Season 2, Episode 18;Host:Julian Bond, with Tom Waits and Brick

Aired April 9, 1977.

Cold opening:"Emily Litella is in love!"
In SNL's backstage locker room, Weekend Update commentator Emily Litella (Gilda Radner) is plucking petals off a flower while saying "he loves me, he loves me not."  Litella is joined by Jane Curtin and tells Jane that she's fallen in love with "a lovely man and he's really got the best of me!"

When Curtin asks Litella what she plans to do on this week's edition of Weekend Update, Emily tells Jane that she has nothing prepared for the newscast because she's too busy thinking about love.  Litella expresses her feelings by breaking into a rendition of "(You Make Me Feel Like A)Natural Woman."  This song was written by Carole King, Gerry Goffin and Gerry Wexler and made famous by Aretha Franklin, whose version reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.  

As usual, Emily gets confused and incorrectly sings "national woman."  Curtin corrects her and expects Litella to say her catch-phrase "never mind."  Instead, Emily announces "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

Monologue:"Easter Bunny"

Civil Rights activist and Georgia State Senator Julian Bond expects viewers are wondering why he was asked to host, just as he wondered.  Since it's the night before Easter, Bond says he was booked on Saturday Night "to be their chocolate Easter Bunny."  

Commercial:"H & L Brock"

Lowell Brock (John Belushi) of tax preparation company H & L Brock says people should chose him to prepare their taxes correctly because he will "take time" to properly work on them.  Brock has plenty of time because he's currently doing time.

Talk show:"Black Perspective"
Written by Al Franken, Tom Davis and Jim Downey.
Garrett Morris, host of Black Perspective, interviews Bond about myths surrounding African Americans and the cultural biases of IQ tests.  Bond says that white intellectual superiority is a myth, but he also theorizes that "light-skinned blacks are smarter than dark-skinned blacks."

Garrett is shocked by Bond's assertion and is not amused.

"An Oval Office"

Pres. Jimmy Carter (Dan Aykroyd) meets with his UN Ambassador Andrew Young (Morris) and Julian Bond.  Bond presses Carter about the lack of Black Americans and women that he's appointed to cabinet positions.  Bond thinks Carter talks too much about human rights abuses in other countries rather than addressing human rights issues in the US.  

Tom Waits:"Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson)"

Musical guest Tom Waits performs "Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson)."  This song appeared on Waits' album Nighthawks At The Diner, which was released on October 21, 1975.  

"Dr. X:Family Counselor"

A family counselor with an artificial arm counsels a family while wearing a metal mask that conceals facial wounds.  It appears that Dr. X could use some counseling himself in order to deal with the events that damaged his face and cost him his arm.

"Weekend Update"
Anchor Jane Curtin reports on the headlines of the day, which include:

"Anita Bryant, former mediocre actress and orange juice promoter" performed coitus in public yesterday as part of a campaign to promote heterosexuality.

In Cincinnati, the opening game between the Reds and the San Diego Padres was canceled due to cocaine. 

In Russia, scientists unveiled the world’s first disposable space vehicle. "Called the Tamponsky, it is scheduled to dock with the mothership in 29 days."

Commercial:"Afro Lustre"

Written by Al Franken and Tom Davis.
A pitchman (Bond) promotes Afro Lustre hair cream, which promises to give consumers "that Right-On natural look."

 "Great Moments In Motown"

Written by Marilyn Suzanne Miller and Paul Shaffer.

In 1958, a Detroit nightclub owner (Bond) auditions a vocal group (Aykroyd, Belushi, Morris and Murray) who perform their song "Love Bank."  

The club's owner tells them they don't look like they belong in a nightclub, says they should use more hand gestures and tells a group member named Fontaine (Belushi) he's breathing when he should be singing.  

Commercial:"Creely's Soup"

A disembodied announcer who calls himself "The Soup Man (Murray)" observes a little girl (Radner) eating Creely's Vegetable Soup. 

He asks her to perform an increasingly bizarre series of tasks, such as counting the different vegetables in the soup, stuffing the corn in the soup up her nose and pouring hot soup on her nose. 

