Since joining SNL in 2021, James Austin Johnson hasn’t only done a top shelf Donald Trump. He’s done a very good Joe Biden as well. He captures the current president’s endearing aloofness quite well, as though everything is a surprise. Alas, barring some miracle, it looks like the 2024 election will be a rematch between he and the guy he crushed spectacularly. So for the third episode of the new season, SNL opened with a new Joe.
That would be Mikey Day, who leans hard into Biden’s age. In the Cold Open, he gave a Halloween address to the citizenry, while acknowledging that real world is a lot more terrifying right now than any seasonal dress-up.
“The world is a pretty scary place right now,” said Day’s Biden. “Wars, shooting, climate change, everything in the new Britney book.” Thankfully, he had a temporary solution. “Nothing puts people at ease like an 80-year-old man hanging Halloween decorations.”
Biden entertained a couple guests. One was Mike Johnson, the generically named — but possibly dangerous — new Speaker of the House. Played by featured player Michael Longfellow, Johnson is portrayed as a benign nerd with a shady air about him. The SNL writers ribbed him over one of the more bizarre aspects of his private life: the fact that he has an adult Black son, also named Michael.
“It’s normal, don’t look into that at all,” said the other Michael, played by featured player Devon Walker.
Eventually Biden was visited by “The Spirit of Halloween, the Ghost of All Hallows’ Past,” played by SNL fave Christopher Walken. The beloved actor has been hosting or simply making guest spots on the show since 1990, and this time he serenaded the president with a recitation of “Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet,” which concluded with him telling Biden he’d “pull down your underwear.”
You can watch the SNL Cold Open in the video above.
Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.
TIE: 10. Saw X (Lionsgate movie streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)
The most critically-acclaimed Jigsaw movie in the franchise went toe-to-toe with Taylor Swift and lived to tell the tale. The same cannot be said for those who land in these telltale traps, however. This film takes a lengthy voyage back to the earlier days of this horror franchise where Tobin Bell gets to show off his range for days. This is quite unlike any other Saw movie but also doesn’t totally skimp on the requisite gore quotient that fans are used to seeing.
Tom Hiddleston’s trickster antihero is coming full circle with a realization that ties back into the Thor movies. Also, I’m pretty sure that Miss Minutes is plotting to murder everyone while cheering as time ceases to exist, but don’t take my word for it. What matters at the moment is that Loki and Mobius are together and that Loki is in also love with a multiversal Loki variant, Sylvie. We’re still receiving the most graceful exposition that the MCU has ever seen (or heard) in this show, but the He Who Remains/Kang/Victor Timely aspect of this series continues to be supremely awkward.
Sure, Bridgerton has a legion of viewers who will turn into every season, but Phoebe Dynevor can do much more, and the same goes for Alden Ehrenreich, who has fully shaken off Solo and is having an incredible 2023 that includes both Cocaine Bear and Oppenheimer. This erotic thriller won’t make you think any better of hedge funders, but it does present a rather startling perspective on shifting relationship dynamics that can happen in the blink of an eye. One day, an in-love couple is getting engaged, and the next, someone gets promoted, and the other person loses their sh*t. There’s also a lot of blood and a lot of espresso going on, fortunately not at the same time.
Ain’t nothing like a mildly offensive Bill Burr movie to divide audiences, which is likely a big reason why this movie has is sparking so much interest. The presence of Bokeem and Bobby Cannavale doesn’t hurt, and although no one will ever accuse this film of being cerebral or affecting a real message, it’s decent counterprogramming for the crush of Halloween movies.
If you’ve seen The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), then you already know a lot about what transpires in this documentary. There shall be no Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga to be found, however, but we do get to see a failed exorcism that happened at the hands of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Those paranormal investigators didn’t quite manage to put a lid on a supposed Satanic possession of David Glatzel. The demon then allegedly jumped into the body of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who committed homicide, only to literally invoke “the devil made me do it” as an attempted criminal defense strategy.
The book-club crowd continues to turn in weekly for the adaptation of Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel. Brie Larson took a little breather from comic book movies for this feminist take on a brilliant female chemist who finds zeitgeist-straddling success in the most unexpected place. As always, that deadpan sense of humor shines through as Larson cooks her way into influencing her at-home audience of housewives.
