SNL40: Recaps and the Awkward Manifestation of Eddie Murphy

Okay…so lets get right to it. New York City’s most famed institution – Saturday Night Live celebrated a milestone recently and decided to erect a lavishly decked out affair in a well known space known as Studio 8H.

It was a crowded affair filled with much laughter and a few tears as memory lane suddenly transformed into real life reverie with montages of the past and the not so long ago collided to create a fitting road map that provided adequate proof of why this anniversary needed to be recognized.

As always, Twitter was ablaze with up to date scores of how the show was progressing and the reviews wavered from mixed to unimpressed. There were some major highlights as well as a few weirdly orchestrated blimps. The most glaring of them all centered on the manifestation of the legendary Eddie Murphy whose appearance left many panting for more. Fellow comic and SNL alum Chris Rock was on hand to make the introductions and the moment Murphy stepped on the scene the assumption was that he would validate our emotional investment but alas, it was not to be. Instead we were treated to a rehearsed testimony of how SNL changed his life and reshaped his career, and then poof! He was gone. The transition was awkward and stilted as Murphy was abruptly replaced with the image of Dick Ebersol, a much-celebrated executive at NBC. And that was pretty much all we saw of Eddie Murphy except during the memorial montage as the dearly departed cast members were resurrected via their best work. Murphy was featured prominently during this episode, which left many of us confused and bothered. It is clear that there is still bad blood between Murphy and the bosses at his former stomping ground and even after all this time – it has not been amicably laid to rest. And most likely it never will be but at least he gave us a little bit of his time and that was enough to make us glad we tuned in.

The rest of the festivities was the expected fare that showcased a parade of A-listers like Robert de Niro, Jack Nichloson, Michael Douglas, Jerry Seinfeld, and Tom Hanks. Even Dakota Johnson – bona fide Hollywood ingenue and temptress of the most talked about movie of the year – Fifty Shades of Grey made an appearance and apparently will be hosting SNL next weekend. And of course the Q&A session between Larry David and his collaborator was an absolute delight that we wished had been extended for our selfish benefit.

Another major standout was the make out session between Bradley Cooper and Betty White. It was hilarious to witness the two designated characters embroiled in an earnest tongue twister even if it was weirdly random

But for the most part SNL40 was another opportunity for people of color to truly internalize the reality that in the grand scheme of things, we contributed very little to this cultural staple. Black women in particular have a lot to be bitter about when you consider that NBC executives and the Godfather himself, Lorne Michaels had to succumb to the wrath of social media before latest tokens, Sasheer Zamata and Leslie Jones were invited to the party. But their invites were inspired after the show was pummeled with stones of criticism. So we can safely assume that a dire need to be politically correct was the initiative.

Either way it is shameful that after 40 years, very little stride has been made to ensure some adherence to reasonable sprinklings of diversity. Of course the love fest that is doused on formidable talents like Amy Poehler and Tina Fey is more than warranted but there are more than enough black female comics that could possibly match the magic those two evoke.

But that battle will not be won overnight so in the meantime the present clause will do.

SNL40 was entertaining enough to make most of us exhausted with laughter and overcome with the collage of memories that sporadically filtered in with symbolic reverence. The segment of Wayne’s World was amazingly euphoric and basically the winner of the night. Both Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reverted back t their iconic templates and produced a piece that was both jarring and endearingly nostalgic.

Another memorable feat was accomplished by Maya Rudolph who perfectly embodied the chromosomes of Beyonce in ways that made us wish we could partake of her offerings more steadily. It was seamlessly hilarious and worth the endless playback.

For those who were yearning for more – perhaps indulging in high expectations reaps low returns. But for the most part – the end result was temperately sufficient with no major mishaps. And that is all we can ask for!