SNL Preview: Host Katy Perry

Dec 082011

Previewing Saturday Night Live with Host Katy Perry & Musical Guest Robyn

Posted by Steve Herring on December 8, 2011

Episode: 37.9 ◊ Air Date: December 10, 2011 ◊ Musical Guest: Robyn

Last Show – Steve Buscemi: Rating 6.5/10 Review ι Preview
Katy Perry Expectation Rating: 6.5/10
It’d Be Funny if Katy Perry Was Promoting: The E! Special: Katy Perry and Russell Brand - We’re NOT Pamela and Tommy for a New Generation
We All WISH She Was Promoting: Katie Perry’s 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and Calendar

What Katy Perry is Actually Promoting: I guess she’s out promoting her most recent album Teenage Dream and her about to wrap up tour. She’s really just capping off a pretty momentous 2010/11 rife with awards, hit singles, a chart-topping album, and a marriage to British funnyman Russell Brand. Hosting SNL is a bit of a victory lap for her at this point before she rakes in more Grammys and whatever awards MTV gives away in 2012.

Host/Musical Guest Vitals: This is Katy Perry’s first hosting gig. She was the Musical Guest for Season 36′s première with Host Amy Poehler. The sketch above from that episodes gives us a glimpse of her acting/improv chops before she does the full tour this weekend. She displayed a confident ease there and obviously felt comfortable teasing on her own, ahem, assets.

Robyn is apparently some human being who sings musical songs that a number of people have listened to. I don’t know any of these people or these songs. Is there a good chance I start watching the show late so as to DVR on through the musical sets? In a word – YES. I’d think I was getting old if SNL has musicians that I hadn’t heard of, but apparently her last hit was before the iPod was released. They couldn’t even include her in the promos? (Actually she apparently has some Euro hit album out.)

Fun Facts About Robyn to Prove I Did Some Homework: Her record label (as in she owns it) is Konichiwa Records. She’s also up for 2 Grammys in 2012.

Katy Perry Impersonates Hubby Russell Brand During SNL Promos

Recurring Herring Bone Current Events Note: Well, if you saw last weeks show, then you know Fred Armisen’s Barack Obama finally made an appearance at Studio 8H. We now know Jay Pharoah has not taken over the role he was born to play, but there is still time for them to find a way to work it there…

Fun Katy Perry Fact: She released her first album, a Christian Gospel-rock piece at age 15, under the name Katy Hudson. Another Kate Hudson’s emergence prompted the stage name.

Show Expectation Grade: 6.5/10

This is not a very good mix for Katy’s hosting turn. The show is coming off one of it’s worst episodes of the year and a Christmas bonanza is surely in store for Jimmy Fallon and Michael Bublé next week. Writers that aren’t staring at their holiday travel itineraries at 4am are hoping their best stuff gets the royal treatment from Fallon’s crew over a non-acting entity with a pretty weak musical accompaniment. Even SNL’s Head Writer, Seth Meyers, needs to be out promoting the ensemble cast extraordinaire of 2012 - New Year’s Eve. (He’s married to Jessica Biel? Sure, why not.)

Either way, the pressure for a full nights gig will be a bit different from her basic sketch from 2010. Does she have the chops to pull off some more challenging stuff? Will the writers even give her that chance? I have no idea, but expecting to be blown away by the show this week is probably not the best idea. This is the first episode of Season 37 without an actor hosting and the only person without something in the way of a comedic background. There’s got to be a few cameos from her famous friends. Odds on that below.

Herring Bone the Los Angeles Angels Fan Note: I guarantee Seth has a joke about the Albert Pujols $254 million dollar contract signed today. Awesome! I also forgot to give props to SNL for throwing a fantasy football joke into the Cold Open last week.

Odds on Sketch Comedy

Cold Open is President Obama: 8/1
Jay Pharoah has replaced Fred Armisen as Barack Obama: 100/1 (Leaving this open in case of a sudden change)
Katy mentions references her boobs in the monologue: 3/1
California Gurls Sketch: 12/1
I Kissed a Girl Sketch: 12/1
Nikki Minaj Cameo: 1o/1
Snoop Dogg Cameo: 15/1
Russell Brand Cameo: 8/1
Over/Under on the Number Times Katy Perry Sings: 1.5
Herman Cain in Cold Open: -10/1
Musical Guest Robyn ends up in a sketch: 6/1
Bill Hader’s “Stefon” makes an appearance during Weekend Update: 40/1
Over/Under on sketches Kristen Wiig appears in: 6.5
Over/Under on sketches Nasim Pedrad appears in: 3.5