SNL Homowatch: 3/13 (Jude Law)

This is SNL Homowatch, where I track the number of haha-that’s-GAY jokes that the writers at Saturday Night Live deliver each week on their forlorn (for Lorne? haha) march toward 1 a.m.

I laid (haha x 2) my mission statement out for this project in last week’s inaugural edition, including a “lighten up, Hank, why don’tcha!” disclaimer. So you might want to go back and read that before you give me a freshly made batch of lighten up, dude. That said, thanks to all of last week’s commenters and the linky-linkersons who pointed new readers here.

Let’s do it.

Air date: 3/13/10

Host: Jude Law

Musical Guest: Pearl Jam

Homo jokes: Four? (Two very big jokes about the tickling-groping congressman and two much more subtle).

1. Disgraced, tickler-Congressman Eric Massa gave SNL the biggest homo-haha-hoohoo present ever. Even Larry Craig didn’t deliver like this, because he chose to scandalize himself in the summer months when SNL wasn’t on. The show cold-opened with Brian Moynihan (as Massa) and Kristen Wiig doing a skit where the congressman has his exit interview. Pretty much speaks for itself. Also, I don’t really count this among SNL Homowatch tropes. How could the show NOT go to town with this guy’s foibles?

2. “Secret Word”: A ’60s game-show spoof. At one point, Jude Law comes out as a Russian emigre ballet dancer contestant and attracts the subtle attentions of the game show host (Bill Hader) with the bulging endowment seen in Law’s leotard. This barely qualifies for homo watch, except it does. It’s funny that the host is attracted to the ballet guy because…?

3. “Weekend Update”: More Massa, during Seth Meyers’ “Really?!” bit, featuring super special guest star, Jerry Seinfeld. Homo Watch is delighted. Here we see SNL in full disgust at all things homo, co-delivered by the man who performed the ur-schtick of the modern era of enlightened homophobia, Seinfeld, which was: “Not that there’s anything WRONG with it.” That has been the favorite punchline of wink-wink/nudge-nudge comedic homophobia for nigh 15 years. Because of course there’s something wrong with it. It’s the founding document of all SNL sketches and comedy movie jokes that make fun of gays. But, like I said, the Massa scandal is giftwrapped with a giant bow for these writers. “The worst part of the story is that you ruined snorkeling for me.” “If that’s snorkeling, then what’s scuba diving?” (Translation: Nothing delights us more than jokes about gay sex.)

Anyhow, Seth, the “sarcastic ‘really'” skit is still funny? Really? (Really?)

4. Finally, don’t think I didn’t notice k.d. lang as one of the unwanted intruders in that home-alarm commercial spoof.

SNL is on a break until April 10, when Tina Fey comes back, and she loves a good gay joke. Meanwhile, I’ll blog the repeats.