Different generations might have different answers when asked about the best decade ofSaturday Night Live. After all, this is a sketch comedy show that has been running still the ‘70s and is still going strong. As hard as it might be to come up with a direct answer, the ‘90s will always be cherished by the show’s fans as the decade that birthed many stars and also produced some of the funniest episodes.
From John Travolta to Joe Pesci, every big name in the ‘90s passed bySNL, and even though the episodes with A-listers always attracted the most eyeballs, there are a few that way funnier than the rest. This is because they had some of the most creative segments and were full of surprising jokes that bordered on the provocative and the controversial.
10Season 15, Episode 13
Way before most ofTom Hanks’ greatest cinematic hitscame out, he hostedSaturday Night Liveand was very eager to impress. In the episode, he gets injured right before he shows up to give his monologue, so he ends up having an out-of-body experience. His inner version curses out everything wrong in his life before accepting it all. The image of Hanks’ ghost dancing around the stage is also very convincing and hilarious.
Away from that, the episode has a comical segment where Donald Trump argues with his wife Ivana about their prenup. Depicted as a mischievous businessman who enjoys sneaking malicious clauses into contracts, he shows her a section of the prenup that allows him to have younger mistresses. Besides that, there is a McDonalds parody where viewers are promised a trip to the bathroom because the meal isn’t so well-made. Takeout meals thus come with free tissue paper.
9Season 21, Episode 20
Jim Carrey had Hollywood in a chokehold in the ‘90s, and when he came toSNL, he delivered much of the same brilliance he does while on the big screen. In the episode, he not only has a joke-packed monologue in which he even argues with director Adam McKay, but he also appears in numerous other skits where he gets to play different characters.
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However, the best segment is the Bill Clinton parody where the President announces that he is resigning from office to focus on his Presidential campaign. Additionally, Clinton expresses a desire to divorce his wife, an eerie foreshadowing moment, given that the Monica Lewinsky scandal unfolded months after the episode aired, putting a dent in the leader of the free world’s marriage.
8Season 18, Episode 4
The fourth episode of Season 18 is best remembered for making fun of war veteran James Stockdale who came unprepared for the Vice Presidential debate after being chosen by independent candidate Ross Perot as his running mate for the 1992 elections. The sketch features Perot driving with Stockdale, and after the latter proves slow-witted and asks so many dumb questions, Perot kicks him out of the car.
The sketch is a perfect reflection of actual events since Perot had actually intended to take Stockdale off his ticket. The “Who am I? Why am I here?” line said by Stockdale during the ride was also said by the candidate during the debate. Besides that, the episode features one ofChristopher Walken’s funniestperformances where he plays a record producer who keeps pushing bands to use the cowbell more than any other instrument.
7Season 18, Episode 13
From Adam Sandler singing in an annoying voice to Paul McCartney arguing with an interviewer regarding rumors about him, this particular episode is choke-full of comical moments. Every single cast member performs well, yet Alec Baldwin still stands out because he is granted more responsibility and delivers on each task.
The actor’s monologue is complemented by a behind-the-scenes shot of him giving everyone money so that they treat him well. Additionally, he gets to play a French teacher who is obsessed with his own accent. An attempt to correct an actual French native results in him being brutalized, causing him to rethink his career choice.
6Season 17, Episode 1
SNL’s ability to bring the ‘funny’ out of serious people is one of the factors that has kept it fresh for so long. Take Michael Jordan for example, who was only known as a focused and fast-rising basketball player prior to his appearance on the show. In the episode, he talks about his commercials that never aired and most of them are weird.
One of them involves Jordan advertising hardcore pornography, claiming that anything that his logo on it is fit for consumption. He also makes plenty of goofy facial expressions while at it. Another unforgettable segment involves Reverend Jesse Jackson reading lines from theGreen Eggs and Hamchildren’s book using his catchy preacher voice.
5Season 16, Episode 4
The fourth episode of Season 16 dives into various unrelated topics and executes them all with ease. Mariah Carey and Patrick Swayze make appearances, but one of the coolest segments is all about capitalism as it features Walmart founder Sam Walton ranting against tax hikes. He offers $100,000 to anyone who opposes the new measures, which is counter-productive because he will end up giving out most of the money he intends to save.
Elsewhere, one ofWhoopi Goldberg’s funniest movies,Ghost,is parodied, and the star is played by none other than Chris Rock in a wig. The voice is quite accurate. After all, the two talk in the same raspy way in the real world. Sports fans aren’t left out either as there is a segment of Buster Douglas (who knocked out by Mike Tyson) asking for advice on how to get up after he himself also gets knocked out by Evander Hollyfield.
4Season 17, Episode 18
Many Presidential debates tend to be the bare knuckles type but here,SNLimagines a scenario where the candidates reach some form of understanding before taking to the stage. In one of the first sketches, Clinton and Jerry Brown agree on topics that will be off-limits during the debate so as not to hurt each other’s reputation. To strengthen the camaraderie, Clinton even suggests swapping wives, but Brown reminds him that he isn’t married.
The main monologue is handled by Jerry Seinfeld and every line he makes is received extremely well by the fans. It all makes sense he was the star of one ofthe most popular ‘90s sitcomsat the time. Besides that, many of Jerry’s other sketches stick to the mind, specifically one where he struggles to teach history in a class full of rowdy students.
3Season 15, Episode 18
TheSNLwriters have never shied from making things as weird as possible and in the opening scene, President George H.W. Bush is shown trying to put marijuana-laced glaucoma drops into his eyes. Since he cannot see properly, he puts some drops in his tongue instead and gets high, causing him to start talking gibberish.
A major point worth noting is that Alec Baldwin had his first hosting stint in this episode. He kicks off his monologue in a rather remarkable fashion by just staring and posing for the audience, letting them digest his supposedly good looks. Every other segment unfolds effortlessly, resulting in an all-round perfect episode.
2Season 16, Episode 17
The seventeenth episode floats in political waters for the most part and includes a few controversial yet hilarious scenes. Events kick off with a bang, with Frank Sinatra shown seducing Nancy Reagan and telling her about all the first ladies he has slept with. The two then make love as they listen to a national address by Ronald Reagan. It’s a mean moment, yet it highlights the show’s absurdity perfectly.
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The episode’s other applause-worthy scene shows the Kennedys drunk as they dance with various party-goers. It’s all inspired by the rumor that the President and his family enjoyed pleasure more than work. A superhero segment later on helps dilute the political atmosphere and a performance by Chris Rock where he keeps sticking his tongue out because he is Lizard Man, is guaranteed to stick to the viewer’s mind.
1Season 17, Episode 17
This particular episode is funny from start to finish but the standout moment has to be Sharon Stone doing the iconicBasic Instinctleg cross as she watches the reaction of the audience members. There are cutaways to different people that are present. Some lick their lips, others look away shamefully while others just stand there flabbergasted.
Other key moments in the episode center around different men trying to hit on Stone. Most of them fail because they are intimidated by her looks. Viewers are thus treated to some of the weirdest pickup lines. Away from the segments involving Stone, there are others like a spermicide ad and a couple insulting each other with words they looked up in the dictionary.
