Another Top 10 Saturday Night Live Sketches

Inspired by “MacGyver,” “MacGruber” always has the same setup and payoff: the titular special ops agent’s got several seconds to defuse a bomb and the bomb ultimately goes boom. Every time, though, this sketch puts an explosively sidesplitting new twist on an old concept, whether he’s teaming up with Nana or endorsing Pepsi. The results are guaranteed to make you laugh yourself silly. Despite being only one minute long, “MacGruber” motivated Will Forte and his crew to make a ninety-nine minute feature film that has developed a worthy cult following since its 2010 release.

It’s hard to think of a female cast member who had a greater influence on “SNL” than Gilda Radner. Renowned for her celebrity impressions and iconic characters, perhaps Radner’s most famous contribution to the show was “Baba Wawa,” a takeoff of Barbara Walters. The first time a comedian parodied a well-known journalist, the Queen of Comedy dominated the stage with her massive hairdo and one of the funniest speech impediments you’ll ever hear. Whether Wawa’s guest was Marlene Dietrich, Godzilla, or herself, Radner’s performance would consistently be pwetty tewwific.

Immigrant brothers from Czechoslovakia, Yortuk and Georg Festrunk understand women about as well as they understand American culture. Every second of their lives is a wild and crazy soirée, dancing with every step they take. The problem is that these oblivious swingers can almost never get any foxes to join them on the dance floor. Although their insufferable conduct rarely attracts the ladies, they defiantly rope in the laughs. Even with Dan Aykroyd and Steve Martin in their senior years, these two are still the life of the party.

During his four years on “SNL,” Eddie Murphy owned the spotlight with legendary sketches like “Buh-Weet Sings” and, even more significant, “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood.” The anti-version of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”, this is one children’s program you boys and girls likely never saw on PBS. Nevertheless, Mister Robinson taught us essential lessons about the darker side of growing up, not to mention numerous new words. He may not be welcome in his own neighborhood, but this disturbingly happy criminal is welcome on our TV screens any day of the week.

The “SNL” library has no shortage of hysterical political sketches and this one wins the election in a landslide, notably becoming NBC’s most-viewed viral video of the time. Katie Couric’s real life interview with the former governor of Alaska was already so ridiculous that the dialogue here practically writes itself. What elevates the skit to comedic gold territory is Tina Fey’s pitch perfect Palin impression, which earned her a Primetime Emmy. Amy Poehler deserves just as much credit for summing up Couric’s thoughts on Palin with one constant, deadpan glare.

Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri as a couple of cheerleaders? We’re laughing already! Where cheerleaders are typically the coolest kids in school, Craig and Arianna even make the chess club look badass by comparison. They’re so peppy and passionate, however, that the two could typically care less about what their fellow classmates think. The Spartan Cheerleaders will look for any excuse to spread school spirit, be it at a basketball game or a math club competition. With unlimited energy and chants, we’d gladly check out either of these classic characters.

In addition to being one of the finest impersonators ever to grace the “SNL” stage, Phil Hartman was often considered the glue that held his fellow cast members together. His impact especially shows in this illustrious ensemble piece that mocks the declining state of music. The whole panel, from Jan Hooks as Sinead O’Connor to Sting as Billy Idol, gets in on the laughs. It’s Hartman’s sendup of Frank Sinatra that bonds the dysfunctional group, though, reminding us all that this late comedian could take control of any sketch.

Originating from a Second City Theatre sketch, “Sprockets” pokes fun at various German stereotypes with Mike Myers as Dieter. Only possessing a black turtleneck in his wardrobe and about three facial expressions in his repertoire, this West German is the epitome of every pretentious artist rolled into one. While Dieter generally seems disinterested in what his guests have to say, he will give his monkey the time of day. Still one of the most recognizable characters of Myers’ career, Dieter never fails to make us as happy as a little girl.

By the time we get to the final sketch, most of us are ready to call it a night. “Wayne’s World” went from an idea that hardly anybody believed in to being a staple of “SNL,” proving that gems are sometimes found in the most unlikely timeslots. Wayne and Garth remain two of the most excellent characters in all comedy, continuously making us laugh with top 10 lists, dream sequences, and catchphrases. Their antics would inspire two successful movies and it’s always fun whenever they return to party on.

Before we get to our top sketch, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “The Church Lady”
Debuted: October 11th, 1986
- “The Roxbury Guys”
Debuted: March 23rd, 1996
- “Debbie Downer”
Debuted: May 1st, 2004
- “The Barry Gibb Talk Show”
Debuted: October 11th, 2003
- “What Up with That?”
Debuted: October 17th, 2009

Created by Bob Odenkirk, Matt Foley is the worst motivational speaker money can buy. If his thick glasses, tight pants, and greasy hair don’t say enough about his inept social skills, the fact that he lives in a van down by the river certainly does. Constantly out of breath, yet somehow restless, Chris Farley was tailor-made to portray this larger-than-life character. Although we wrestled with the idea of topping this list with the hilarious “Japanese Game Show” sketch, we had to give this honor to Farley’s career-defining role.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite “SNL” skit? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.