Comments on "Iran So Far"

firstability!

Man, the Flock of Seagulls are hot this week! First, I see an album cover on Slog, then i read about them in the Weekly, now I hear a nasally nod to them here! What's it mean?!

God, I am pumped today! I went to church for the first time in ages. Inspired by the Gospel sounds next door when i woke up, jazzy groove mania preacher-man style! They brought a Hammond-b3 today i think! Don't know if it's their serious devotional faith, or just plain God-fearing musicenergy, but this agnostic just had to get out and say Halleluia with some other folks.

Now back to work on my off-off-off broadway musical.

A Jewish comedian like Andy Samberg is a spark of divine light. I love the "America cares about Persian Gays!" angle the media is pushing lately. Everyone seems to be staying on message with focusing on gay rights in Persia, and implying that the United States is now the world police in forcing other nations to adopt gay rights for all.

It should work as an excuse for Israel's coming attack on Iran, something like - "Oh Israel bombed Iran because Iran isn't pushing gay rights enough".

My only concern is the American military bombing another nation, Iran to save the Persian Gays, yet the American military harasses gays and forbids it's own soldiers to practice gay rights. But I suppose once the bombs start falling on Iran, the American public and the media will get behind Israel and the U.S. military.

Kudos for the Jewish writers on SNL for helping to demonize Iran so the upcoming bombing will go smoothly. Does anyone know if Andy Samberg is a Reform Jew? I know Sacha Baron Cohen keeps kosher and generally observes the Jewish Sabbath, refusing to answer the phone on Shabbat. I hope Andy Samberg supports Israel and follows halaka too.

It's good to have religious Jews like this as media stars. Good for Israel I mean.

This was the most watchable part of the SNL premiere. When will they learn that professional ball players aren't host material? Every skit with LeBron in it was frighteningly painful.

Sing it, baby!

Issur Fan (Poe?), Billy Bragg!? You made my day!

"I DON'T WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD!"

Issur is pure comedic bliss. How can you not laugh at everything he says?

Thank you, Andy S. Saving SNL for another day. Brilliant.

@4 0 Lebron wasn't as bad as, say, Nancy Kerrigan or Jonny Mosley, but yes, they need to stop having athletes host SNL. There's only one I've ever seen do it well - a quarterback whose name I can't remember, he does commercials shilling something or other lately. He's got an unusual name, I don't know....but he was definitely able to bring teh funny.

The Samberg clip and Weekend Update were the only watchable parts of the show.

The fake videos on SNL over the last few years have been terrific!

I love "Cock in a Box" (a GREAT satire of self-obsessed, misogynistic rap videos) and now I enjoy "I Ran." I have no idea who the real singer is in the new one. Fred was just perfect as the Bush of Iraq.

SNL is still on TV???? Wow, wonders never end...

@9 - You might mean Peyton Manning? His digital for the United Way was one of the funniest ever.

@10 - It's Adam Levine from Maroon 5.

That almost makes up for the summer I had to listen to that Maroon 5 album at least once a day.

Almost.

I have never really appreciated SNL, but--man. Well done, sir. Well done.

The digital shorts are about the only thing SNL has got going for it these days.

For all my blistering attacks on homophobes, this simple video, using a light touch and humor, is perfect. Great politics, and I'm very glad that we've hit a point where this style of political maneuvering is so effective.

Great piece. There are better ways than bombs to stabilize the world. Comedy. Business. Literature. Openness.

The split-second Jake Gyllenhaal cameo was priceless.

plus, that is JUST AN AWESOME FUCKING SONG. oh, yeah. and I raaaaaaaa-an......

Another Emmy for Adam next year?

Back in the '80s I wondered if "I Ran" was some sort of double entendre - but it isn't because in Britian (where A Flock of Seagulls hails from) they pronounce Iran correctly - that is , ear-RON.

Christine Amanpour in fact had said she finds the pronunciation eye-ran and eye-rak grating. It is pronounced ear-RAN and ear-RAK.

Make that Britain.

the skit with kanye was a highlight as well, although it wasn't much of an acting stretch for him. still, i enjoyed it.

Why has that particular SNL video been banned on all sites including YouTube?

@12 - you're right it was Peyton Manning. He was very funny!

@22 - SNL is pretty hard core about pulling their videos off of youtube, etc (copyright infringement) - but I just watched the link embedded here with no problem.

For any music nerds interested, that piano line is from an aphex twin song.

But then Andy goes and uses an ass douche like that Maroon 5 guy.

Once I got past the halarity of this song, I realized how moving this peice of music really is. I just wish I had some sheet music so I could play the melody to my gf.

Dan saves the day again! I was so dissapointed when they pulled the video off the NBC website (I can understand pulling it off youtube, by why take it off their own site?) but here it is! Thanks.

For those wondering why the video was pulled from YouTube, it's because SNL didn't have authorization from Aphex Twin or their label to sample one of their songs for "Iran So Far." It's not because of copyright protection (NBC posted it on YouTube themselves in the first place). So until they get that worked out, NBC can't legally post it anywhere (and probably shouldn't have done the bit in the first place). Hopefully they get it all worked out and get it re-posted. And hopefully the problems won't interfere with Andy's bid for another Emmy, because this bit is deserving of one.

Aphex Twin is just one guy, not a "their". he plays electronica and his work was the underlying tune of the song, in sample.

Samberg won an Emmy for "Dick in a Box" (not "cock...etc" as someone said) about a month ago. But in truth, he isn't the only one working on these shorts. SNL hired Lonely Island, which is Samberg and a couple of his friends from Berkeley (the town, I don't think they went to school at UC-B). Check out the other two guys at this link or go to lonelyisland.com and click on the Bing Bong Brothers parody of "Wait (the whisper song)":

http://videos.thelonelyisland.com/tli/bingbong.mp4

They have a lot to do with the clips, do the editing and the directing of them, though Samberg is very good with the delivery.

Peace

By the way, Iran so far was taken down from NBC and youtube but you can find it here:

http://www.givememyremote.com/remote/snls-iran-so-far-with-andy-samberg-maroon-5/