Top 10 SNL Sketches that Defined the 90s
#10: “Chippendales Audition”
In October of 1990, Patrick Swayze was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and one of the sexiest leading men around. People would go on to name him “Sexiest Man Alive” the following year. As for Chris Farley in 1990 - he was just a new cast member on “Saturday Night Live” who few knew much about. But that all changed with the “Chippendales Audition” sketch in which an energetic and half-naked Farley performs for the troupe alongside Swayze. While some people today argue against the humorous use of Farley’s weight as a punchline - many still consider it a classic. It was the breakout moment for Farley - who would go on to an impressive comedic career.
#9: “The Spartan Cheerleaders”
Who would have thought that bad cheerleaders would be so funny? Well, Cheri Oteri and Will Ferrell did. And they were right. Craig and Arianna didn’t make the East Lake High School Spartan cheerleading squad - but that didn’t stop them from pursuing their cheer dreams. Speaking of cheers, the audience would start cheering whenever the Spartan-clad Oteri and Ferrell would appear on screen. It became so popular that almost 20 years after the first sketch debut in 1995, the “Today” show recreated the characters on a Halloween episode. Now if we could just get Ferrell and Oteri to reprise their roles.
#8: “It’s Pat”
Would “Saturday Night Live” in the 2020s be able to pull off a sketch about an androgynous character named Pat whose gender was constantly undeterminable by the other people in the sketch? Maybe not. But in the 90s, not only did Julia Sweeney pull it off, she created one of the most popular recurring characters of the decade. She even got a movie out of it. Although rather than define the decade, the 1994 movie was critically panned, pulled from theaters after its opening weekend, and nominated for a slew of Golden Raspberry awards. The sketch though… still a fan favorite.
#7: “The Roxbury Guys”
You know how you can tell if someone came of age in the 90s? Play “What Is Love” by Haddaway and see how they react. If they bob their heads to the side, wiggle their fingers under their nose, and point around asking, “You? Me? Him? Me? Him? You? Me?,” then you have your answer. Not only did “The Roxbury Guys” sketches define the 1990s. They defined a song. The first sketch premiered in 1996 and often featured the host as the third member of the trio along with Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell - the best of which was the great Jim Carrey. In 1998, Katan and Ferrell even made a “Roxbury” movie that was a whole lot funnier than it should’ve been.
#6: “Mary Katherine Gallagher”
The 1990s saw a rather significant increase in the influence of women on “Saturday Night Live” - both in front of the camera and in the writers' room. One of the great examples of that growing girl power on the show was the breakout hit Mary Katherine Gallagher sketches. Created by Molly Shannon, this armpit sniffing, superstar of a character premiered in 1995 and made many appearances over the next 6 years. Including a movie - 1999’s “Superstar” which, unfortunately wasn’t very well liked by either critics or audiences. But audiences loved the character on “SNL” and that’s what matters here.
#5: “President Bill Clinton at McDonald's”
Because of the Monica Lewinsky scandal and all the turmoil that surrounded the end of Bill Clinton’s presidency, you might’ve forgotten that early on, the biggest thing people made fun of was his love of fast food. This brings us to this great 1992 sketch featuring the brilliant Phil Hartman as Clinton - a man just trying to chat with the common folks and get as much fast food in his mouth as possible. Looking back it almost seems innocent now, given what kind of things would happen later on, and how harshly politicians are parodied today.
#4: “Celebrity Jeopardy!”
We have to say that while “mother” jokes aren’t really that funny - when the joke is Sean Connery implying to Alex Trebek that he had sex with his mother… that’s funny stuff. Assuming we’re talking about Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery and Will Ferrell as Trebek, of course. And who could forget Norm Macdonald as Burt Reynolds as well? They usually did a “Celebrity Jeopardy!” sketch twice per year during Ferrell’s time on the show - and they were pretty much all gold. They made such a mark on our culture that they brought back the sketch when Ferrell returned to host “SNL.” With the passing of Connery and Trebek, the sketch may be retired, but what a phenomenal run.
#3: “The Delicious Dish”
Maybe, “The Delicious Dish” doesn’t ring a bell, but how about “Schweddy Balls?” Yup, that now iconic “SNL” sketch took place on an episode of “The Delicious Dish.” While that particular sketch with Alec Baldwin is probably the most famous, 10 “Delicious Dish” sketches aired on SNL between 1996 and 1999. Although they didn’t all feature sexual innuendos, we’ll admit that the ones that did are still our favorites. We still think about Betty White whenever we have a muffin (dry or not and with or without cherries).
#2: “Wayne's World”
“Shwing,” “Not,” “Party on,” “We're not worthy!” We could fill this entire entry with just “Wayne’s World” catchphrases. Sure, the 1992 film blew the characters up even bigger. But by then Wayne and Garth were already ingrained in the culture of the 90s - having done 15 sketches in the three years before the film’s release. Let us not also forget that the premise of the sketch was these two best friends doing a cable access television show from Wayne’s basement. If that sketch was dreamed up today, Wayne and Garth would be YouTubers who follow up their “we’re not worthy!” with “but please like and subscribe anyways.”
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Simon”
He Liked to Do Drawings
“The Chanukah Song”
It Ain’t Just Jewish Kids Singing This Catchy Tune
“Gap Girls”
We All Went to the Gap in the 90s & We All Knew at Least One Cindy, Christy, or Lucy
“Coffee Talk,”
Another One of Mike Myers’ Decade-Defining Characters
“Bill Swerski's Superfans”
Definitely One of Da Defining Sketches of Da 90s
#1: “Matt Foley: Van Down By The River”
On May 8th, 1993, “SNL” viewers were introduced to Matt Foley - the 35-year-old, thrice divorced motivational speaker who lived - say it with us - “in a van down by the river.” Chris Farley, one of the greatest physical comedic sketch players to ever grace the “Saturday Night Live” stage, created and perfected this hysterical character. It was one that became a fan favorite right out of the gate with a sketch that made David Spade and that week’s host, Christina Applegate, laugh almost as much as the live studio audience.
Which 90s “SNL” sketches do you think defined the decade? Let us know in the comments.
