Thursday, December 08, 2005

"Oh, Tuesday Night"

I don't usually stay up late enough on Saturday to watch "Saturday Night Live", but for some reason this week I caught the opening skit, and it was a fun piece of satire. I share Doug Howe's post about it from Beliefnet.com


"Saturday Night Live" at its finest is satire, not just comedy. At its satirical and relevant best, it offered some neutered and politically unoffensive versions of "holiday" carols on this week's show. In so doing, one of the most traditionally irreligious shows on television succeeded in displaying the limited value of a neutered holiday. Among the lyrics:

"Silent Night, Regular Night..."

"Away in barn box..."

"The stars in the sky shine down cuz its night, the lamb and a donkey just got in a fight..."

"Oh Tuesday Night, the starts are brightly shining / It is the night to watch tv and play cards... Fall on your knees, and do a jigsaw puzzle /Just stay inside, tonight
(big finish here!) Just stay-ay-ay-ay, Insi -ih-ih-ih-ide, Inside tonight. "

The Christmas reading, the Story of the Holiday's Birth, was then delivered by Pastor Donald Trump: "The shepherds were watching their flocks by night when a community civic leader came to inform them that a woman of unknown ethnicity was having a baby in the barn box."

The event then culminated with the Handel's revised "How Ya Doin’" chorus: "Howyadoin’ howyadoin; howarya-doin’."

I was laughing but wasn't doing fine, and made a decision to read the Christmas story as often as possible with my kids this season. I suggest you do the same if Christmas is important in your spiritual journey. Otherwise, "Hark the Sale, Commercials Sing" may be as holiday-ish as it gets for them... and their kids.

2 comments:

TKls2myhrt said...

I saw this one, too. It was good to see SNL show life from the other side for once. They can do some very good skits once in awhile.

Preachrboy said...

I found the lyrics:

SILENT NIGHT

Silent night, regular night
All is calm, all is bright
'Round the fire, mother and child
Random infant, religiously neutral
Sleep in comfortable beds
Sleep in comfortable beds

AWAY IN A BARNBOX

Away in a barnbox
No bib for their lunch
The donkey and camel
On straw they will munch
The stars in the sky
Shine down 'cuz it's night
The lamb and that donkey
Just got in a fight

TUESDAY NIGHT

O Tuesday Night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night to watch TV and play cards

Fall on your knees
And do a jigsaw puzzle
Just stay inside tonight
It's half past nine
Just stay inside
Feelin' fine

THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS

How ya doin'
How ya doin'
How ya doin'
How ya doin'
I'm doin' just fine