10 Best SNL Bits of the 2010's

10. The World’s Most Evil Invention (2017)

TW: Child abuse, sexual abuse. Dwayne Johnson has incredible charisma and he puts it to great use here. If you watch this sketch, you basically never have to watch Venture Brothers or Robot Chicken because The Rock does every one of their jokes better. It’s outstanding.

And evil. It's literally evil.


9. Teacher Fell Down (2018)

This isn’t just a stupid skit; it’s peak stupid skit. It’s so fucking unintelligent. So pointless. It defies expectations in that it has no jokes. Just when you think it’s going to get on track and give us a setup/punchline it just keeps being smart as rocks.

It’s a monument to Kate McKinnon’s ability to carry a skit based on nothing but pure Kate-McKinnonness. I couldn't just put "Kate McKinnon" on this list, but Teacher Fell Down is her Alesia. See also: Casablanca, all of 2016 when she played Hillary Clinton, and that 1-800-flowers one.




8. Pizza Business (2013)

A classic SNL skit. A little ridiculous, notable for how it goes the extra mile, and centered around the guest. *Chef's kiss*

Melissa McCarthy nails it as Barb Kelner who really wants to start a small business. We understand the gag, but then the gag finds its edges and breaks past them. I grew up with Chris Farley and it would actually do a disservice to McCarthy to compare her to Chris Farley; her physical comedy and commitment are exceptional and absolute.


7. Lobster Diner (2018)

You can’t not include Lobster Diner in a list like this. John Mulaney is so good in this show. Lobster Diner is the headliner, but skits like his dialog on Clint Eastwood’s “The Mule,” The Cha-Cha Slide skit, and game show setup “What’s that Name” don’t dominate this list solely out of my own sense of fairness.


6. The Greek Gods (2013)

(TW: Rape, Beastiality, Incest, Greek God stuff) I’ve only see Charlie Day do this one character, but he does it really well and it’s a full-cast press on the most memorable characters in human history in a solid run of jokes. An instant classic.


5. Weekend Update on Andrew McCabe (2018)

I initially decided not to put any Weekend Update on this list, but this one is just an onslaught on and of the Trump administration. The rest of this year should just be reminding us of the last three shambolic years of our government. “I may not do good on camera, but behind the scenes, my ideas are much worse,” is practically Trump’s motto. 

Matt Damon as Brett Kavanaugh is a honorable mention because it’s almost unbelievable how disqualifying Kavanugh’s behavior was. If it’s fair, the 45th anniversary had a supercut of their political stuff (TW: Chevy Chase). This narrowly beat out the Voters for Trump one.


4. Wishing Boot (2015)

There’s an alchemy to putting Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant together. The Wishing Boot is a straight send-up of for-profit songs selling Christian themes and as a bonus it’s fucking insane and I love it. Blake Shelton is another great guest and this is squarely in his wheelhouse. McKinnon and Bryant in Dyke and Fats, Smokery Farms, and Apple Picking. Honorable mention for Jooohn Smith.


3. Marcus Comes to Dinner (2018)

Sam Rockwell isn’t the guy I would have pegged for this bit, but he came in strong for a good showing on this skit. I’m not exactly hot for gay skits on SNL because I’m gay; I just think they’re neat. Marcus Comes to Dinner doesn’t go where I expected it to go, but it’s a fun ride and I enjoyed it.

2. Reel Quotes (2013)

Both Hader and Wiig doing what they do best. Wiig is so hard to get right, but her confident wrongness in spite of all reason is a thing to behold. Bill Hader is spot-on as a gameshow host whose patience is running thin. Charles Barkley is always a gift on SNL and this is one of his best skits as “Reel Quotes” writhes around itself. Amazing. Another good one is Barkley’s Mos Eisley Five.

1. Totinos-Sabine (2017)

There’s nothing else to say. This skit is amazing.