There have been many athletes that have appeared on Saturday Night Live. And relative to other miserable on-stage performances, most of them have been pretty funny. Okay, so most of them haven't been that great. But Derek Jeter's Taco Hole is absolutely killer and Peyton Manning might have been the funniest person on the show -- no, I'm not just talking hosts -- since Will Ferrell left.
Expecting that sort of show from Phelps seemed a bit aggressive. Being funny, after all, on live national television is not easy. But there's a big difference between not being funny and just being flat-out unentertaining and, well, flat.
Phelps was both on Saturday. One skit was funny and it drew on the softball Michael Phelps Diet joke, but that didn't matter since anyone with any sensibility (or charged with reviewing this FAIL-fest) had already turned off the television, since it came at the very end of the show.
Check out Video of Phelps' Performance!
Phelps got an immediate hookup on the performance -- Tina Fey decided to show up as Sarah Palin, juxtaposing the always foxy (I have a really weird obsession, sorry) Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton in what came off as a pretty funny intro skit and a misrepresentation of what would follow.
Sports Stars Who Hosted SNL'
Michael Phelps
Date: Sept. 13, 2008
Fresh off his amazing Olympic performance, Phelps hosted 'Saturday Night Live,' but he didn't earn a gold medal for his efforts.
Dana Edelson, NBCU Photo Bank / AP
LeBron James
Date: Sept. 27, 2007
Although James is a superstar on the court, his performance as a host was rather dismal, except for a few laughs.
Dana Edelson, NBC / AP
Peyton Manning
Date: March 24, 2007
The Super Bowl champion had one of the most memorable moments in recent 'SNL' history with his United Way PSA skit.
AP
Tom Brady
Date: April 16, 2005
The Patriots quarterback was very impressive as a host. Just like on the football field, Brady avoided most of the miscues that other athletes hosting 'SNL' have historically fell victim to.
Dana Edelson, NBC / AP
Andy Roddick
Date: Nov. 8, 2003
The tennis star is only the second tennis player to host. Despite his entertaining interviews, Roddick's performance as host was nothing to write home about.
Jason Kempin, Getty Images
Jeff Gordon
Date: Jan. 11, 2003
The NASCAR driver, who is loved and hated by race fans, is still the only NASCAR racer to ever host 'SNL.'
Michael Tran, FilmMagic
The Rock
Date: April 12, 2002
Dwayne Johnson, better known as 'The Rock,' has had success in movies and attributes much of that to his solid performance hosting 'SNL.'
Gregg DeGuire, WireImage
Jonny Moseley
Date: March 2, 2002
The Olympic gold medalist relied on goofy antics to spark any laughter from the crowd.
Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images
Derek Jeter
Date: Dec. 1, 2001
The three-time Gold Glove winner received very good reviews as a host.
Jemal Countess, FilmMagic
Deion Sanders
Date: Feb. 18, 1995
'Prime Time' struggled late at night in his 'SNL' debut.
Bryan Bedder, Getty Images
Throughout the monologue, it was pretty obvious that he was there to play the role of a straight man -- hence the Denny Crane Shatner cameo pimping Priceline. And also because they used both Poehler and Will Forte to try and inject some humor -- key word "try" -- into a short piece that was uninspiring at best. I thought he would be a little more excited -- he had mentioned he was pretty thrilled at the gig -- so I was relatively shocked when he said it was his "ninth greatest achievement". Oh. I see. That was a joke. Whoops.
Kudos though, to whoever decided that Phelps, with a blonde wig on top, would look perfect as a home-schooled Amish teenager. He did. Even up to the inability to hold back a grin in a fairly amusing "Quizbowl" skit that wasn't designed at all to try and make the swimmer humorous, although it did take shots at the public schooling system, amid obvious jokes.
It wasn't as obvious as the "Locker Room Skit" -- one that Manning killed -- making an appearance; Phelps somehow managed to dehumorize a line that includes the phrase "fudged my Speedo". And considering I laughed re-reading it, well, that's not good. In better news: Kings of Leon next week.