Mike Flanagan and Edgar Allan Poe fans shall be overjoyed to watch this delightful meeting of the minds, albeit in a posthumous manner for one side of the horrifying equation. Once you’re done watching, do come back and read our death ranking and also wonder, exactly, how Carla Gugino can not only pull off a wealth of Flanagan characters in various shows but also various forms in this one climactic series. This isn’t a literal telling of the Poe story but one that successfully incorporates modern ills while skewering the concepts of wealth, privilege, and power.
4. Long Shot (Lionsgate movie streaming on Netflix)
This under-remembered Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron movie is enjoying new life on Netflix. And why not? He took a little downtime from his weed empire, spinning pottery, and producing duties to star alongside an Oscar winner and one of the greatest action stars of this era. She portrays the Secretary of State, and he’s a journalist who recognizes his old baby sitter in her. Their comedic chemistry is pretty high on the charts, and seldom does either miss on their own, let alone together.
This week’s penultimate episode changed everything about the hierarchy of Godolkin University. As well, we learned that Homelander isn’t (yet) getting off scot free after (again) committing murder in broad daylight. His actions also play into the motivations of a key crossover character who makes an appeal to Marie, and things are getting sadly complicated for Emma and Sam. Is love dead? Nope, we’ve still got Jordan and Marie. Next week, we find out what cliffhanger is in store for us to be frustrated about until Season 2 arrives.
This sleeper series dives headfirst into a mind-melting take on multiple detectives who try to solve (and stop) the same murder in different decades. This show was only intended to be a limited series and is based upon a Si Spencer graphic novel, but given the audience turnout — and how the show actually leaves the door slightly ajar — it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to hear of another round in the works. In the meantime, enjoy this twisty show that will keep you guessing, even after you find out the identity of the killer.
1. No Hard Feelings (Sony Pictures movie streaming on Netflix)
It’s back. After hitting theaters and doing the VOD rounds, Jennifer Lawrence is doing her part to resurrect raunchy comedies. She portrays Maddie, who needs to make some money, fast, so she answers a Craigslist ad from parents who would really like a nice woman to boink their 19-year-old unsociable son. Cue the R-rated shenanigans that we’ve been missing in movies with a side of Ebon Moss-Bachrach for The Bear fans. Long live the filth, y’all.
Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.
TIE: 10. Saw X (Lionsgate movie streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)
The most critically-acclaimed Jigsaw movie in the franchise went toe-to-toe with Taylor Swift and lived to tell the tale. The same cannot be said for those who land in these telltale traps, however. This film takes a lengthy voyage back to the earlier days of this horror franchise where Tobin Bell gets to show off his range for days. This is quite unlike any other Saw movie but also doesn’t totally skimp on the requisite gore quotient that fans are used to seeing.
Tom Hiddleston’s trickster antihero is coming full circle with a realization that ties back into the Thor movies. Also, I’m pretty sure that Miss Minutes is plotting to murder everyone while cheering as time ceases to exist, but don’t take my word for it. What matters at the moment is that Loki and Mobius are together and that Loki is in also love with a multiversal Loki variant, Sylvie. We’re still receiving the most graceful exposition that the MCU has ever seen (or heard) in this show, but the He Who Remains/Kang/Victor Timely aspect of this series continues to be supremely awkward.
Sure, Bridgerton has a legion of viewers who will turn into every season, but Phoebe Dynevor can do much more, and the same goes for Alden Ehrenreich, who has fully shaken off Solo and is having an incredible 2023 that includes both Cocaine Bear and Oppenheimer. This erotic thriller won’t make you think any better of hedge funders, but it does present a rather startling perspective on shifting relationship dynamics that can happen in the blink of an eye. One day, an in-love couple is getting engaged, and the next, someone gets promoted, and the other person loses their sh*t. There’s also a lot of blood and a lot of espresso going on, fortunately not at the same time.
Ain’t nothing like a mildly offensive Bill Burr movie to divide audiences, which is likely a big reason why this movie has is sparking so much interest. The presence of Bokeem and Bobby Cannavale doesn’t hurt, and although no one will ever accuse this film of being cerebral or affecting a real message, it’s decent counterprogramming for the crush of Halloween movies.
