Althouse: "SNL’s ‘Meet Your Second Wife’ Is Too Real."

December 21, 2015

"SNL’s ‘Meet Your Second Wife’ Is Too Real."

"Play close attention to the men in the skit as their faces capture, with hilarious accuracy, the disgust-to-acceptance of their fate. It's so dark it just might make your mid-divorce friend laugh about her soon-to-be-ex-husband's future wife."

28 comments:

Tank said...: That was great. I can't watch that show. The ratio of funny to painfully not funny is weighted in the wrong direction. I think that was even true back in the glory days, long ago, when we were young. LOL. Golden Age alert.; 12/21/15, 11:47 AM
William said...: I'm thinking that this is a bank shot against Donald Trump.........How about a Shame That Slut skit where the wife of a major political figure handles her husband's bimbo eruptions by thinking up hilarious ways to shame the accuser?; 12/21/15, 11:48 AM
JPS said...: Tank:

"I think that was even true back in the glory days, long ago, when we were young."

Oh yes. I remember when the new cast just sucked, and devotees longed for the days of the earlier cast, who were so brilliant. (Hard to say which casts I'm talking about, isn't it?) It's always better when you can pick the funniest moments over a several-year period, and forget about the skits that fell flat.; 12/21/15, 11:54 AM
Brando said...: "How about a Shame That Slut skit where the wife of a major political figure handles her husband's bimbo eruptions by thinking up hilarious ways to shame the accuser?"

Heh--not that I'd expect SNL to take any shots at Hillary. They're halfway through the season and they have yet to make even one criticism of her (aside from the tepid "I am square but determined" persona they give her in impressions). Wait a few years when it comes out that SNL producers were in planning meetings with her campaign.; 12/21/15, 12:05 PM
fivewheels said...: Middle-aged women hate hate hate when middle-aged men show any desire to be with younger, more attractive, less bitter women. Whether married or single.

I'll be impressed when a 45-year-old female comedian takes on the subject of young women who cyclically trade up partners.; 12/21/15, 12:27 PM
Jaq said...: Wait a few years when it comes out that SNL producers were in planning meetings with her campaign.

Yeah, I think the book will be called "The Baking of the President: 2016"; 12/21/15, 12:59 PM
Brando said...: "Oh yes. I remember when the new cast just sucked, and devotees longed for the days of the earlier cast, who were so brilliant. (Hard to say which casts I'm talking about, isn't it?) It's always better when you can pick the funniest moments over a several-year period, and forget about the skits that fell flat."

A few seasons over its run were notorious (1980-81, 1993-94) but for the most part I'd say the show has been consistent--some funny bits, a lot of misfire, and some filler. But most people tend to remember only the funniest bits from the seasons when they first started watching (usually high school), and then think those were the glory days and it turned to crap since. But it always had some funny and a lot of forgettable.; 12/21/15, 1:11 PM
Jaske said...: My Gov just remarried.; 12/21/15, 1:22 PM
Wince said...: William may have been right about the Trump bank shot.

Originally I speculated that Amy Poehler's ex Will Arnet might have taken up with a younger woman.

But Arnet married Penelope Ann Miller, six years his senior.

Poehler has taken up with Nick Kroll, seven years her junior.; 12/21/15, 1:24 PM
walter said...: They would have had fun with Islam along these lines. In travels to Montral about 12 years ago, I befriended a guy from Morroccan heritage who seemed copletely Westernized, assimilated etc. At some point, he was sharing a picture of a little girl with one of his buddies, speaking in Berber I think. I thought it was a relative..but he quietly and a little meekly explained it was his future wife.; 12/21/15, 1:35 PM
jacksonjay said...: I anxiously await the skits about Bill, Dershowitz, and Jeffery Epstein on Fantasy Island. That would be a hoot! Maybe a skit about Ghislaine Maxwell attending Chelsea's wedding as a guest of the Past and Future Presidents. What a riot! Fact is always funnier than fiction.; 12/21/15, 1:44 PM
walter said...: Blogger EDH said...
Poehler has taken up with Nick Kroll, seven years her junior.
--
Ah.. She's a cougarrrrrrr.; 12/21/15, 1:49 PM
Birches said...: @ EDH, but that was in the 90s. Who is he dating now?; 12/21/15, 1:56 PM
Birches said...: FYI, Will Arnett's last girlfriend was 28.; 12/21/15, 1:58 PM
Big Mike said...: Hmmm. When I was thirty my next wife's parents hadn't been born yet. OTOH at my age my next wife won't have to put up with me for forty plus years like the first one has (so far).; 12/21/15, 2:10 PM
walter said...: jacksonjay said...
I anxiously await the skits about Bill, Dershowitz, and Jeffery Epstein on Fantasy Island.
--
Too bad Phil Hartman isn't around to play the reluctant battered first dude. Maybe at this point it would be about separate residences within the residence.; 12/21/15, 2:35 PM
Jupiter said...: I was 11 when my wife was born. I kind of doubt I will be needing a second one. Unless I take up Islam, of course. Might need a bunch of them.

