it really is one of the funniest things I've seen this year, and one of the funniest things on SNL in *many* years....

Nice to have it on my puter finally ... I've been saving it on TiVo ...

when was the last time Saturday Night Live was this successful in creating a cultural sensation?

Wayne's World?

Last time SNL created a cultural sensation? I'd say "more cowbell".

It wasn't as big as Wayne's World, but I quite liked Farrell & Kattan's head-bobbing club guys of "A Night At The Roxbury" fame. And I know quite a few other people who did, too.

But that's probably just my social circle. In any case, as big as Wayne's World was, I wouldn't say this is quite the same thing. One internet meme doesn't seem quite the same as long-running skit with two movies.

I'd say "More Cowbell" is about right.

A friend just reminded me of a solid SNL cultural contribution: Strategery.

Will Ferrel's GWB was terrific, especially his faux campaign commercial from last year.

He's still doing Dubya. Another one of those fake commercials just came out last month. Don't have the link here, though.

I'd also put in a vote for "more cowbell"; it's *incredibly* popular on the Net (especially among the 35 and younger crowd).

Everyone in the country must be trying to view the video. It's been nearly half an hour and I haven't gotten through.

the times piece and other mentions in the press really tip toe around the fact that this video is about smoking weed, getting the munchies and going to the movies. it's referential to an experience many enjoy and that's what makes it funny. why can't people admit that?

Robert Smigel did a fantastic piece on Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens a couple years back.

For that matter, Smigel's "Christmastime for the Jews" (with Darlene Love) also got widely linked. Both in the same week!

Yes, this was the funniest thing to appear on SNL in a couple seasons. That's actually pretty sad if you consider the following:

-It was not written by the show's main writers.
-It was a single segment created by a few people associated with the show.
-It did not feature input from the guest host.
-It was actually funnier than any of the segments featuring the guest host of the week, Jack Black.

Ditto for Smigel's cartoons. The funniest material coming out of SNL studios are the clips that are created before the live show.

I guess I'm too old (42). I watched the free download from iTunes.

I. Don't. Get. It.

I'll admit I have absolutely zero interest in hip-hop. I watched it all the way through and my only thought was "that was stupid."

Someone care to explain what I'm not catching here?

Thanks.

I'm with KySeattle -- I duntgeddit.

I'm clearly missing most of the cultural references -- what do cupcakes have to do with Narnia, f'rinstance?

travy suggests it's about smoking dope and the munchies but dang, that's awful subtle.

Perhaps if the words were articulated more clearly I'd get more.

KySeattle - it's a parody of other rap songs and their overtly gang/gun/drugs theme. Instead of buying drugs, they buy snacks and they use a *gasp* 10 dollar bill (in a rap video, they pass around hundreds). They go cruising around in the back of a taxi, instead of in their tricked-out gangsta Mercedes. They throw around references to white-bread movies & movie stars, instead of throwing around references to slain rappers. They use mapquest/yahoo/google to find a route to a movie, instead of laying down the plans for their next 'hit' (jewelrey store/bank/whatever).

It isn't the funniest thing I've seen - Weird Al is regularly funnier than this, even with his own material, but it is still pretty good.

I stopped watching when Will left. Wake me up when they get some balls.

I disagree with you Travy, the joke is that a song that mentions "Chronic" should be about weed but it isn't.

These characters don't have the munchies, they're just dorks ("Mr. Pibb + Red Vines = Crazy Delicious").

So how does it compare to Jim Belushi and Alex Karras doing "White Guy Rap" on SNL?

These guys were well on their way to becoming an (underground) cultural sensation before their recent hire by SNL. Their site is here: http://www.thelonelyisland.com/ . Awesometown is... AWESOME!

For me, SNL is at its funniest when it geeks out like the Chronicles of Narnia rap or the infamous Paris Hilton 1-900 geek sketch. Which they've been doing more and more of lately; maybe they realized the people staying home on Saturday nights are geeky like me. ;^)

One of my favorite sketches was a gameshow called "Geek, Dweeb or Spaz". People are trotted out in front of the contestants who have to guess what label applies. Like David Spade fidgeting in a Ghostbusters t-shirt, talking about his slip'n'slide (spaz). Punchline: Charlie Sheen comes out looking cool in a motorcycle jacket, which mystefies the contestants. Then the host shows a picture of Sheen and a bunch of nerds posing with D&D books. Ellen Cleghorn wins with "Oh, he's a royal geek!"

