Developing: Pakistani Plane Escorted by UK Fighter Jets — 2 Men Arrested

Doc Thompson’s 24-hour radio marathon, ‘#24forok,’ continues until 9 am ET — Listen Live!

Entertainment

Why Did NBC Cut A Sketch Cut From SNL’s Open And Then Release It Online?

Feb. 10, 2013 5:54pm Mike Opelka

Less than three hours before the show aired, NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL) made a dramatic change in this week’s program. Producers swapped out the opening sketch that was seen at the dress rehearsal and replaced it with something completely different.

The dress rehearsal sketch was one that slammed GOP Senators who grilled Obama’s Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel and left Hagel unscathed. The curious issue here — it was generally accepted on both sides of the aisle that Hagel’s performance in the Senate hearings was terrible.

But SNL writers seemed to think that the GOP senators who pressed the nominee on Israel were the problem.

Controversial SNL Sketch was pulled from the show after dress rehearsal but released online

Image: NBC

At one point, the sketch went so far as to have a John McCain character ask the fake Hagel how he would respond if Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu called him with a disgusting request.

“It is vital to Israel’s security that you go on national television, that night, and perform oral sex on a donkey.”

An openly miffed Hagel character repeated the question:

“Oral sex on a donkey?”

The fake McCain reaffirmed and pressed the question:

“That’s right, that’s right… would you do that for Israel?”

After the ersatz Hagel questioned the legitimacy of the question, the hearing further deteriorated with a number of GOP senators volunteering to perform the sex act if Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu asked them to. As if that was not bad enough, the debasement of the program continued with an added discussion about bestiality.

Here is the sketch that was seen by the audience at the dress rehearsal, but for whatever reason did not appear on Saturday night:

TheBlaze reached out to NBC for comment on why the sketch was cut from the live show. Because it was a weekend, no live person was available to speak with us.

However, this writer has had discussions in the past with several SNL alumni about the difference between the dress rehearsals and the real shows. According to both Tracy Morgan and Darrell Hammond, sketches that might be risqué or require too much technical support (fast costume changes, special effects, etc.) are often tested and recorded in the dress rehearsal. After the early show, producers meet and discuss the lineup and make changes as needed. There are times when a recorded sketch from the dress rehearsal is used in the actual show, and then there are times when sketches are replaced altogether.

Judging from the lack of laughter from the audience during the most questionable parts of the Senate hearing sketch, this might have been cut based on lack of laughter as well as bad taste. We have no confirmation from the network on this.

Here is the Super Bowl power outage sketch that was used to open the show:

The question remains: why did NBC decide to release the sketch online? It is available to Hulu members and can now be seen on several news outlet websites. If it was not good enough for the broadcast and they replaced it with the Super Bowl sketch (which obviously got more laughs than the Senate hearing sketch), why release it?

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (97)

gatorDennis
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 3:00pm
And some people don’t think the media has gone too far, don’t think we are an immoral nation & still think SNL is funny. It is time to throw out the media & replace it.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ArmedPatriot
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 2:52pm
SNL used to be pretty balanced and evenhanded even when Reagan was POTUS, the writers may have hated him but they kept it out of the sketches, the jibes were usually fairly goodnatured. Maybe because he was so popular. But now the agenda is to marginalize and destroy whoever opposes Obama and his and the Democrat Party agenda. Obama nominating you to hea a post is tantamount to canonzing you. Questioning the nominee is not permitted.
The head of CBS News openly called for Obama to obliterate theRepublican Party and that agenda is well underway in the pravda media.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
G-WHIZ
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 2:45pm
….cause N-BS-C HAS NO VIEWERS!!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
TomStedham
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 2:35pm
It was cut because it was critical of Israel… and that cannot be allowed by those who rule America. Seriously.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
red_white_blue2
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:38pm
It got put on the web vs on the show because if there was fallout, they only wanted it to be in the form of their fan base, not their advertisers. Hence the change. See folks-it’s really not that hard to figure things out.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- red_white_blue2
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:39pm
  PS-they couldn’t resist the opportunity to support the leftist agenda. You can bet this rolled down from a top brass person at NBC.
  
