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Saturday Night Live has given us some of the most hilariously unforgettable comedy moments ever put to screen. Join us as we count down our picks for the most brilliant, hilarious, and enduring SNL Digital Shorts ever created! From Andy Samberg's breakout moments to The Lonely Island's greatest hits, these shorts changed comedy forever.
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00:00I never said I was a role model.
00:02But what about the kids that look up to you?
00:03Do you have a message for them?
00:05Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most brilliant, hilarious,
00:11and enduring digital shorts ever created for Saturday Night Live.
00:15Hello, what up, pawns?
00:16No, Sandberg, what's rockin'?
00:18You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?
00:19Party up, man, it's happening!
00:22Number 20, Here I Go.
00:24There's been something on my mind for a long time.
00:28A special passion of mine.
00:30I do it every chance that I find.
00:33After years of fans begging for a proper revival,
00:37The Lonely Island slid back into the digital short lane in season 50 for the first time in almost a
00:42decade.
00:43Their second sketch of the season, Here I Go, leaned into an absurdly specific premise,
00:49calling the cops on your white neighbors,
00:51and somehow turned it into a slick, catchy anthem.
00:54Now here I go, I'm a poor kill to the cops,
01:00I'm calling the bitch on a fellow white.
01:03Andy Samberg's energy is exactly what you remember,
01:06but it's the pairing with Charli XCX that really elevates things,
01:11giving the track a polished pop edge.
01:13Piggy, piggy, babe in the city,
01:15Well as well, bacon always makes me feel giddy,
01:18I literally dare you to part within two centimeters of my driveway, bitch.
01:22The humor is both satirical and knowingly ridiculous,
01:25as it pokes fun at social dynamics while never getting preachy.
01:30More than anything, it proved the digital short format still had gas left in the tank.
01:35Here I go, I'm reporting you to the cops,
01:40But you better believe I'll show up on that court day, yeah.
01:44Number 19, Lasercats Series.
01:46When you combine Bill Hader and Andy Samberg's boundless enthusiasm
01:50with a budget that seems to hover around pocket lint,
01:54you get the glorious mess that is the Lasercats series.
01:57So we went out and shot a short film all on our own that's full of both cats and lasers,
02:03and I gotta tell you, it came out great.
02:05Is it?
02:06And I think it would be perfect for the show.
02:09I don't know, it doesn't sound good.
02:11The joke is deceptively simple.
02:13Hader and Samberg pitch a terrible sci-fi movie to Lorne Michaels,
02:17who looks increasingly unimpressed.
02:19What makes it work is the commitment to its low-budget aesthetic,
02:23green screens, ridiculous effects, and deliberately bad storytelling.
02:39Each installment somehow escalates the nonsense,
02:43often dragging in bigger cameos while still feeling homemade.
02:46It becomes less about the concept itself and more about the audacity of continuing it.
02:51Look, I'm gonna cut to the chase, okay?
02:53I've got my next project all ready to go,
02:55and I think it's gonna be perfect for the show.
02:57Well, if you're behind it, I'll put it on the air.
02:59Great.
03:00Okay, guys?
03:01Hi!
03:02Over time, Lasercats turned into a meta-commentary on pitching bad ideas,
03:07by repeatedly succeeding with one.
03:10Number 18, The Creep
03:11When you're out at a club and you see a fly girl do the creep,
03:16then do the creep, huh?
03:18This is one of those digital shorts where the joke hits instantly
03:22and somehow gets funnier the longer it goes.
03:24The members of The Lonely Island, along with rapper Nicki Minaj,
03:28finally commit to playing unsettling, middle-aged lurkers celebrating a bizarre dance craze.
03:34The track itself is legitimately catchy,
03:36which only makes the off-putting choreography more memorable.
03:50Then there's John Waters popping in,
03:52which feels like the only logical cameo for something this strange.
03:56As a single from The Lonely Island's second album, Turtleneck and Chain,
04:00it had a life beyond SNL,
04:02but the visual performance on the show sealed its legacy.
04:05It's awkward, eerie, and endlessly quotable.
04:08And that's basically the perfect storm for an iconic digital short.
04:29Flipping a popular acronym on its head, The Lonely Island, Adam Levine, and Kendrick Lamar
04:35teamed up for YOLO, a hilariously paranoid anthem about the virtues of extreme caution.