"Bad Cinema"
Written by Tom Schiller.
Host Leonard Pinth-Garnell presents a screening of a terrible film titled “Ooh-La-La! Les Legs!” 

Pinth-Garnell is joined by a panel of experts who review the film:author Truman Capote (Belushi), director Lina Wertmuller (Laraine Newman) and film critic T. Lazlo de Wizzen (Bond).  

Brick:"Dazz"

Brick performs their hit single "Dazz," which was released on July 6, 1976 and appeared on their album Good High.  

"Dazz" reached #1 on Billboard's R&B chart and peaked at #3 on the Hot 100.  

"The Farbers Meet Julian Bond"
Bond visits the home of Larry and Bobbi Farber in advance of a fundraiser the couple will host the following Thursday.  Larry is very out of touch on Civil Rights issues and won't stop asking Bond if he knows Black celebrities, much to Audrey's embarrassment.  

Their evening gets even more awkward when the Farbers' backgammon club arrives and Larry asks them to add a Black family to the club. 

"Mr. Mike Meets Uncle Remus"

Mr. Mike (Michael O'Donoghue) tells Uncle Remus the tale of Bre'er Rabbit.  In Mr. Mike's version of the story, Bre'er gets violently skinned alive.  Uncle Remus is disgusted and wonders what the morale of the story is.

Film by Gary Weiss:"Patti Smith"
In this week's film, singer/poet Patti Smith talks about the punk rock movement and how her music was censored when she performed on Saturday Night during its first season.

"The New South"
Alabama Governor George Wallace tells viewers that his states old Jim Crow-era signs have been taken down and replaced by new signs.

"Goodnights"
Bond, wearing a t-shirt from his 1976 election campaign, thanks the audience, his mother, the Not Ready For Primetime Players "and everyone who made this one of the strangest experiences I’ve ever had in my whole life."

He's then joined onstage by the cast, who are also wearing the campaign shirt), and the credits roll.

Notes about this episode:

If anyone reading this isn't familiar with Julian Bond, he was a major organizer during the Civil Rights movement.  He co-founded Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee  (SNCC) and the Southern Poverty Law Center.  Bond served in the Georgia State House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975, in its State Senate from 1975 to 1987 and was an advocate for human rights and justice until his death in 2015.

In 2014, Bond wrote about this episode's "Black Perspective" sketch in The Hollywood Reporter:

 "I told Garrett Morris, one of SNL‘s original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players,” that light-skinned blacks are smarter than dark-skinned blacks. Morris, who is darker skinned than I am, did a perfect double take. I felt squeamish then but did the skit anyway, and I feel uneasy about this joke even today. I believed it treaded dangerously on the fine line between comedy and poor taste.
But that always has been SNL‘s fine point, the line delineating comedy — and especially satire — from tastelessness. I always have believed that a skillful comedian — or comedienne — can make a joke out of anything. No subject is immune. Comedy is crucial in our lives, especially political satire. The ability to make fun of life’s vagaries helps us deal with them. "[1]

The film that Leonard Pinth-Garnell shows in "Bad Cinema" is a film of Glenn Jack and the Glenners performing "Zizi La Twisteuse."  You can watch the whole film here:

"Zizi La Twisteuse" was recorded by several artists, Glenn Jack's version was released on a 7'" single in 1962. 

Speaking of that "Bad Cinema," for some reason Laraine Newman is late arriving for the sketch and has a bit of trouble putting on her microphone.  I'm not sure what happened, but it's a case of something unplanned happening during a live TV show.  In the screencap below, you'll notice her chair is empty:

What stands out:
Julian Bond-For someone with no acting or stand-up experience, Bond is a great host.  He displays some natural acting abilities and a very dry sense of humor.  Bond certainly holds his own when he acts beside the the Not Ready For Prime Time Players.  I'm sorry Bond never hosted again during his lifetime.  

Tom Waits-When this episode aired, an artist like Waits was rarely seen on network TV and his performance of "Eggs and Sausage" is a highpoint of this episode.  

