All-Time Worst 'SNL' Hosts - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 11-15-2009, 05:06 AM

While watching the January Jones hosted episode, this sort of got me thinking. Of course, we know about the best/most popular hosts ever SNL: Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Buck Henry, John Goodman, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, etc. But how about the all time worst? To me, what makes a bad SNL host is somebody who either displays limited personality or charisma (or proceeds to botch their lines again and again) or was such a toxic influence, that they managed to get themselves banned (a la Martin Lawrence, Steven Segal, Robert Blake or Frank Zappa for instance).

70s show watcher · 11-15-2009, 05:21 AM

robert deniro was pretty awful and i agree about january jones the sketches tonight were ok but she was awful another bad host was mary stuart masterson i love her movie work but she was almost as bad as january jones

Chocolate Moose · 11-15-2009, 09:39 AM

sports stars are usually not funny

howilu · 11-15-2009, 11:38 AM

One of the worst SNL hosts was Louise Lasser of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. I remember seeing that episode when she was crying and went to her dressing room during her monologue. Her performance was rather stiff.

kissprof · 11-15-2009, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chocolate Moose

sports stars are usually not funny

I agree. Michael Phelps, Jeff Gordon, Shaq, Lance Armstrong, George Foreman, Fran Tarkenton, Michael Jordan. Yikes.

Louise Lasser was not good, Steven Segal was awful. There are many more that were just forgettable.

Scoobiedoo30 · 11-15-2009, 02:20 PM

Payton Manning

TMC · 11-15-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chocolate Moose

sports stars are usually not funny

Peyton Manning is probably a rare exception.

TMC · 11-15-2009, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by howilu

One of the worst SNL hosts was Louise Lasser of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. I remember seeing that episode when she was crying and went to her dressing room during her monologue. Her performance was rather stiff.

Louise Lasser is as legend has it, the first SNL host/musical guest to get banned. One person that I completely forgot is Milton Bearle, who was supposedly incredibly difficult to work with. Milton's monologue went so long, that as the story goes, Bill Murray purposely dropped a wrench in order to give the director the cue to go to a commerical. The episode was so notorious due to the backstage issues, that Lorne Michaels insisted that it would never be shown again on NBC or in syndication.

70s show watcher · 11-16-2009, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

Louise Lasser is as legend has it, the first SNL host/musical guest to get banned. One person that I completely forgot is Milton Bearle, who was supposedly incredibly difficult to work with. Milton's monologue went so long, that as the story goes, Bill Murray purposely dropped a wrench in order to give the director the cue to go to a commerical. The episode was so notorious due to the backstage issues, that Lorne Michaels insisted that it would never be shown again on NBC or in syndication.

he was hard to deal with but the show itself was not nearly as bad as snl legend has it

TMC · 11-16-2009, 07:43 PM

http://www.avclub.com/articles/janua...ed-peas,35384/

The "Mad Men" star teamed with "SNL" writers to turn in one of the worst episodes in a while. "You could tell from the very first moments she lurched onstage wearing a forced smile and a deer-in-headlights look of mortification that never left and proceeded to make sweet love to the cue cards," says Nathan Rabin. "Everyone on SNL reads cue cards but Jones was especially egregious. She stared at those cue cards so intensely I’m surprised she didn’t burn a hole right through them. Though she excelled in a clever if fairly obvious taped faux-education film about how to throw the perfect incredibly repressed early-sixties Mad Men-style dinner party, Jones pretty much had two modes: stone-faced or giggly."

robyrob · 11-16-2009, 08:40 PM

i agree about the sports stars - those have been definitely some of the worst with very few exceptions

other than that (in my opinion): Paris Hilton, Jon Bon Jovi, Milton Berle, Martin Lawrence, Steven Seagal, M.C. Hammer, Lebron James, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Michael Phelps, Robert Culp, Wayne Gretzky

Retro4Life · 11-16-2009, 11:52 PM

I agree that Phelps and DeNiro were memorably awful.

Cactus Jack · 11-17-2009, 12:48 AM

DeNiro was bad but the eps were hilarious. The naughty terrorist names lOL

ThomasE · 11-17-2009, 01:03 AM

What happened with Louise Lasser? I want to check that out.

catlover79 · 11-17-2009, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasE

What happened with Louise Lasser? I want to check that out.

Me, too. You've piqued my curiousity!

11-15-2009, 05:06 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,458	All-Time Worst 'SNL' Hosts While watching the January Jones hosted episode, this sort of got me thinking. Of course, we know about the best/most popular hosts ever SNL: Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Buck Henry, John Goodman, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, etc. But how about the all time worst? To me, what makes a bad SNL host is somebody who either displays limited personality or charisma (or proceeds to botch their lines again and again) or was such a toxic influence, that they managed to get themselves banned (a la Martin Lawrence, Steven Segal, Robert Blake or Frank Zappa for instance).

11-15-2009, 09:39 AM	#3
Chocolate Moose Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,887	sports stars are usually not funny
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11-15-2009, 02:20 PM	#6
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	Payton Manning
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11-16-2009, 07:43 PM	#10
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,458	January Jones: One of "SNL's" worst-ever hosts http://www.avclub.com/articles/janua...ed-peas,35384/ The "Mad Men" star teamed with "SNL" writers to turn in one of the worst episodes in a while. "You could tell from the very first moments she lurched onstage wearing a forced smile and a deer-in-headlights look of mortification that never left and proceeded to make sweet love to the cue cards," says Nathan Rabin. "Everyone on SNL reads cue cards but Jones was especially egregious. She stared at those cue cards so intensely I’m surprised she didn’t burn a hole right through them. Though she excelled in a clever if fairly obvious taped faux-education film about how to throw the perfect incredibly repressed early-sixties Mad Men-style dinner party, Jones pretty much had two modes: stone-faced or giggly."

11-16-2009, 08:40 PM	#11
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,179	i agree about the sports stars - those have been definitely some of the worst with very few exceptions other than that (in my opinion): Paris Hilton, Jon Bon Jovi, Milton Berle, Martin Lawrence, Steven Seagal, M.C. Hammer, Lebron James, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Michael Phelps, Robert Culp, Wayne Gretzky
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11-15-2009, 05:21 AM	#2
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,548	robert deniro was pretty awful and i agree about january jones the sketches tonight were ok but she was awful another bad host was mary stuart masterson i love her movie work but she was almost as bad as january jones

11-15-2009, 11:38 AM	#4
howilu Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 20, 2003 Location: St. Louis Park, MN Posts: 1,959	One of the worst SNL hosts was Louise Lasser of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. I remember seeing that episode when she was crying and went to her dressing room during her monologue. Her performance was rather stiff.

11-16-2009, 11:52 PM	#12
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	I agree that Phelps and DeNiro were memorably awful.
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11-17-2009, 12:48 AM	#13
Cactus Jack RonFingSwanson Forum Idol Join Date: Dec 09, 2001 Location: Santa Rosa Beach,FL Posts: 103,099	DeNiro was bad but the eps were hilarious. The naughty terrorist names lOL
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11-17-2009, 01:03 AM	#14
ThomasE Member Moderator Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2000 Location: New York, New York, U.S.A. Posts: 10,857	What happened with Louise Lasser? I want to check that out.
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