If you’ve seen The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), then you already know a lot about what transpires in this documentary. There shall be no Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga to be found, however, but we do get to see a failed exorcism that happened at the hands of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Those paranormal investigators didn’t quite manage to put a lid on a supposed Satanic possession of David Glatzel. The demon then allegedly jumped into the body of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who committed homicide, only to literally invoke “the devil made me do it” as an attempted criminal defense strategy.
The book-club crowd continues to turn in weekly for the adaptation of Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel. Brie Larson took a little breather from comic book movies for this feminist take on a brilliant female chemist who finds zeitgeist-straddling success in the most unexpected place. As always, that deadpan sense of humor shines through as Larson cooks her way into influencing her at-home audience of housewives.
Mike Flanagan and Edgar Allan Poe fans shall be overjoyed to watch this delightful meeting of the minds, albeit in a posthumous manner for one side of the horrifying equation. Once you’re done watching, do come back and read our death ranking and also wonder, exactly, how Carla Gugino can not only pull off a wealth of Flanagan characters in various shows but also various forms in this one climactic series. This isn’t a literal telling of the Poe story but one that successfully incorporates modern ills while skewering the concepts of wealth, privilege, and power.
4. Long Shot (Lionsgate movie streaming on Netflix)
This under-remembered Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron movie is enjoying new life on Netflix. And why not? He took a little downtime from his weed empire, spinning pottery, and producing duties to star alongside an Oscar winner and one of the greatest action stars of this era. She portrays the Secretary of State, and he’s a journalist who recognizes his old baby sitter in her. Their comedic chemistry is pretty high on the charts, and seldom does either miss on their own, let alone together.
This week’s penultimate episode changed everything about the hierarchy of Godolkin University. As well, we learned that Homelander isn’t (yet) getting off scot free after (again) committing murder in broad daylight. His actions also play into the motivations of a key crossover character who makes an appeal to Marie, and things are getting sadly complicated for Emma and Sam. Is love dead? Nope, we’ve still got Jordan and Marie. Next week, we find out what cliffhanger is in store for us to be frustrated about until Season 2 arrives.
This sleeper series dives headfirst into a mind-melting take on multiple detectives who try to solve (and stop) the same murder in different decades. This show was only intended to be a limited series and is based upon a Si Spencer graphic novel, but given the audience turnout — and how the show actually leaves the door slightly ajar — it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to hear of another round in the works. In the meantime, enjoy this twisty show that will keep you guessing, even after you find out the identity of the killer.
1. No Hard Feelings (Sony Pictures movie streaming on Netflix)
It’s back. After hitting theaters and doing the VOD rounds, Jennifer Lawrence is doing her part to resurrect raunchy comedies. She portrays Maddie, who needs to make some money, fast, so she answers a Craigslist ad from parents who would really like a nice woman to boink their 19-year-old unsociable son. Cue the R-rated shenanigans that we’ve been missing in movies with a side of Ebon Moss-Bachrach for The Bear fans. Long live the filth, y’all.
In their second SNL performance of the night, Foo Fighters continued to show why they are one of the most timeless bands of our time. Continuing to share songs from their most recent album, But We Are Here, the band performed “The Glass,” a ballad alluding to the loss of the band’s drummer, Taylor Hawkins.
On “The Glass,” lead vocalist Dave Grohl mourns the loss of a friend, and how he has been forced to go through life without him.
“I had a version of home, and just like that / I was left to live without it, left to live without it / I had a person I loved, and just like that / I was left to live without him, left to live without him,” sings Grohl on one of the song’s verses.
Adding more rockstar flair to this heartbreaking album cut was HER, who performed this particular verse alongside Grohl, while showing off her guitar chops. Toward the bridge of the song, Grohl and HER delivered an electrifying guitar duet.
HER’s special appearance wasn’t the only surprise of the night. Earlier, actor Christopher Walken introduced the band ahead of their performance of “Rescued,” marking a special full-circle moment.
You can watch the performance of “The Glass” above.
Foo Fighters made their ninth appearance on Saturday Night Live tonight, reminding everyone of the legends they are. In their first set of the night, the band delivered a performance of “Rescued” from their latest album, But We Are Here.
Actor Christopher Walken stood before the stage, introducing Foo Fighters, who were surrounded by television displays as they appeared in full rockstar glory in their performance of “Rescued.”