  Report this comment
SidneyDave
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:08pm
SNL still on?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
tyuchic
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:13am
what’s SNL?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
p51d007
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:58am
The last time I watched SNL, Jimmy Carter was the president.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
sp1223c
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:55am
They should do a skit of the press corps giving Barry oral sex under the podium !

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
kadster01
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 8:38am
SNL stopped being funny a long time ago, IMO. Haven’t watched them since the mid 90′s. The skits have always tended to drag on a bit too long, like an old drunk telling the same joke over and over again. The problem is that few of the skits now are very funny to begin with, just over-the-top silliness and transparent, unimaginative attempts at being shocking. I’m surprised the show survives.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
kiwi1
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 8:15am
This is a good representation of what the left is. This is an example of the kinds of things they think about all the time. Promoting Disgusting deviant behavior and trying to get it into the main stream by using humor. You definitely can tell what kind of people they are by seeing what they produce. The people that watch this filth and find it funny are contributing to the societal mental illness we have today. They have the right to be Sick & Wrong.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ellietoo
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 7:50am
It seem a few people still watch SNL out of habit and have not noticed that the people on the show have no talent and the writing is just plain boring and predictable. Why does the Blaze even report on this program? No one cares.
The sketch was totally tasteless as is most of what is shown on that network. Insulting to Israel, the PM of Israel, and to all conservatives. Of course you never question the left’s messiah or his regime.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ares338
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 7:47am
Wouldn’t know about SNL. I don’t watch it!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
dajones
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 7:05am
I’ve been saying for years SNL just isn’t funny anymore and this illustrates my point… They are too one sided in this political humor, no longer about finding humor in reality but instead about warping reality to fit their political narrative.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 4:37am
That’s not funny. John Belushi is rolling in his grave right now?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
FloraBelleza
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 2:34am
Add your comments

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
FugMan
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 2:30am
Funny how SNL refuses to make fun of Obama. I used to love SNL for making fun of our Presidents D or R. You are at an all time low SNL. You are too left leaning politically now. Fire your writers please.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
christhefanatic
Posted on February 10, 2013 at 11:56pm
SNL has always been just blatant, left-wing garbage. Always has been.

After Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry and Richard Carlson’s “I Led Three Lives” were discontinued, after the 1950s, television has been a launching pad for the left to spew their vomit disguised as entertainment. Even kindly ol’ Uncle Walter Cronkite was just an evil, radical, left-wing loony. ( Don’t know why people talk well of him.)

Television is above all, a swamp of slimy filth…like everything else the left touches.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Mugatu
Posted on February 10, 2013 at 8:57pm
Really, this is a question? SNL has released so many rehearsal taping over the past decades but, only now is it an issue? The awesome lack of facts and historical data is amazing, at least try to put the faux outrage with some semblance of facts.

Ah I forgot blaze gets a little money for the SNL clicks, nevermind click away

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
LeadNotFollow
Posted on February 10, 2013 at 8:43pm
The Blaze should not waste any story space on SNL.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
LeadNotFollow
Posted on February 10, 2013 at 8:41pm
I’ve not watched SNL in years. The only way they will get me to ever watch the show again, is if they do skits blasting radical Islam and their perverted Prophet Moo-Ham-Head.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
smalldog
Posted on February 10, 2013 at 8:10pm
Why was it released? Lefties cannot tell the difference between actors, comedians, and politicians?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
fastgen1
Posted on February 10, 2013 at 7:46pm
OMG is that pitiful little piece of left wing tripe still on the air. Did bammy pay to have it continue to run.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Carlinpa
Posted on February 10, 2013 at 7:42pm
This isn’t comedy.. this is liberalism exposed.. this is the vulgarity and obscenity that resides in their, minds, hearts, and souls… their spiritual father is rising.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
garbagecanlogic
Posted on February 10, 2013 at 7:10pm
NBC= No Brain Committee. Those people are so low in the ratings, they have to try anything. They won’t be on the air in five years.

Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8

The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.