"Ugly Kids" (not the actual name, just the generic title I'm attaching to the SNL skit with socially awkward children amid parents and their guests) was, well, what it is always: primarily lame and awkward. I can't fault Phelps for his performance, even if it was a B-rate impersonation of Napoleon Dynamite, but this skit is never funny, so yeah, whoops. Again.
(Aside: Surely I'm not the only one who thinks Beverly Hills Chihuahua means an imminent collapse of Earth's center core and brimfire reigning down? Right?)(Aside 2: I hope that Lorne Michaels took the "Weekend Update" break to slap Phelps around for somehow managing to flat-line even Lil' Wayne's introduction.)
And instead of an aside, I'm just going to ask you -- why is Darrell Hammond still hanging around SNL? He does like one skit a week, he's the only holdover left from the previous cast change and is he really that funny? Because his Bella imitation on "The Charles Barkley Show" was not. Yet, it was still funnier than Michael Phelps playing ... Michael Phelps. Sigh.
On the bright side, Phelps said roughly 30 words over the next two skits, four of which were funny. Oh no. Nevermind. They were horrible. That might be because after trying to spin off some Fave-5 T-Mobile joke about adultery, they let new cast member Bobby Moynihan get loose as a waiter in a skit that was, um, not good. Well, unless you count "Somehow making Phelps appear less worse" as "good." Then it was good.
NBC pulled out all the stops for this one, including a Jared Fogle (Honestly, how is this guy still relevant?) cameo in the middle of the aforementioned Phelps Diet skit, which is a shame. Because, just like Fogle's description of the Phelps diet, it "sucked a fat one."
I'd like to think that it wasn't all Phelps and that the writing has somehow come back down from a brief resurgence during the last season, but the fact is, he had some chances to be funny and didn't do anything to convert at all. Like, if he was in charge of writing this, he would totally not give himself the gold.
Michael Phelps
In this photo provided by NBC, U.S. Olympic star Michael Phelps, right, dances with actor Will Forte during "Saturday Night Live" Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008 in New York. (AP Photo/Dana Edelson, NBCU Photo Bank)
AP
In this photo provided by NBC, U.S. Olympic star Michael Phelps, right, dances with actor Will Forte during "Saturday Night Live" Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008 in New York. (AP Photo/Dana Edelson, NBCU Photo Bank)
AP
** FILE ** In this Sept. 7, 2008 file photo, Michael Phelps arrives at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards held at Paramount Pictures Studio Lot in Los Angeles. Phelps takes a break from rehearsals to discuss his weekend gig hosting the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live," where the Olympic champion swimmer follows in the footsteps of such previous jock hosts as Peyton Manning. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
AP
** FILE ** In this Sept. 7, 2008 file photo, Michael Phelps arrives at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards held at Paramount Pictures Studio Lot in Los Angeles. Phelps takes a break from rehearsals to discuss his weekend gig hosting the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live," where the Olympic champion swimmer follows in the footsteps of such previous jock hosts as Peyton Manning. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
AP
CEO Warnaco, and Helen McCluskey, Group President of Intimate Apparel and Swimwear. (Photo: Business Wire)
BUSINESS WIRE
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte, Joe Gromek, President and CEO of Warnaco, Helen McCluskey, Group President of Intimate Apparel and Swimwear visit the New York Stock Exchange on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Malcolm Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Phelps;Natalie Coughlin;Ryan Lochte;Joe Gromek;Helen McCluskey
Getty Images
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte, Joe Gromek, President and CEO of Warnaco, Helen McCluskey, Group President of Intimate Apparel and Swimwear visit the New York Stock Exchange on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Malcolm Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Phelps;Natalie Coughlin;Ryan Lochte;Joe Gromek;Helen McCluskey
Getty Images
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Joe Gromek (L) and Michael Phelps visit the New York Stock Exchange on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Malcolm Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Phelps;Joe Gromek
Getty Images
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps visits the New York Stock Exchange on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Malcolm Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Phelps
Getty Images
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps visits the New York Stock Exchange on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Malcolm Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Phelps
Getty Images
Comments (Page 1 of 25)
I am person that chuckles (occasionally) at Jay Leno's monologue. Sad as that fact, the SNL with Phelps was worse. Unfunny, unoriginal, and uninspired! I never even cracked a smile after Phelps showed up. Perhaps the worst host ever, could his voice be any more monotone. Try funny SNL instead of gimmicks!