As I recall, liberalized divorce laws were mostly regarded as a benefit to women. Hasn't exactly worked out that way. On the other hand, I saw a piece of advice the other day;

Don't bother getting married. Just find some woman you really hate, and give her your house.; 12/21/15, 2:48 PM
Temujin said...: Here's the thing about SNL for the past, oh…30 years? It hasn't had many, but everyone in awhile it has some good, even some great ideas for skits. But the execution is just painful to watch. What is it with Tina Fey and Amy Pohler having to appear together at every freaking turn? Even in a lame skit? Painful. They mail it in.; 12/21/15, 2:56 PM
grimson said...: What I saw was a couple of women cruising into middle age and losing their looks trashing men who become financially successful and desire younger beautiful women. This does not make Tina and Amy more attractive, but they are certainly taking part in a sexist skit--surely one of the men contestants could have been a version of Kris Jenner, and surely they could have made fun of the kinds of little girls who grow up to marry much older men because the men are rich (or young little boys who later become women).; 12/21/15, 3:09 PM
Rob said...: While I never watch SNL anymore and haven't for years, I was flipping channels and stopped there just as this started. I thought it was great. And I'm happy that my second wife to be is only six years younger than I!; 12/21/15, 3:26 PM
jacksonjay said...: Althouse, you need to spend some time on Comedy Central and BET. Youtube also has some good content.; 12/21/15, 3:26 PM
MeatPopscicle1234 said...: What I find offensive is the bland assertion that MEN are the ones ditching their wives, when instead, the reality is that women are more likely to leave their husbands, for exactly the same shallow reasons (career, independence / freedom, money, sexual affairs, etc..)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/women-more-likely-than-men-to-initiate-divorces-but-not-breakups-study-finds_55d61f03e4b0ab468da049bb; 12/21/15, 4:37 PM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: That was just all kinds of stupid. But really, why would it be creepy for a man to be attracted to a young WOMAN simply because he was an adult when she was a child (or a fetus)? It's not like he's trying to get with her while she's still underage (unless he is, but that's a different kettle of fish).

The age difference between men and women in marriages has decreased over the past century or so, to the detriment of society. Men really shouldn't get married until they prove they're not criminals or losers, and after they've at least established a firm footing for a career, and saved some money, and stopped being adolescent jackasses. One could say the same for women, but I don't, because men and women are different, am I right {{Citation needed}}!; 12/21/15, 5:51 PM
Oso Negro said...: Cis-normative, heterosexual men's sexuality remains a safe target for disgust and mockery. At the age of 59, if I came out as gay and married another man, it would be more socially acceptable than dating a twenty-something. However, I endeavor to live without regard for societal expectations, middle class morality, or what might even be thought, at times, a common sense of decency. I am marrying my 21-year old girlfriend in ten days. She asked if we could have a second wife in the marriage, and I thought about it, and said "why not?". So I am committing to a pair of 21 year olds. And before any of your panties start to bunch, I will add that I am not Mormon, Muslim or cult-leader. Perhaps the Supreme Court will find my "right" to three consenting adults doing as they want some day, but as progressives are against it, I don't expect anything soon.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Oso; 12/21/15, 6:02 PM
readering said...: Of course, to be realistic for this election cycle the game should would have to be Meet Your Third Wife, with the show broadcast from abroad.; 12/21/15, 7:47 PM
HoodlumDoodlum said...: but by the time your husband has a midlife crisis, finds late-career success

Finds late-career success? How very interesting.
Older men getting with younger women=those men are gross.
Younger women getting with older successful men=hey, we get it, guuurl, make sure you get that money!
Eeeeequality.; 12/21/15, 9:04 PM
Jolan.False said...: This Rolling Stone piece nicely breaks down the sketch from a technical perspective as well:

"'Meet Your Second Wife' was a textbook example of how to squeeze everything out of a simple premise by playing the ridiculous conceit straight and without embellishment. The tiny details were what made it perfect: Leslie Jones' silently angry glare at Thompson; Aidy Bryant's shock at discovering that Killam will remarry after she dies in a freak kayak accident (by the way, everyone goes home with a free kayak); and the inexplicable fact that Poehler was playing a fictional host while Fey was playing herself."; 12/22/15, 8:43 AM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: @Jolan False

Yes, it's a very well-done skit. I especially when Poehler says, "We don't make the future, we just know it.".; 12/22/15, 1:56 PM