When people think back about the 1990s, the first things that come to mind are grunge rock and television shows about nothing. People reminisce about Tupac’s untimely death and Monica Lewinsky’s soiled dress and they remember where they were when O.J. walked out of the courtroom a free man.
Unfortunately, they forget that the ’90s were the “golden age” of sketch comedy.
The godfather of all sketch comedy shows, “Saturday Night Live,” stood on top of the world during the ’90s. Legendary skits such as “Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker,” and “Wayne’s World” remain etched into the pop cultural consciousness. “SNL” also did its best topical humor in the ’90s.
Sketches pulled from the headlines never seemed forced like they did during the 2008 presidential election; they blended smoothly and unobtrusively into the rest of the show’s tone.
Apart from “SNL” peaking in the ’90s, there was a slough of other sketch comedy shows that paved the way for some of today’s best comedians.
You probably know David Cross for his stand-up comedy or his role as “Tobias Funke” in “Arrested Development,” but before that, he and “SNL” writer Bob Odenkirk starred in “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” an HBO program with biting satire where sketches flowed seamlessly into one another. The show’s signature style inspired a number of other programs that came after it including “Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show,” where Odenkirk acts as an executive producer. Apart from putting the two hosts on the map, “Mr. Show” opened doors for actors such as Jack Black.
“Upright Citizens Brigade” served as a start for Amy Poehler, who would leave her mark on “SNL” the following decade. “Upright Citizens Brigade,” which aired on Comedy Central, revolved around a secret conspiracy group that exploited people’s stupidity to cause general chaos. In the world of the “Upright Citizens Brigade,” astronauts are discriminated against and cyborgs are afraid of peek-a-boo.
There were plenty of other great American sketch programs including “The State,” which broke up to form “Reno 911,” and “Stella,” respectively. But for my money, the best of them all came from Canada. “The Kids in the Hall” was produced by “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels and featured the type of sketches that would make even the creators of “Monty Python” jealous. With characters such as the head-crushing “Mr. Tyzik,” the douchy “Cabbage Head,” and the horny “Chicken Lady,” the four actors in “The Kids in the Hall” kept it surreal and were never afraid to wear a dress in order to get laughs.
“SNL” and the sketch shows of today still live in the shadow of those that were so prominently established in the ’90s. Andy Samberg and the cast of “Whitest Kids U Know” can only hope to be vaguely compared to the stars of those “golden days.”
Earl can be reached at
entertainmenteditor@theorion.com
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