Ok, so he's not an actor nor a comedian but he did get up there and give it a shot. It's amazing to me how critical folks can be. He is however a national hero and represented our country in a triumphant way by winning 8 gold medals. Who else has ever done that. I guess I'm taking up for the guy because of how he grew up, suffering from ADHD and still managing to get where he is today. My daughter has struggled through her entire life with ADHD and suffered bullying and being picked on while growing up. Michael, you go boy! You are amazing. And....by the way....he played a fundamental mormon boy, not an Amish!
Not a big surprise that he didn't pull it off. This just isn't his thing, But I think anyone anywhere in any capacity that has a negative thing to say should 1) blame the writers and 2) look at themselves and see if they have even one thousandth of one percent of the talent this guy has..
Well, Phelps has a Radio Face, (NOT made for television!) that's for sure.
He didn't bomb. He did just fine. I think you critics of Phelps are just mad because Tina Fey's take on "dumb as a rock" Caribou Barbie was so dead on. The show's writing was a lttle tired after the first 15 minutes, but you cannot blame that on Phelps. I hope Tina comes back next week. Tina and Amy's opening was one of the funniest things thay have done in years. They are, without a doubt, the 2 funniest women in TV today.
I don't blame Michael. I blame the writers for writing skits that were not funny at all. That one in the restaurant was awful. That waiter was not funny. There was noting Michael could do about the bad writing.
Definitely agree. And I can't believe they re-used the Peyton Manning locker room sketch idea with Phelps.... Peyton was way more funny. Phelps's ego got in the way.
right now your comments are pertinent. Wait and see what the advertisers will do with my and i mean my boy. He made AMERICA proud. Katie couric Cant anchor the news either.
If you wanty a comic, get a comic!
Two things:
1. Who the hell watches Saturday Night Live, or has since Phil Hartman was on it?
2. Michael Phelps proves that he's not great at everything??? Michael Phelps has proven that he is good at two things in life: swimming, and eating a grip of carbohydrates. Things he has proven he is bad at include comedy, having proportionate ears, and driving better after having had a few.
I thought you said you didn't watch SNL? It sounds like envy to me.
Well, I just don't get the whole "PhelpsPhan" thing. He can swim fast- so what? He's not a brain surgeon or anything else ( comedian, entertainer, doctor, teaher, lawyer etc). He won 7 gold medals because he can swim fast... so what. I don't get athlete worship. I'll be a fan when someone cures cancer, or does something else noteworthy. '
I enjoy Satruday Night Live, and comedy in general- but he was just awful. I think Saturday Night Live should have chosen someone else to open their season.
Give the boy a break. He was brave enough to show there, tired and unprepared.
You're so right! Last I heard, he has not been home since weeks before the Olympics, but we've seen him live everywhere. He was tired! He was falling asleep like the rest of us!
Give the guy a break. I don't see anyone else in the USA winning eight gold medals in one year in swimming comp. Nobody is good at every thing. Do what he did and than you can open your mouth about his faults. If you had any brains you might realize that Phelps has totally given his life and that would include his social life to swimming to get where he got in the 2008 olympics. Who cares about Saturday Night live. Making yourself a hit on that show can in no way compare to what Phelps has done. How about talking about the great person and good teenager/young adult that he has been and the lives he has and will touch. That is what life is all about not some stupid late night ,dirty mouthed show.
you go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Couldn't have said it better!!!!!!!!!!!
excellent!
I agree w you 100%!!!!! nobody's good at everything. He's good at swimming, and i mean REALLY good, he doesnt need to be funny. He just did SNL to give it a shot, sure, he bombed it, but its not like he deeds the extra fans, he's got them all around the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you for that. Perhaps people don't understand what greatness is made of. People are imperfectly perfect. Phelps has proven himself as a person of great accomplishment. Perhaps people who put him down for not being funny have not acheived greatness themselves
Who's Michael Phelps ?