04:41Instead of the typical carefree sentiment associated with that phrase,
04:46this short championed an absurd level of vigilance against all potential dangers,
04:51no matter how remote.
05:01As the song progresses, the trio's paranoia escalates to ludicrous levels,
05:07advising everything from wearing Kevlar to never leaving the house.
05:20The track, the second single from their third album, The Whack Album,
05:24masterfully blended their comedic rap style with an underlying message of over-the-top safety.
05:29It reached number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100,
05:32and was named one of the best songs of 2013 by Rolling Stone.
05:36YOLO, say no, no, isolate yourself and just roll solo, be careful, lo, you oughta look out on-
05:4716. People Getting Punched Just Before Eating
05:51This short takes a simple, absurd premise and runs with it to amusing extremes.
05:57Andy Samberg sneaks up on unsuspecting individuals,
06:00delivering a swift punch just as they're about to savor their food,
06:04then gleefully dances away.
06:12His victims are a who's who of SNL talent,
06:15including Will Forte, Fred Armisen, Jason Sudeikis,
06:19Yorma Taccone, host Bon Jovi,
06:21and even Foo Fighters members Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl.
06:32The short plays like a fever dream before taking an abrupt tonal shift,
06:36as a group of zombies chase Samberg around the globe,
06:39then break into a synchronized zombie dance.
06:42It's the most juvenile, cringey, and absurdist thing ever.
06:45But that's exactly what makes it perfect.
06:5615. I Ran So Far
07:09A love song to a controversial political figure shouldn't work this well,
07:14but here we are.
07:15This digital short delivers a surprisingly catchy and utterly absurd love song dedicated to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
07:23with Andy Samberg serenading Fred Armisen's spot-on portrayal of the former Iranian president.
07:28He ran for the presidenta, I ran,
07:31we ran together to a tropical island,
07:34my man, my room is wonderful,
07:36smiling, if he can still do it, then I can.
07:39The song brilliantly samples Apex Twins' Avril 14th,
07:43and crafts a chorus based on a flock of seagulls' classic,
07:47I Ran So Far Away,
07:48which makes it instantly recognizable.
08:01Add to that Jake Gyllenhaal's cameo,
08:04owing to his strange resemblance to Ahmadinejad,
08:07and you have just the perfect mix of absurd and hilarious.
08:11It's a prime example of the Lonely Island's knack for turning unconventional subject into comedic gold.
08:17But you can't deny that there's something between us.
08:19I know you say there's no gays in Iran.
08:23But you're in New York now, baby.
08:25Number 14, Threw It on the Ground.
08:28Andy Samberg embodies a truly infuriating beatnik in Threw It on the Ground,
08:33a digital short that satirizes rebellious angst with comically destructive results.
08:38I threw it on the ground.
08:42You must think I'm a joke.
08:45I ain't gonna be part of your system.
08:48The character performs slam poetry, declaring his fight against the system
08:53by dramatically throwing various objects to the ground.
08:56What starts with relatively innocuous items quickly escalates to a child's birthday cake,
09:02his girlfriend's cell phone, and even a fish bowl.
09:05All without logical reason.
09:07What you want me to do with this?
09:09Eat it?
09:10Happy birthday to the ground!
09:13I threw the rest of the cake, too!
09:15The absurdity culminates when he disrupts Ryan Reynolds and Elijah Wood's dinner,
09:20flipping their table in a misguided act of rebellion.
09:24An understandably incensed Wood and Reynolds then chase down the beatnik and tase him as payback.
09:30It's nonsense with a sufficient amount of conviction.
09:33I was screaming and squirming, my butthole was on fire!
09:37The moral of this story is, you can't trust the system!
09:42Number 13. Jack Sparrow
09:44The Lonely Island's Jack Sparrow delivered an unexpected yet utterly iconic collaboration
09:50with music legend, Michael Bolton.
10:02Tasked with riding a big sexy hook for The Lonely Island's new hip-hop track,
10:07Bolton instead reveals his profound, almost obsessive love for cinema.
10:11His impassioned lyrics diverge completely,
10:15passionately extolling the virtues of the Pirates of the Caribbean films,
10:19particularly Johnny Depp's portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow.
