Watch it here. Choose the censored or the uncensored one.
Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of “Saturday Night Live,” cautioned in an interview that the strategy of treating Internet users to the equivalent of an authorized “director’s cut” of his late-night show “will be the exception” going forward. But he also predicted that other shows and networks, time and money permitting, would surely follow NBC’s lead in making available material that was deemed not ready for prime time, or even late night. “My sense is that, as always, now that the door has been opened, some things will go through it,” he said....I approve, by the way. Don't you? This is a fine use of the web to flesh out what we're seeing and hearing on broadcast TV.
“Those people who go on the Internet will not be shocked by this,” Mr. Ludwin recalled thinking. “Obviously there are some people who will be offended. Those people are probably unlikely to go searching for it on the Internet. It’s just funny.”
Still, the material was touchy enough, Mr. Ludwin said, that he sought final approval for the Web version of the video from the highest echelons of NBC, including Kevin Reilly, the president of NBC Entertainment , and Jeff Zucker, chief executive of NBC Universal Television Group.. Both approved the idea, he said. Another executive suggested that a disclaimer be placed before the Web-only version of the video that warned of its explicit content, a proposal that was immediately accepted....
Seth Meyers, the show’s head writer, said that he and Mr. Michaels were also mindful that sometimes the funniest material — whether on their show, or Howard Stern’s radio show — was borne of butting up against boundaries, either from the outside or self-imposed.
Sizing up the two versions of the “Special Treat” video, Mr. Meyers observed, “The most interesting thing is that it’s actually not funnier uncensored.”
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4 comments:
I don't watch SNL very much, but someone sent me a link to the uncensored version and I thought it was one of the better things I have seen from that show in a while.
Though I think that shows like South Park are funnier because they can't go all out and curse, so I was a bit disappointed in the movie, where the "f" bomb was dropped constantly. Not that I am opposed to cursing at all.
About eight years ago, a morning show I listen to would mention that Hustler Magazine once had a picture of Pat Boone with a shoe box positioned over his mid region with the box open and his dong exposed. These guys interviewed Boone when he was promoting his Heavy Metal album, and were hesitant to bring that up, but they did. Pat Boone had a great sense of humour about it and told them it was an obvious fake.
Is that "uncensored" sketch really very bawdy at all? Is this what passes for lewd these days? I can't believe a comedy show that airs at 11:30pm couldn't air the uncensored version.
The censored version was better because it allowed (encouraged?) the viewer to imagine that a more offensive word had been used.
I didn't find that sketch that funny at all.
Lazy Sunday was much better.
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