SNL has not been consistentyly funny since Phil Hartman anchored the cast, or about 1995.

Those who "don't get it" are overthinking. The skit is a gangsta rap by two dorky and unbelievably white guys about eating cupcakes and going to see the Chronicles of Narnia on the Upper West Side. While that premise is, in and of itself, somewhat humorous, the fact that Samburg and Parnell play it straight--and with such conviction--is what makes the clip utterly hilarious.

Thanks for clearing that up, Joe. I but I saw what you described and figured NBC had deleted the funny parts.

So this is how Dylan's "Mr. Jones" feels....

Yeah, that was classic "The Lonely Island" guys sutff. I guarantee you it was directed by them (probably the Akiva guy) and probably mainly written by them too. They've had the music video genre down for a while now (check out Kablamo on their website, it's awesome), and they've also got the single-camera TV show down too (their 'Bu series). I don't know them, though I've met them a couple times, and when I'm able to keep my raging envy at bay it's clear these guys deserve to go places. Very, very talented guys.

trust me guys- two twenty-something manhattanites saying "chronic" repeatedly while going to magnolias to eat cupcakes and then going to an eye candy special fx movie on a sunday afternoon is about smoking weed...

.

Add to this.....

"Hans and Franz" - Ahnuld uses their stuff all the time.

"Richie the Copy Machine Guy".

First, this video is much more homage to the Beasty Boys than it is anything else. Certianly not Run DMC as the Steve suggested.

Second, yes, it is about weed.

Third, it is very, very funny.

Fourth, more cowbell is dead-on as the last thing as big as this since SNL.

Fifth, yes SNL is sad now.

I thought that the trip to the accountant's office at the Wonka Factory, with Al Gore playing the accountant, was absolutely hilarious -- "You hear that, Willy? We're oompa-loompa-doompity-screwed!" I wish that had been a cultural sensation, but NOOOOO!

Librul: One of my favorite sketches was a gameshow called "Geek, Dweeb or Spaz".

Which in turn reminds me of the "Food, Sex, or Cars?!" skit (Rob Lowe, April 1997). Which ought to be a real game show, if it isn't already.

It's not about weed! Damn it. Weed references are a dime a dozen. A joke about being absolutely dead boring and thinking you're badass -- now that is a worthwhile joke.

Kyle & beiowulf-the whole joke is not entirely about weed, as in that's not all there is to it that's funny. but the storyline that propels the joke is. travy is right.

IT IS ABOUT WEED, got it? There is no debate. None.

The whole thing is about WEED, getting high, getting the munchies and going to the movies--- something that 30-yr white, middle-class New Yorkers do on a regular basis.

What about the reference to "Chronic" do y'all non-believers not understand? The title of the damn song they sing is a popular slang term for weed.

Case closed.

-

the last time? ``Wayne's World.''

It's nice to see nerdcore finally hit big!

If you dug that video, check out some other geeky rappers on the intarweb:

MC Frontalot
http://www.frontalot.com/

MC Chris, also a writer for Adult Swim
http://www.mcchris.com/

MC Paul Barman
http://www.mcpaulbarman.com/

More at Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerdcore_hip_hop

No, it's not about weed. It would be about weed if it wasn't ironic, but it is, and it's not about weed. It's about a complete and utter lack of weed, and bling, and style, and money, and any reason to be rapping. If it were just a thinly veiled rap about pot it would be stupid. It's not stupid, it's not about weed.

I'm with the Tim. I've watched it way too many times, and it's way too carefully crafted to avoid ANYTHING cool for there to be something that obvious. Yes, those guys know what "chronic" means. Yes, the movie title is hiccupped that way on purpose. And no, there's absolutely no pot implication. Anywhere. It's um, funny that there's not. Get it?