Weird boob grab on SNL last week, or part of the skit I didn't get?

October 11, 2009 7:03 PM

What was up with the Boob grab on last weeks SNL? During the "So you committed a crime, and you think you can dance?" skit, Jason Sudeikis grabs a handful of Kristen Wiig. You can see it at around 4:00 on Hulu. Her response seems a bit weird. Any insight? Theories? Rumors?
posted by JonnyRotten to media & arts (11 comments total)

Yeah, she does seem genuinely freaked out.
posted by elder18 at 7:09 PM on October 11

Yeah, it was the uncomfortable weird pause, and then the glance down at the second grope that weird-ed me out.
posted by JonnyRotten at 7:12 PM on October 11

This was the punchline of that part of the sketch. She's acting.
posted by Osmanthus at 7:19 PM on October 11 [4 favorites]

The punchline was that the guard that was keeping him from escaping copped a feel?

Jason Sudeikis didn't even play the cop that was stopping him from escaping during the previous portion.

Maybe my understanding of a punch line is broken.

It just seemed awkward to me...
posted by JonnyRotten at 7:48 PM on October 11

The cop and other guy are handcuffed together, and when the other guy is dancing, the cop's hand is moving around. Maybe it was supposed to work out so that it looked like the cop was forced to grab her boob because of how the other guy moved, and they just botched the joke? Wouldn't be the first botched SNL joke.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:55 PM on October 11

It's just a sight gag playing on the handcuffs.
posted by hermitosis at 7:57 PM on October 11

The previous portion with the other guard was taped. I'm guessing they intended both guards to be Jason Sudeikis, but he may not have been available to tape that day due to other writing/ rehearsing duties.

And I agree that it was a visual punchline to the visual gag of a dance routine with a guard handcuffed to you. Wiig is a very good comedic actress and her reaction (in my opinion) makes it funnier.

Supposedly Chris Farley loved to throw a wrench into scenes-- doing different lines or entering the scene differently-- just to try to make the other actors laugh. Perhaps Jason Sudeikis threw the grab in suddenly and her reaction is genuine, but I really doubt it.
posted by sharkfu at 8:02 PM on October 11

As former SNL cast member Lovitz would say: "ACTING!!!!!!!"
posted by The Deej at 8:03 PM on October 11 [2 favorites]

Yeah, the whole point is that she's freaked out. The entire sketch is presenting an awkward reality TV series.

It's actually a rather brilliant deconstruction of the awkward, forced intimacy that you find in reality TV. You have these strange misfits with a need to be on television, and then you have these polished professional performers having to pretend they're all getting along fine, when the truth is they may not understand or be able to stand each other. The narrative of the show demands they pretend otherwise, thus Kirsten Wiig's forced expression.
posted by dhartung at 1:35 AM on October 12 [1 favorite]

It came off to me as appearing to be intentionally awkward. In other words, I agree with everyone above except for elder18 and the OP.
posted by Atreides at 6:11 AM on October 12

It's typical 21st century American TV: 'humor' done in an overly-obvious manner. She's making that face so people will know when to laugh.

And wasn't it a good thing they explained that the prisoner was always looking for a chance to escape before they showed the clip of the rehearsal? We would never have known that from watching the rest of the bit.
posted by Zambrano at 10:05 AM on October 12