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Youre not supposed tobreak.
It devalues a sketch, alienates your co-stars, and negates the social contract between audience and performer.
That brutal truth has become one of the dark arts of sketch comedy.
As much as you might want to disrespect breaking, you cant dispute its effectiveness.
That, I think, is what makes Palins break so funny.
That was a meta-game between the cast; there were few things Conway loved more than making Burnet break.
Spade is barely asked to do anything during the sketch.
Whats fun about watching someone break is knowing that youd be doing the exact same thing in their shoes.
Arctic Tern,Whos Line Is It Anyway?
I could take or leave the Wayne Brady songs.
This riff was a classic as soon as it beamed out to tube-TVs across America.
(Arctic Terns are actually a real bird, but they certainly dont sound like the Backstreet Boys.)
One of its all-time highlights?
Mo Collins as the acerbic high-maintenance geriatic Lorraine, paired with the forever underrated Michael McDonald.
They were dynamite together.
Debbie Downer,SNL(2004)
It doesnt work.
Thats the magic of breaking!
Stefon,SNL(2008-2013)
Stefon represents the only time anSNLcharacter was specifically built around breaking.
The best part about this joke?
Its pretty easy to imagine a Fox News blowhard taking Munchma Quchi at face value.
Ferguson breaks simply because he cant believe hes allowed to be this silly on connection television.
We couldnt believe it either.
Thats always been crucial to his appeal.
The Californians,SNL(2012)
What aridiculously simple premise: Californians giving directions.
Its funny, because Californianslovegiving directions, and this miraculous ensemble of modernSNLroyalty (Armisen!
could not hold it in as they graciously roasted their adopted home state.
(More on that later.)
