SkimIt
This year, The Rolling Stones celebrate their 50th anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, Mick Jagger decided to do what he knows best: comedy.
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On Saturday, Jagger will take his first stab at hosting Saturday Night Live, marking the show's 37th season finale. In reality, The Stones opted to forego any anniversary celebrations, but 69 years old is as good an age as any to jumpstart a new comedy career. Based on the promos, it appears all Jagger may have to do is be alive and speak in his edgy British accent. The SNL cast will do the rest. Saturday will tell if Jagger has what it takes to keep the audience under his thumb.
And if Jagger succeeds, perhaps he will pave the way for other rock icons to sketch out on the 30 Rock stage. If SNL is open to suggestions, I've created a casting wish list of sorts so they might reach out to these worthwhile candidates.
Jimmy Buffet
SNL would benefit from an on-site taping of the show from Margaritaville. Whether Jimmy Buffet has comedic promise or not would seem irrelevant at that point, since the entire audience would be smashed. Everything and everyone is funnier after one margarita. Or two. Or three.
How do you out-character a character? David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust as whatever character the SNL writers come up with. That alone would justify my investment in cable, and I imagine it would throw any trained improv actor through a loop.
Because of the elusive nature of Bob Dylan, I doubt I could even try to envision his comic personality, much less him reading lines that someone wrote for him. However, it is this elusive nature that keeps me wondering if -- somewhere inside the mystery of Bob Dylan -- there is a Jay Leno waiting to come out. The world may never know, unless Kristen Wiig goads him into it.
You may think the selection of Neil Young would be setting SNL up for failure, as he is widely known as one of the most emotionally intense musical figures of his era. So intense, I doubt anyone has heard the sound of his laughter in half a century. But hear me out. Remember Robin Williams in One Hour Photo? It was a brilliant performance in his move from comedian to bona fide crazy. The reverse is certainly possible.
To be honest, I would watch Steven Tyler window shop. He's just that entertaining. But I would imagine the lead singer of Aerosmith is versatile enough to compete with the comedy heavy-hitters on SNL. It takes real skill to prevent spontaneous combustion when you simultaneously share the stage with N'SYNC and Britney Spears during a Super Bowl halftime show.
And if Jagger doesn't succeed? Well, at least he has a budding musical career to fall back on.