10:32This delightful misdirection is further complicated as Bolton's verses inexplicably
10:38weave his admiration for Forrest Gump, Aaron Brockovich, and Scarface.
10:43The juxtaposition of Bolton's earnest, soaring vocals with the trio's bewildered reactions
10:48create a comedic masterpiece and a standout track from their Turtleneck & Chain album.
10:58Number 12. Shy Ronnie
11:10Rihanna and Andy Samberg, as the perpetually nervous redhead Shy Ronnie,
11:14team up for an uplifting song intended for a classroom of children.
11:19The performance, however, is hilariously derailed by Ronnie's incredibly weak,
11:24almost inaudible singing, and unfortunately, his poor bladder control.
11:37Rihanna's growing frustration provides a perfect comedic foil to Ronnie's crippling social anxiety.
11:43The twist comes when Rihanna finally leaves, and the seemingly meek Ronnie suddenly transforms,
11:49brazenly mouthing off to the bewildered children.
11:52Name Shy Ronnie, and it's like a bitch, I don't know if I say it, steady, steady cause life is
11:58a big deal.
12:01I forgot my purse.
12:04This short's unique blend of musical comedy and character work earned it an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music.
12:11Its success led to Shy Ronnie 2, Ronnie and Clyde, where Ronnie's awkwardness once again jeopardizes a bank heist with
12:19Rihanna,
12:20only for him to rap aggressively once she leaves.
12:31Number 11. The Shooting, aka Dear Sister
12:35A masterful parody of the OC's second season finale, The Shooting captures the exaggerated melodrama of pop culture tragedies.
12:44The short opens with Bill Hader's character writing a heartfelt letter to his sister,
12:49only to be abruptly shot by his friend, played by Andy Samberg.
12:53I haven't seen her in years. It's weird because...
13:01This immediately triggers a cascade of increasingly over-the-top, slow-motion shootings,
13:07all synchronized to Imogen Heap's haunting track, Hide and Seek.
13:10The victims multiply, including their unsuspecting roommate Shia LaBeouf,
13:15Hader's sister, played by Kristen Wiig, and even two police officers, Jason Sudeikis and Fred Armisen.
13:22Each death is played for maximum dramatic effect.
13:25P.S. Then two cops will read this letter and shoot each other.
13:29Now, isn't that the most ridiculous thing you...
13:35It's a perfect send-up of overly serious TV storytelling,
13:39made even funnier by how seriously it plays itself.
13:44Number 10. I Just Had Sex
13:46Juvenile? Absolutely.
13:49Effective? Undeniably.
13:50Andy Samberg and company celebrate the bare minimum achievement of having sex
13:55with the enthusiasm of winning an Olympic medal.
14:09Akon's smooth vocals elevate the track,
14:11while the visuals undercut everything by showing their partners' complete indifference.
14:16Cameos from Blake Lively and Jessica Alba add star power,
14:20while Akiva Schaefer popping up to congratulate them keeps the joke running.
14:35Even tennis legend John McEnroe shows up, because why not?
14:39As a single, I Just Had Sex reached the top 40 on the Hot 100 and even went platinum.
14:46Just goes to show that sometimes the simplest joke,
14:49executed with total commitment, hits the hardest.
15:02Number 9. Like a Boss
15:05During a performance review conducted by host Seth Rogen,
15:09Andy Samberg's character raps about his chaotic, typical day as a company boss.
15:14So take us through a day in the life of the boss.
15:16Well, the first thing I do is...
15:18Talk to Corgrine!
15:19Approve memos!
15:21Initially, his activities seem normal,
15:24approving memos and micromanaging staff, including John Mulaney.
15:28However, the narrative quickly devolves into absurd,
15:31increasingly erratic behavior after Kristen Wiig's subordinate rejects his advances,
15:37costing him a promotion.
15:44The boss's description spirals into self-destruction,
15:48climaxing with him transforming into a jet, crashing into the sun, and dying.
15:53Rogen's disgusted departure as Samberg frantically insists he's the boss is priceless.
15:59This has been eye-opening for me.
16:01I'm the boss.
16:02Yeah, I know.
16:03I got that.
16:03You said that 400 times.
16:04I'm the boss.
16:05The fifth single from Incredibad, the track went on to become one of the Lonely Island's
16:10defining tracks, and helped popularize the titular phrase online.
