How the hell did the character get so viral? I’ve tried watching the skits several times to see if maybe I’m missing something, but for the life of me, I can’t seem to see it. Is everyone just biased because it’s Tom Hanks? Or is it actually hilarious, and I’m just struggling to understand the humor? Fall/Spooky season is my absolute favorite time of year, but am I just a buzz kill?
It’s basically just what my humor is like
My wife and I watched it when it aired, and we found it hilarious. It’s the absurdity of it. Should I know who this guy is?
“Any questions?” “Yes! Several! I mean, he has a middle initial now?”
It’s a kinda funny joke. But the problem with American comedy in general is that they just can’t let something go. They milk that joke until there’s nothing left.
Yeah I hate it so much
It really varies on the comic. Some drag shit out some don’t. I can’t stand most of Jim Gaffigan’s stuff because he does that shit ad nauseum.
I personally really enjoy how David and the skeletons either can’t out won’t elaborate on the parts of their whole thing that the people are confused about. There’s just something funny to me about how it doesn’t seem like they’re intentionally being obtuse. They’ll gladly answer the vague question of “and the skeletons are…?” with the equally vague “part of it!” with a big smile, as though it was a perfectly fine and helpful answer.
It’s because it’s absolutely absurd and has nothing to do with Halloween. You have seen the whole skit and not just the memes, right? It’s basically a parody of Disney’s Tower of Terror ride but instead of spooky Halloween stuff, they got this dude just dancing around.
I’ve never even heard of it but now I’m intrigued.
Didn’t know what this was so looked up the video
That went viral?
It’s about as funny as most SNL, which is pretty much not at all. You’d think they’d get teleprompters that were a little closer to the camera at some point so it wasn’t so fucking obvious that someone can’t remember a line like “Any questions”.
Let’s see you do better.
They don’t use prompters but paper cards and their reasoning is that the script changes up until the last minute but that doesn’t make any sense as it’s easier to update text on a computer than to rewrite a bunch of cards.
They are superstitiously stuck in their ways at SNL, now Lorne says he’s not going to retire so I don’t expect it to get any better.
Jesus Christ it’s actually hilarious 🤣
Thank you.
I don’t find it particularly funny, but I certainly enjoyed the vibe of the entire skit.
It’s not funny. We hate this in my house. We all groan audibly when they do it, and turn SNL off.
It’s a well-constructed skit – unabashedly silly, with just the right amount of ironic detachment. I love how after Pumpkins shows up, the couple just coolly analyzes the regular monsters that were making them scream moments before. The music is ridiculous, Tom Hanks demeanor is ridiculous, the dancing is ridiculous (with a dash of sexual weirness at the end). And it comes full circle with him genuinely scaring them in the end.
I do think that them doing sequels and trying to spin a mini-franchise out of it was stupid though.
It feels so real in how disappointing the experience becomes for the straight characters. That would be my reaction if I went into that thing to be frightened, and I get David S. Pumpkins instead. By the way, you’re not alone as I read years ago that Tom Hanks doesn’t get it either.
It feels so real in how disappointing the experience becomes for the straight characters.
This hits the nail on the head. It’s funny because of the point of view of the actual participants.
The funny thing about this thread is that there are so many comments essentially agreeing with the central premise of the sketch, that it’s relatable and disorienting when you stumble onto some kind of established fandom and can’t seem to keep up with why it’s popular or what is or isn’t “part of it.” The popularity is confusing in itself, and the need to dissect the lore (as OP is doing, perhaps even unintentionally following the sketch itself) distracts from the original purpose of going there to be entertained.
In other words, the sketch is funny and relatable exactly for the same reasons why much of the audience doesn’t find it funny and relatable.
This is a perfect analysis that was thoroughly ruined by not ending it with:
aNy qUeStIoNs?!?
I don’t get Tracy Morgan. His jokes don’t seem that funny to me. He’s extremely repetitive. I don’t understand him. Then, one day I heard a comedian on a podcast describe him as a complete genius. He said Tracy’s trick is he tells a joke that may be funny, maybe not funny, and you’ll give him a little laugh. Then he repeats the joke ten times. It’s no longer funny. You’re just tired of hearing it. Then he repeats the joke ten more times, and somehow through the power of alchemy, it’s now run full circle and is the funniest thing you’ve ever heard every time he says it. I think this skit has that same energy.
I prefer it in the original Stewart Lee
I have five words for you:
I’ve actually tired to explain how Donald trump is the complete opposite of Tracy Morgan for these reasons. Trump is dumb as hell trying to sound smart, the first time you hear what he says it’s funny because it’s so unbelievable; then reality sets in and it stops being funny. Sorry for bringing him up, but this is too coincidental to not mention
That doesn’t sound like genius.
!Wade Boggs’ Carpet World!<
!Wade Boggs’ Carpet World!<
!Wade Boggs’ Carpet World!<
!Wade Boggs’ Carpet World!<
And one last piece of advice, Liz Lemon, from someone who’s been on this side of the business for a long time:
!Wade Boggs’ Carpet World!<
Everything Tom Hanks does is gold
The skit where he is a creepy animatronic robot on the love ride is fantastic.
Everybody knows him as Tom Hanks, but what people don’t know is his real name is actually Hank Toms!
Otm Shank
Tim Honks
Very little of SNL is actually funny. Celebrity jeopardy comes to mind
It’s funny because it’s bigger than a normal hat
Turd Ferguson is a funny name.
The thing about it is to remember that it’s generally one of 5 skits they have had to write and rehearse as much as possible in the course of 6 days at most.
SNL is more about having a good reason to workshop their skills than it is about how good the show is. But in the context of what they are actually accomplishing, it’s generally a pretty good live show. But of course, it will never be as funny on average as a pre-written and pre-recorded show that can be edited and fixed up.
Sort of the same thing as going to any live theater shows. They are not as good as recorded and edited stuff, but you have to appreciate the effort given the context. And adjust your expectations of the quality of the results. They might occasionally still make something that happens to compete favourably with other media, but it shouldn’t be expected.
As a Brit, I have to agree. So many of the skits that have been shared over the years are terrible, and I have to wonder if it’s a cultural divide.
On the other hand, the weekend update where the guys swap jokes is some of the best comedy I’ve seen.
SNL is very much a combination of both humor from two years ago and next years mainstream. So many of the skits are built in the gap of “what have I seen lately that’s funny so I can quickly write” and “this will be twice as hilarious in a few years.”
So, SNL is usually pretty meh because you either like current humor and the ‘future’ stuff doesn’t hit or you don’t like current humor and that doesn’t hit.
but am I just a buzz kill
Nah, I’m a longtime fan of absurd shit like Tim and Eric that is rooted heavily in a public television vibe of “doing things wrong and cheaply.”
I was never sure if this was trying for a similar vibe or what, but I’m definitely one of the people who firmly never understood it.
Me as well. I crack up at nonsense type comedy like the eric andre show, and imo this snl skit is just plain unfunny
If you like that public access TV feel, I highly recommend checking out the (earlier) episodes of the Chris Getherd show that literally aired on NYC public access TV.
It eventually got popular enough to get a deal with TruTV, which unfortunately ruined the aesthetic of the show and it was never the same (made me feel bad for Getherd. The show ended up failing because it was good enough to get on cable).
Those early public access episodes are gold. I imagine you can find them online.