J.A. Morris' rating:
This is a solid episode.  Julian Bond is a pleasant presence every time he's onscreen and if you're unfamiliar with Tom Waits, this episode is a nice introduction to his music.  But it's just a notch or two below the best episodes we've seen so far during Season 2.

 

3 Stars.

Footnote:

[1]"Civil Rights Leader Julian Bond’s SNL Hosting Regret,", Julian Bond, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan 2014.

Season 1, Episode 17, Host:Press Secretary Ron Nessen, with Patti Smith Group and Billy Crystal

Aired April 17, 1976.

Cold opening:"The Dead String Quartet"
Written by Chevy Chase.
A string quartet made up of dead people fall on top of each other, knocking one (Chevy Chase) off the stage and on to the floor.

Suddenly, President Gerald Ford appears on screen (in a pre-filmed cameo) and announces “Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

Monologue:
Ron Nessen, Pres. Ford’s Press Secretary, explains that his job is to simplify what happens in the White House so the press can pass it on to the public.  This means Nessen spends most of his time saying things like “what the President meant was…” and "what the President really said was..."
Nessen’s monologue is interrupted when he gets a call from Pres. Ford!

Commercial:”Super Bass-O-Matic ‘76”
Written by Dan Aykroyd.
A pitchman (Dan Aykroyd) promotes a new device that will liquefy bass so it can be easily prepared for consumption.

“An Oval Office”:
Written by Chevy Chase, Al Franken and Tom Davis.
Nessen tells Pres. Ford (Chase) that he’s been asked to host Saturday Night and says it could help the President in the upcoming election.  While they discuss this, Ford inadvertently ransacks the Oval Office.

Commercial:”Fluckers”
Written by Michael O'Donoghue.
Fluckers Jam comes in bizarre flavors, such as Nose Hair, Death Camp and Dog Vomit!

Patti Smith Group:”Gloria”
This classic rock n roll song was written by Van Morrison and recorded by Morrison’s band Them in 1964.  It was the lead track on Patti Smith Group’s 1975 album Horses.

“Press Secretaries Through History 1”:
Catherine The Great’s press secretary Leonid Pushnev (Nessen) announces Empress Catherine’s 1796 death to the press.

“Lie Detector”:
Julie Nixon (Gilda Radner) interrogates her husband David Eisenhower (Aykroyd) while David is hooked up to a lie detector.

Commercial:"The New Army":
U.S. Army Colonel Scott Shuman (John Belushi) tries to recruit soldiers by telling them that joining the army will get them easier access to drugs.

“Weekend Update”:
Anchorman Chevy Chase greets viewers by telling them “I’m Chevy Chase and you’re not.”  Which prompts (pre-recorded) Pres. Ford to reply “I’m Gerald Ford and you’re not.”

Update correspondent Laraine Newman interviews “Mr. Boyardee,” (Nessen) press secretary to Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, who is still dead.

And commentator Emily Litella (Radner) declares that she's opposed to “Presidential Erections.”

Commercial:"The Berkeley Collection"
Repeat from Episode 2.

Film by Gary Weis:"Garbage"
Weis interviews New York City sanitation workers, who describe their job and tell stories about all the strange things they’ve found in the garbage.

Commercial:"Autumn Fizz"
An ad for a new carbonated douche that “brings out the natural fragrance of femininity, with the effervescence of uncola.”

“The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder”:
Tom Snyder (Aykroyd) interviews Nessen and asks him about “wild parties” in Washington DC and how he handles dumb questions from reporters.

Home Movie:"Once In Our Lives"
Several men perform the chant “Once In Our Lives Let Us Drink To Our Wives” while using urinals.  This chant was composed by Henry Purcell in 1686.

"Press Secretaries Through History 2":
Julius Marcellus, press secretary of Oedipus, announces that King Oedipus plans to marry his mother.

"Supreme Court":
When Rhonda (Jane Curtin) and her fiance Greg (Chase) start to make love, the nine Supreme Court justices suddenly appear in their bedroom to tell them which positions are legal and illegal.

"Press Secretaries Through History 3":
John Quincy Ross, press secretary to Pres. Thomas Jefferson clarifies the President’s position on slavery and the Louisiana Purchase.