16:15Number 8.
16:16Three-Way, The Golden Rule
16:18The iconic characters from the SNL digital shorts D in a Box and Mother Lover,
16:23both of which we'll get to in a bit,
16:25return for another hilariously convoluted musical rulebook.
16:29Summertime in the city, and everybody's having sex.
16:34You know, I just got a page from a girl that I met last week at the painless.
16:39In Three-Way, The Golden Rule,
16:41Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg propose a solution to their perceived dilemma.
16:45Any sexual encounter between them is perfectly acceptable,
16:49as long as a female portrayed by Lady Gaga is also involved.
16:53It's okay when it's in a three-way, it's not gay when it's in a three-way,
16:59with the honey in the middle there's a leeway, the aerials play in a one-two-three-way.
17:05This wonderfully absurd logic, presented with their signature deadpan earnestness,
17:09makes for a standout comedic track.
17:12The short kicks off with delightful cameos from screen legend Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson,
17:18reprising their role as the mothers.
17:20Released as a stand-alone single in 2011,
17:23this gem received an Emmy nomination for outstanding original music and lyrics.
17:337. United Way
17:39Peyton Manning's United Way digital short is a masterclass in subverting expectations,
17:45delivering one of the most comically dark parodies in SNL history.
17:58The sketch presents the Super Bowl MVP in a public service announcement setting,
18:04ostensibly mentoring a group of children much like his actual United Way PSAs from the early 2000s.
18:10However, the heartwarming facade quickly crumbles,
18:13as Manning devolves into increasingly shocking acts of physical, mental, and verbal terror on the bewildered kids.
18:21Okay, I'm sorry. Do you want to lose?
18:24I throw, you catch. It's not that hard, okay?
18:27All right, get the f*** out of here.
18:28From throwing footballs directly at them to teaching them to steal a car and giving them tattoos,
18:34the contrast between the expected wholesome image and the actual horrific behavior
18:39creates immediate and profound comedic shock.
18:43All right, now, I'll kill a snitch.
18:44I'm not saying I have, I'm not saying I haven't.
18:47You know what I mean.
18:49Whatever.
18:50Kids in a s***.
18:51Number 6. Mother Lover
19:04Picking up five months after the D in a Box saga,
19:08Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake's characters, fresh out of prison,
19:12return with a new, equally twisted musical gift idea for Mother's Day.
19:16Accompanied by Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson as their mothers,
19:20the duo earnestly sing about the perfect present,
19:24having sex with each other's mother.
19:32With their signature R&B ballad style,
19:35they proclaim this to be the second best idea they have ever had.
19:40A cheeky nod to their previous holiday offering.
19:43While initially omitted from Incredibad sessions,
19:45the song eventually found its place as the fourth single
19:49from the Lonely Island's second album, Turtleneck and Chain.
19:52It remains one of the most bizarrely heartfelt
19:54and absolutely iconic holiday anthems.
20:08Number 5. Natalie's Rap
20:19Natalie Portman absolutely shattered her clean-cut intellectual image in Natalie's rap,
20:25delivering an astonishingly profane and hysterical performance.
20:30When interviewed about her life,
20:31Portman unleashes an expletive-laden rap,
20:34emphatically declaring herself a badass chick
20:37who doesn't care about her Harvard degree or Star Wars.
20:40When I was in Harvard,
20:42I smoked weed every day.
20:43I cheated every test.
20:45I snorted all the yay.
20:46I got a deaf posse.
20:47You got a bunch of dudes.
20:49I'll fit right there on your face.
20:51I'll take your s***.
20:51The sheer shock of seeing the accomplished actress drop F-bombs
20:55and make outrageous claims,
20:57like selling drugs or drinking alcohol,
20:59just makes it worthwhile.
21:01As for the drug use,
21:03well, I can vouch for that.
21:06My s*** is scared of you.
21:10She even proves herself a rebel
21:12as she slaps Seth Meyers
21:13and throws a chair at Chris Parnell.
21:16The popularity of this short
21:17led to Natalie's Rap 2,
21:19where the Oscar-winning actress
21:21continued her foul-mouthed antics,
21:23this time rapping about motherhood
21:25and the Star Wars prequels.
21:354. B***s in my pants
21:37The title of this digital short alone
21:40should tell you exactly
21:41what kind of ride you're in for.
