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:

  1. 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.

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  2. 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

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