leaves 4 of the Big 6 prizes which still contain loads of suspense.

Timotheé Chalamet has long been considered the Best Actor front runner, but there has been a noticeable backlash forming, which is clearing a path for either Leonardo DiCaprio or Michael B. Jordan, with Wagner Moura as a viable dark horse contender. Both supporting prizes are tightly contested. If there is huge momentum for Sinners, Wunmi Mosaku could have an outside chance at Best Supporting Actress, but it looks like it will come down to Teyana Taylor or Amy Madigan. Both were true supporting players; the presence of each character hovered over their films, even during the prolonged periods in which neither appeared in the movie. You can’t go wrong with either. I would probably lean towards Madigan, because Aunt Gladys continues to haunt me.

Best Supporting Actor comes down to a pair of One Battle After Another actors who have previously won Oscars competing against a pair of highly respected septuagenarians earning their first nominations. The 4 have taken their turns winning awards, so it’s hard to say who will win. I have not yet seen Sentimental Value, so I can’t judge Stellan Skarsgård, but of the performances I have seen I would choose Benicio Del Toro first, followed by Delroy Lindo.

As for Best Picture, that’s gonna be a tough one. Sinners just won the top prize at the Actor’s Awards; One Battle After Another won the Producer’s Guild prize. The PGA award is generally a more reliable Oscar harbinger, but on the other hand the record setting number of nominations given to Sinners suggests broad based appeal. I loved both movies, but I thought Sinners was better. If you want a hint as to what will happen, pay attention to the awards presented earlier in the ceremony. Sinners is likely to win Best Original Score and Best Original Screenplay. If it also wins the likes of Costume Design and Production Design then it is in for a very good night.

Neil Sedaka

The career of Neil Sedaka, who passed away last week, encompassed multiple eras. He was one of the primary songwriters during the age of Brill Building Pop which dominated the landscape in the years between the emergence of the first generation of rock & roll stars and the beginning of the Beatles era. Together with his songwriting partner Howard Greenfield he composed hit singles for the likes of Connie Francis. Unlike many of his peers he also had a robust performing career. Among his pop classics as a solo artist were the #1 hit Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, along with Calendar Girl and Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen.

Sedaka was an affable guy, so he was able to keep himself in the spotlight well after his hits began to dry up. That helped him make an unlikely comeback in the mid-70’s. He wrote several early Captain & Tennille singles, including their signature hit Love Will Keep Us Together. His own recording career was rejuvenated as well, becoming as popular as he had been in his earlier heyday. In addition to hitting the charts with a slowed down remake of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, he reached #1 twice with Bad Blood and Laughter In the Rain.

Sedaka’s music is not heard very often on the radio these days. Oldies stations have moved on from the sounds of his early 1960’s peak, and adult contemporary radio has similarly shifted away from mid 1970’s tunes. But Sedaka’s music was a big deal back in the day. If you were sitting in your doctor’s waiting room, chances are you heard a lot of Neil Sedaka. His songs played a big part in keeping rock & roll relevant in the years before The Beatles changed everything. Sedaka was 86.

50 Years Ago - The Krofft Supershow

In my childhood Sid and Marty Krofft were a dominant force in Saturday morning TV. At any point in time they had at least one show on the air, often more than one, many of which had an almost nightmarish tone. The Bugaloos? Shudder. They were famous for bright colors, hammy acting, and wild puppets that seem like they came out of an LSD dream. By 1976 they had been branching out into producing primetime TV variety shows as well, and they carried that idea into Saturday mornings as well. The Krofft Supershow was the result.

It was structured similarly to the Mickey Mouse Club. A team of hosts headquartered in an amusement park performed peppy pop songs and acted in mini skits which surrounded a trio of ongoing live action series. The hosts were the fictional rock band Kaptain Kool and The Kongs, a quintet dressed in garish glam rock costumes, each with broadly drawn personalities: Kaptain Kool, Super Chick, Flatbush, Nashville, and Turkey.

In season 1 the running series were as follows. Dr. Shrinker was set on a tropical island on which a mad scientist had aimed his shrink ray on a trio of teenagers. Wonderbug was a dune buggy in which his teen owners installed a magical horn which gave the car powers of flight and speech. They solved crimes. ElectraWoman and DynaGirl were a super hero duo fighting super villains who would have been too over the top for the Adam West Batman series.

New series were added in season 2: a show about a genie called Magic Mongo, and an adventure show called Bigfoot and Wildboy, which as its name implies teamed a Sasquatch with a young boy raised by animals in the forest. These series, and the Kaptain Kool interstitials, were silly and kitschy even by the standards of Saturday morning TV. You can say a lot of things about the entertainment produced by the Kroffts; calling it subtle is not one of them.

I do have to admit that of all the Supershow segments, ElectraWoman and DynaGirl made the biggest impression on 10 year old me. Attractive young women fighting crime decked out in spandex and high heeled boots? The Kroffts knew what they were doing. Looking back it is amazing how audaciously absurd it was. Beyond the terminal scenery chewing from all of the actors, they didn’t even bother to hide the heroines’ secret identities. There was no Clark Kent removing his glasses or Bruce Wayne hiding his face underneath a cowl; these women simply slightly changed their hairdos when switching into their costumes. Somehow that still fooled people. Wonderful. Gotta love the 1970’s.

Closing Laughs

Time to close the door on things for another day. Thanks as always for supporting Tending the Herd. Here is wishing a pleasant day to you all. See everyone again on Friday.