21:43Make our way through the smoking crowd
21:45The club is the sky and I'm on your cloud
21:47Moving close as the lasers fly
21:49Our bodies touch and the angels cry
21:51Andy Samberg and Yorma Takuni
21:52deliver a ridiculously earnest track
21:55about premature excitement,
21:57often triggered by the slightest provocation.
22:00The lyrics perfectly capture the awkward,
22:03over-the-top reactions to mundane stimuli,
22:05from a woman looking at them
22:07to simply seeing a sunset.
22:19There's a slew of surprising cameos
22:21in this short,
22:22including Molly Sims,
22:24Jamie Lynn Siegler,
22:25and a particularly memorable appearance
22:27by Justin Timberlake.
22:29This track served as the third single
22:31from the Lonely Island's debut album,
22:33Incredibad,
22:34and was the first music video
22:35to feature all three core members.
22:423. I'm on a boat
22:47There's something inherently funny
22:50about turning a simple boat trip
22:52into an aggressive rap celebration
22:54of maritime luxury.
23:02After winning a boat trip for three
23:04from a cereal box,
23:06Andy Samberg controversially picks
23:07Akiva Schaffer and,
23:09to Yorma Takuni's visible dismay,
23:11T-Pain to join him.
23:13The short then cuts to the trio
23:15delivering an over-the-top rap
23:17about their extravagant boat ride,
23:19with curse words used generously
23:21to emphasize their newfound uncouth opulence.
23:34These triumphant scenes are intercut,
23:36with shots of a visibly miserable
23:38Takuni stuck on land.
23:40The song itself became a massive hit,
23:42attaining a platinum certification,
23:44and even earning a Grammy nomination
23:46for Best Rap Sung Collaboration.
23:542. Lazy Sunday
23:59This groundbreaking digital short,
24:02featuring Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg,
24:04completely redefined what was possible
24:07for comedy on the internet.
24:18The duo performs a deceptively simple,
24:21yet utterly brilliant rap
24:22about their quintessential
24:23Lazy Sunday activities,
24:25heading out to see
24:26The Chronicles of Narnia,
24:28grabbing cupcakes,
24:29and correctly answering
24:30the pre-film trivia questions.
24:39The contrast between
24:40the mundane subject matter
24:42and the intensely serious
24:43rapid-fire rap delivery
24:45was jarring,
24:46but that's what made it so good.
24:49Produced by Yorma Takuni,
24:50Lazy Sunday exploded online,
24:53becoming one of the first
24:54truly viral YouTube videos.
24:56Its unprecedented success
24:58paved the way
24:59for the digital short format
25:00to become a legitimate,
25:01beloved staple of SNL.
25:04Quiet in the theater room,
25:05it's gonna get tragic!
25:06We're about to get taken
25:07to a dream world of magic!
25:09In the chronic
25:09life goals of Narnia!
25:11Yes, the chronic
25:12life goals of Narnia!
25:18Every promise I shattered
25:20at every tear that I called
25:22Before we continue,
25:24check out this single
25:25from Sound Mojo's Adia,
25:26Songs from Iran,
25:28reimagining Persian melodies
25:29as modern rock,
25:30metal, and pop songs.
25:32Check out the full track
25:33and album below.
25:34Call it madness if you must
25:37I came back
25:38Because my soul came back
25:45To you
26:02It just doesn't get more iconic
26:05than this.
26:06In this instant classic,
26:08Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg
26:10played two earnest R&B crooners,
26:12delivering a Christmas song
26:13about giving their lovers,
26:15Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph,
26:17a box with their genitalia
26:18inside as presents.
26:25It's a pitch-perfect parody
26:28of early 1990s R&B sex ballads,
26:31complete with smooth choreography
26:32and heartfelt gazes,
26:34reminiscent of groups like
26:35Bell Biv DeVoe.
26:36The audacious concept,
26:38combined with impeccable execution,
26:41helped the short win an Emmy
26:42for outstanding original music
26:44and lyrics in 2007.
26:57While Lazy Sunday put SNL digital shorts
27:00on the online map,
27:01this was the one that defined the format
27:03and launched The Lonely Island
27:05into legendary status.
27:17What is your personal favorite
27:19SNL digital short?
27:20Let us know in the comments below.
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