Saturday Night Love You

For as long as I can remember, I have loved Saturday Night Live. Even during the "lost years," when absolutely no one thought it was funny, I loved it.

Of course, I wasn't alive to witness the genius of SNL greats like John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray, but some of my very first TV memories include Adam Sandler playing guitar, Dana Carvey's Church Lady, and Chris Farley's hilarious screaming.

The older I got, the more I loved it. I watched as my favorite cast members gradually left and were replaced by new favorites. I laughed hysterically at Chris Kattan, wished I could do 'Weekend Update' with Norm Macdonald or Amy Poehler, and imitated Tracy Morgan's Brian Fellow and Will Ferrell's Harry Caray until I thought my parents might kick me out of the house.

Every year, I sign up for SNL tickets (Newsflash: They are nearly impossible to get) and last time I went to New York, I toured the NBC studios to see the hallowed ground itself. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I got pretty choked up seeing all the cast memorabilia and pictures.

Although their sketches are pretty hit or miss, I really love the current cast. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are truly two of the most hysterical people on the planet...and don't even get me started on my obsession crush on Andy Samberg.

...but before there was Andy Samberg, there was Jimmy Fallon.

Sometimes, when I watch his new late night show, I get so disappointed. I start to forget how flawless he used to be. The way he'd muss up his hair, the schoolboy giggling, the hilarious song parodies, the adorable interplay with Tina Fey on 'Weekend Update,' the Boston accent in the 'Denise and Sully' skits, the nervous biting of the lower lip while smiling. Resistance was futile every Saturday night.





For about five years, spanning middle school and the beginning of high school, I kinda thought that if I couldn't marry Tom DeLonge from Blink 182 or Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day (yeah, I was one of those kids), I was absolutely going to marry Jimmy Fallon. Then, he was gone and with him, my SNL-loving heart.

...but the year after Jimmy left, Andy Samberg arrived...and instead of growing up and coming to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to marry an SNL cast member, I started thinking up ways to get into Andy's (digital) shorts.

So, this season, when Jimmy Fallon hosted SNL and made his long-awaited return to the place where he once fueled my hilarious-and-attractive-boy-next-door-fantasies, I thought I might die. Then, he teamed up with Andy Samberg as his reflection, mussed up his hair, and sang "The Rainbow Connection" and I did.