“Rescued” and But We Are Here comes over a year following the death of Foo Fighters’ original drummer, Taylor Hawkins. The album is a work of grief and features the band emerging from adversity, ready to carry Hawkins’ legacy for years to come. Over the past year, Foo Fighters has performed various festivals, and the band is gearing up for a stadium tour which will begin next year.
Walken’s introduction of the band came as a full-circle moment, more than 20 years in the making. Walken hosted an episode of SNL back in February 2003, during which, Foo Fighters was the musical guest. Grohl recalled this moment in a 2017 interview with Radio X, during which, he uncannily imitated Walken, asking if the emphasis on the band’s name was on the “Foo” or “Fighters.”
Dave Grohl is one of the rock icons of our time. But perhaps now, he may venture into country music. Tonight (October 28), Foo Fighters performed songs from their newest album, But We Are Here, as the band was the musical guest for this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live. But also, this episode was full of surprises, as Grohl made a couple of appearances in some of the show’s sketches.
In one of the sketches, the show’s cast members James Austin Johnson and Andrew Dismukes formed a fictional country band called Mudpuddle, along with this week’s host, Nate Bargatze. The trio performed in a music video for their song called “Lake Beach,” an ode to their favorite country getaway.
During the clip, the band partakes in every activity one can imagine available to them at a “lake beach,” including slipping on slimy rocks, getting chased by bats, and catching poison ivy.
Grohl appears as the uncle of Johnson’s character, who, evidently, has a case of cornhole on the brain.
“My girlfriend didn’t show up, but my uncle did / He’s not fun to play cornhole with / He’s got weird gear and he knows all the rules / and he can’t tell that that’s not the vibe,” sings Johnson, as Grohl plays cornhole like a madman.
Saturday Night Live continues to deliver a promising set of guests in its 49th season. Next month boasts an equally exciting guestlist.
On November 11, Wonka actor Timothée Chalamet is set to host the show. Boygenius will perform as the show’s musical guest that night. Chalamet’s appearance arrives about a month before wide theatrical release of Wonka — an origin story about the fictional chocolatier, Willy Wonka, created by Roald Dahl.
Boygenius’s performance comes near the end of an exciting year for the musical trio, comprised of Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and Phoebe Bridgers. Back in March, Boygenius released their critically-acclaimed debut album, The Record. The trio performed at Coachella in April, during their set proclaiming “F*ck Ron Desantis.” Earlier this month, Boygenius released a follow-up to The Record, an EP titled The Rest.
Chalamet’s upcoming hosting gig marks his second on SNL, his first being in 2020. He made a brief cameo in a 2021 episode as well.
In an interview with GQ, Chalamet described getting into character for Wonka as a “throwback to LaGuardia.”
“We’re telling a story here,” said Chalamet. “This isn’t, like, athletic naturalism. It’s a shot of earnestness and sincerity, without the cynicism or dread or all the stuff we’re exhausted by.”
Saturday Night Live broadcasts on Saturday nights at 11:30 p.m. EST / 10:30 p.m. CST. You can also stream episodes of SNL on Peacock.
Brian Gordon is a cartoonist. He’s also a dad, which means he’s got plenty of inspiration for the parenting comics he creates for his website, Fowl Language (not all of which actually feature profanity).
He covers many topics, but it’s his hilarious parenting comics that are resonating with parents everywhere.
“My comics are largely autobiographical,” Gordon tells me. “I’ve got two kids who are 4 and 7, and often, what I’m writing happened as recently as that very same day.”
Gordon shared 15 of his oh-so-real comics with us. They’re all funny ’cause they’re true.
Let’s get started with his favorite, “Welcome to Parenting,” which Gordon says sums up his comics pretty well. “Parenting can be such tedious drudgery,” he says, “but if it wasn’t also so incredibly rewarding there wouldn’t be nearly so many people on the planet.”
Truth.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.
1.
All comics are shared here with Gordon’s express permission. These comics are all posted on his website, in addition to his Facebook page. You can also find a “bonus” comic that goes with each one by clicking the “bonus” link. Original. Bonus.
I love Gordon’s comics so much because they’re just about the reality of parenting — and they capture it perfectly.
There’s no parenting advice, no judgment, just some humor about the common day-to-day realities that we all share.
