The State of SNL

I have been doing a lot of reflecting since the episode hosted by Jack Black with musical guest Neil Young. It was a great show and "Lazy Sunday" was exactly what the show needed to give the punch it has been missing for a while.

Andy Samberg is a great comedian who was discovered via the internet. Another featured player that I enjoy watching is Jason Sudeikis, a Kansas native and nephew of George Wendt. Just a few years ago, Jason was on the mainstage at Second City Law Vegas. Now, he is a featured cast member. He's going places. I can feel it. Bill Hader is someone that doesn't seem to be used that much but he has potential. He was scouted at a grad show at Second City Los Angeles. I know that because I know someone who was a level behind Hader at Second City's Training Center. I also think that Kristen Wiig is great addition and she adds to the females on SNL. The females are in the minority with Maya Rudolph on maternity leave.

We are halfway through the season and a lot can still happen. The average length for cast members are six seasons and it seems that a lot of been there for that long. Rumor has it that we will be losing Chris Parnell, Darrell Hammond, Rachel Dratch, and maybe some others at the end of the season. It would be hard to imagine SNL without Darrell Hammond. Like the late Phil Hartman, he is a man of 1,000 voices.

Second City and SNL are both in my future but I just want to live through the next few campaign seasons. We have three years of campaigning in a row. I may have to work behind the scenes and then play it by ear as to what I want to do the rest of my life. Stand-up comedy gets people seen the fastest but Second City is where it's at. It's my calling. Will I pull an Al Franken and run for office after a career in comedy? You betcha!

In other news today, A Lot Like Love somehow managed to find it's way into my home. Why? I don't know! He's on first and that line's already been used. But, seriously folks...Ashton Kutcher is the worst actor I have ever seen. I didn't like him when he hosted SNL and there was a reason he was not credited in Cheaper by the Dozen a few years ago.

A whole lotta improv is going down in the Bay area. Make sure to check out Sketchfest in San Francisco:

First, the SF Sketchfest has announced its biggest and best sketch comedy festival yet. Opening Jan. 12 and running through the 29th, the festival includes performances by: Mr. Show's Bob Odenkirk and David Cross; Kids in the Hall's Dave Foley; Saturday Night Live's Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch and Horatio Sanz; Arrested Development's Will Arnett; The State's Michael Showalter and David Wain; and The Daily Show's Rob Corddry.

Holy Lewis, Batman! Comedian Robin Williams is going to make a run for the presidency. You wish. It's the plotline of an upcoming movie with social comedian, er, commentator Lewis Black.

Next up for Black is another aspect of showbiz. He's scheduled to be moving to the silver screen, with roles in Accepted, a high-school comedy in which he plays a character's uncle, and in Man of the Year with Robin Williams. In Man of the Year, Williams plays a late-night political talk show host who runs for president. Which makes us imagine what it would be like if late-night political talk show comic Lewis Black ran for president — now, those are debates we'd be jazzed about watching.

That's a movie I'd pay to see. I wonder if they get Jon Stewart to cameo in that movie. You can find Lewis Black at the Mohegan Sun Cabaret from January 6-8.