Happy New Year! SNL is back after a holiday break, and I have to say they turned out a pretty funny episode. I really wasn’t expecting much from host Charles Barkley, but the time off gave the writers some time to recharge their batteries and gave us a pretty good show to start the year. Here’s a quick rundown of the sketches, and we’ll have the video clips embedded as soon as they are available so be sure to come back. And don’t forget to vote in our poll below.
Cold Open: A Message from Rick Santorum — Santorum pledges to campaign in every county in the country, no matter how dangerous, living off the land and swiping pies cooling in windows. And hopes his kids will one day be able to Google his name and find something different than what’s there now. Topical and pretty funny.
Monologue: Charles Barkley — This Barkley’s third hosting gig?! Nice dig at NBA and the lockout. Funny, self-depricating humor about Weight Watchers diet. I was not expecting much, but Barkley delivered.
Chantix commercial — If you know someone who’s taken Chantix, just about everything was true … especially the part about the nightmares. Trust me.
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Inside the NBA — Keenan as Barkley, Barkley as Shaq. This was a pretty funny sketch with the insults flying between Barkley and Shaq. Then Bill Hader said something that almost made them all lose it.
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White People Problems — Spoof of an Investigation Discovery show hosted by Barkley. White people are silly. “That problem is so white it should go snowboarding.” Very funny stuff, but while poking fun at the silliness of the problems, might it not have been a touch racist in the end? Hmmm …
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ESPN Bowl Madness — Funny bit that pokes fun at the sometimes absurd sponsorship of Bowl games.
Joanne’s Secret — Barkley in drag … as a lesbian who thinks of Lynda Carter during lovemaking to her (soon-to-be-ex)boyfriend. A bit bizarre, but funny and Barkley in drag is hilarious, especially next to Paul Brittain.
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Charles Barkley Post Game Translator App — Barkley helpfully translates post game double speak in baseball, football and basketball. Funny, especially if you’re a sports junkie.
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Musical Guest: Kelly Clarkson – I’m not a fan, but if you like her music she sounded fine. I thought she was a little shaky at the start of the first number, but she recovered. I took an opportunity for a snack break during the second number.
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Weekend Update — So Michele Bachmann’s problem was that she hadn’t blinked since starting her campaign. Nicholas Fehn returns to comment on headlines. Drunk Uncle’s New Year’s resolutions … kind of.
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Game Day — Lord Windemere joins the guys for the game. Frolicking, bottom-pinching, and tickling ensue. And Barkley nearly loses it.
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The 17th Annual Adult Video Awards — Hilarious spoof of the solemn “In Memoriam” segments with some great reproductions of ancient film and video formats.
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SNL Digital Short: Convoluted Jerry — The Songs Album CD commercial, featuring songs full of mixed messages.
The Story of the Mayan Calendar — The mystery of 2012 is solved. This was humorous, but the finish was … odd. Kind of typical for an end of night sketch.
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So what were your favorite sketches of the night? Vote in the poll below. You can choose two!
Clacked by Chuck Duncan 
on Jan 08, 2012 @ 01:59 EST5EDT
Charles Barkley in drag…hilarious. Charles Barkley as Shaq…hilarious!
In the words of Charles Barkley himself, “That was turrible!”