When I ask him about the worst parenting advice he’s ever received, Gordon relays this anecdote:
“I remember being an absolute sleep-deprived wreck, sitting outside a sandwich shop, wolfing down my lunch quickly beside my 1-month-old son, who was briefly resting his lungs between screaming fits.
A rather nosy woman walked up to me and said, all smugly, ‘You should enjoy this time while they’re easy.’ It was the exact worst thing anyone could have said to me in that moment and I just wanted to curl up on the sidewalk and cry.”
Who hasn’t been on the receiving end of totally unneeded and unwanted advice? That’s why Gordon’s comics are so welcome: They offer up a space for us to all laugh about the common experiences we parents share.
Here’s to Gordon for helping us chuckle (through the tears).
Why should a superintendent get a raise while teachers in the same district struggling to make ends meet see their paychecks flatline — year after year after year?
Teacher Deyshia Hargrave begged the question. Minutes later, she was handcuffed and placed in the backseat of a cop car.
The scene was captured below by YouTube user Chris Rosa, who attended a board meeting for Vermilion Parish Schools in Louisiana.
You can watch Hargrave begin speaking about 33 seconds in. The situation starts becoming contentious around 6:35 minutes. Hargrave is arrested at 8:35, and then walked outside in handcuffs and placed in the back of police vehicle.
Teacher Deyshia Hargrave was questioning the school board how they can vote to give the superintendent a raise when school employees have not gotten a raise …
“We work very hard with very little to maintain the salaries that we have,” Hargrave, who teaches middle school language arts, said during a public comment portion of the meeting, stating that she’s seen classroom sizes balloon during her time at the school with no increased compensation. “We’re meeting those goals, while someone in that position of leadership [the superintendent] is getting raise? It’s a sad, sad day to be a teacher in Vermilion Parish.”
According to comments Hargrave made to BuzzFeed News, she believes Superintendent Jerome Puyau was already making $110,000 before the board voted to give him a raise of $38,000. The raise alone is roughly the salary of “a teacher, or two cafeteria workers, or two janitors,” Hargrave told the outlet.
After Hargrave spoke out again later in the meeting, a city marshal on duty asked her to leave — even though the school board was still addressing her.
“You’re going to leave, or I’m going to remove you,” the officer told her, as seen in the video. Many people in attendance seemed shocked. “Are you serious?” someone asked, aghast, in the crowd.
Hargrave leaves the room, followed by the officer. But moments later, someone chimed in, “he’s putting her in handcuffs” — and the room erupts in disarray.
“I am not [resisting], you just pushed me to the floor!” Hargrave is heard screaming at the officer, as he forcibly removes her down the hallway and out the building in handcuffs. “Sir, hold on! I am way smaller than you!”
Teacher removed from Vermilion school board meeting in handcuffs
According to KATV News, Hargrave was booked in the city jail for resisting an officer — a fact that left many commenters online flabbergasted. School officials are reportedly not pressing charges. “Umm … what charges could they possibly make?” one Redditor noted.
With help from the Reddit community, Rosa’s video has gone viral, garnering more than 600,000 views in less than 24 hours. Clearly, Hargrave’s earnest question about inequality in our education system — met with a grotesque abuse of power — has clearly touched a nerve with people across the country.
“I don’t know how this teacher could have been more polite and patient in her earnest desire to find out why the superintendent deserves a raise while the teachers work harder with less,” YouTube commenter Scott Wells chimed in. “She continued to press because they refused to come up with an answer. Seems like a good question to me.”
TMZ reports that Matthew Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, has died from an apparent drowning. He was 54 years old.
Perry was found earlier today at his home in the Los Angeles area where he was allegedly discovered by authorities in a jacuzzi. According to TMZ, “there were no drugs found at the scene” and “there is no foul play involved.”
Outside of Friends, which was one of the biggest shows on television for 10 seasons and over 230 episodes (and a high-profile reunion), Perry starred in numerous movies, including Fools Rush In, Almost Heroes, The Whole Nine Yards, and 17 Again. His filmography also includes leading roles in the sitcoms Mr. Sunshine and a reboot of The Odd Couple.
In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, Perry opened up about his history with drug and alcohol addiction. “I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,” he told People in 2022. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people.”
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