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Anything Still Goes

One of the common themes in these opening introductions is how I am obsessed with the idea that the cast of SNL revolves to be consistently filled with youth performers that are early enough in their careers that they seem to have the energy to take on the world. This first season, in particular, was new enough to where there were no expectations, so the talent really was given an opportunity to take the wind out of the powers that be.

The other common theme in these introductions is how much I am blown away by the fact that this generation of peace-loving hippies is now in charge and even worse than the people they loved to send up. It's then fascinating to see when they reference even older generations with the same realization.

Take for example the opening to this show. They started with the Chevy fall, then went into Elliott Gould’s opening the show with a cover of the song, Anything Goes. 40 years ago this was a 40-year-old song which listening to the lyrics for the first time is mainly a song where an old person is griping about the new generations and how they have everything all mixed up and don't care because Anything Goes.

It's so weird to now hear them gripe about Millennials. Luckily I'm a Gen Xer that's just been left alone to fend for myself. I don't think my generation will ever get to run the show.

Speaking of shows, here's what else happened in this episode as I give you...

The Wicker Breakdown:

The show started in a wax museum with Chevy Chase, flashing and sexually harassing the mannequins until the Gilda Radner mannequin fights back and smacks him off the stage.
Elliott Gould opens the show by singing Anything Goes as mention above.
This was followed by a repeat of the fake commercial to learn the career of answering phones for career training hotlines.
Next, was a sketch about a poker game between Dan Aykroyd who was playing a wealthy southerner and Chevy Chase who played a European with a crazy language with Gould as his interpreter and the two take advantage of Aykroyd's southern charm and rob him blind.
This was followed by a PSA from the National Uvula Association.
Leon Redbone sings Shine on Harvest Moon... I swear I thought this guy was Father Guido Sarducci for quite a while.
This was followed by a Star Trek parody that went on for a really long time where The Enterprise was being trailed by an old car with a Network Executive that boards the ship and cancels the show.
Gilda Radner then reads a letter from the Muppets.
This was followed by the news where I saw a flash of real boobs and am surprised this is the first time that I heard about this.
The commercial for the news was a parody ad for a vibrator/salad maker food for him satisfaction for her... not all that funny though modern eyes.
News returns to Jane Curtin giving an editorial reply as Chevy makes faces behind her back.
Garrett Morris plays a dictator in Ghana who then has a run in with Shirley Temple who helps sort of work through the issues with a song.
The short film of the week followed an old man who ran a dictation/dance/show tunes singing school for kids.
This was followed by the Bees doing a Honeymooners parody that was sort of funny.
Leon Redbone then returned to sing Walking Stick.
Next was another rerun of a commercial for the moving company the literally moves people.
Harlan Collins and Joyce Everson sing Heaven Only Knows.
Gould says Goodnight.

There weren't many sketches in this episode, and many of them were repeats which I'm guessing has to do with this being toward the end of the first season before they really knew how to plan out an entire run of the show, but there was still some funny moments.

Here are my top three. First, I liked the Shirley Temple in Ghana sketch because it was pretty random and fun. Next, the Star Trek scene was a bit of a classic that got a chuckle out of me. Finally, who doesn't like to see boobs on network TV!!!