Billy Crystal:
The comedian reenacts his recent encounter with an elderly jazz musician.

"Misconception":
A show that attempts to disprove unfounded cliches that have become part of our language.  This episode tries to disprove the idea that “too many cooks spoil the broth.”

Patti Smith Group: “My Generation”
The band performs a song that was originally recorded by The Who in 1965.  The Patti Smith Group’s live recording of this song was released as the B-side of “Gloria.”

Goodnights:
Nessen says that Toni Basil and the Muppets were going to be on the show but didn’t appear due to “technical complications” and announces that Raquel Welch will host next week.  Nessen says he had a good time hosting the show and the Not Ready For Prime Time Players join him.  Chase says they have a minute to kill and the cast fills time.

Notes about this episode:
A lot has been written about this over the last four decades.  Rather than go into all the background details of the episode and the political fallout that ensued, I'm going to recommend that you read the book Saturday Night Live and the 1976 Presidential Election by M. Heather Carver and William T. Horner. 

It covers the process of setting up Ford's filmed cameos, the booking of Nessen and it features new interviews with Nessen, Lorne Michaels and others connected to Saturday Night and Gerald Ford.  I highly recommend the book to every fan of SNL.  You can get the print version of the book here, or get the E-book version here and here.

At the end of Patti Smith's second song, she says "Happy Easter, CBGB's!"  That's because CBGB, the famous New York Punk club where Smith got her start, turned on their TV sets so people in the club could watch her SNL performances.  By the time Smith's first song concluded, it was past midnight Eastern Time, making it April 18, Easter Sunday in New York.[1]

During the episode's goodnights, Nessen mentions that the Muppets didn't appear due to "technical complications."  The Muppets Wiki says the Muppets were cut, this photo shows that the Nessen's scenes  scenes got as far as the rehearsal stage:

You'll notice in the photo that King Ploobis is wearing a Bee costume and Nessen is sporting Bee antennae.

Classic Moments:
Ron Nessen as host and Pres. Ford's cameos-Nessen's guest appearance was hugely historic  In 2016, on the 40th anniversary of this episode, Time magazine called it "The episode that changed American politics." [2]

Lots of political figures would appear on SNL after this episode.  In their aforementioned book, Horner and Carver say that John McCain's guest cameo on SNL in 2008, two days prior to the Presidential Election happened "because three decades earlier, Ron Nessen and Gerald Ford made it possible for politicians to even conceive of such behavior." [3]

I also want to say Nessen was a good host.  He's not a comedian or a trained actor, but Nessen is excellent in every sketch in which he appears.  Nessen is particularly good in the "Press Secretaries Through History" solo sketches.

"An oval office"-Chevy Chase performs an absolute masterclass in physical comedy in this sketch, one of his finest performances of all time.  Nessen, playing himself, is a perfect "straight man" to Chase's Ford and also gets to deliver some funny lines.

”Super Bass-O-Matic ‘76”-This was one of Aykroyd's best sketches.  It's appeared on multiple best-of clip shows and it's still hilarious and edgy more than 40 years after it aired!

"Tomorrow Show"-This marks the first appearance of Dan Aykroyd as Tom Snyder.  "Snyder" would become one of SNL's signature recurring characters and Aykroyd would imitate him in 10 more sketches.

What stands out?:

Patti Smith Group:I'm a big fan of Smith's music, but there's not a lot of professionally recorded concert footage from her early days.  So it's nice to have these two great performances preserved and easily accessible forever.  It's also historically important because punk bands rarely performed on television in 1976.

J.A. Morris' rating:
This episode is very historically significant and it features lots of classic funny moments and two great musical performances.  It gets my highest rating.

4 Stars!

Footnote:

[1]Patti Smith: An Unauthorized Biography, by Roberta Bayley and Victor Brooks,  p.149

[2]"The Saturday Night Live Episode That Changed American Politics" by Katherine Cramer Brownell April 15, 2016. https://time.com/4292027/gerald-ford-saturday-night-live/

[3] Saturday Night Live and the 1976 Presidential Election, by M. Heather Carver and William T. Horner, p.15-16