Unquestionably Regrettable 'Saturday Night Live' Hosts Throughout History
Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a famed cultural staple, ending its 41st season with a legacy of iconic characters and hilarious moments. Every episode airs live, showcasing the impressive adaptability of the cast and guest hosts. Yet, the guest hosts' performance is one persistent weakness of SNL, with every fantastic host like Alec Baldwin and Tom Hanks being balanced by several disappointing performances. Here's an uncensored countdown of the 13 worst SNL hosts of all time:
13. Donald Trump
Trump appeared on the program during a time when his ratings boosted SNL. While not the unfunniest host, the Donald didn't garner much laughter. He tolerated being mocked by the cast without suing NBC, which is an impressive feat for a man known for constant lawsuits.
http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/donald-trump-saturday-night-live-equal-time-george-pataki-1201640266/
12. Adrien Brody
After winning an Oscar for The Pianist in 2003, Brody hosted SNL. He reportedly became a nuisance, shooting down the cast's ideas and suggesting his own unfunny rap-focused ones. In a controversial move, he introduced Sean Paul, the musical guest of the week, while dressed in faux dreadlocks, offending many.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a28596/lifetime-ban-list-donald-sterling/
11. Lance Armstrong
Prior to admitting to doping and becoming a social pariah, the disgraced cyclist appeared on SNL in October 2005. He spent the night mocking doping allegations and taking pot shots at his then-fiancee, Sheryl Crow. The unfunny skits he was part of included him dated a lazy girl and struggling in a triathlon event.
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3847406336/tt0694913?ref_=tt_ov_i#
10. Milton Berle
In the fourth season of SNL in 1979, Berle's appearance was an unmitigated disaster. His humor clashed with the cast's, notably Bill Murray and Gilda Radner. Berle's condescending attitude towards the scruffy SNL cast soured their experience, resulting in a screaming match with executive producer Lorne Michaels during the taping.
http://www.answers.com/article/1279717/the-worst-hosts-snl-has-ever-had
9. Tom Green
When shock comedian Green hosted SNL, he regurgitated food into Will Ferrell's mouth in a scene that was neither funny nor memorable, summing up his entire career on the show.
https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/season-26/episode/6-tom-green-with-david-gray-62241
8. Rudy Giuliani
As the former mayor of New York City and a beloved figure, Giuliani hosted SNL after 9/11 in an attempt to lift the city's spirits. Although well-intentioned, Giuliani being unfunny in skits and his presence feeling beneath him, made the outing less than successful.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/clinton-and-giuliani-live-from-new-york/?_r=0
7. Chevy Chase
Known for his Weekend Update segment and Gerald Ford impressions during the first season of SNL, Chase left to pursue a movie career but returned eight times to host the show between 1978 and 1997. Despite these hosting appearances not being unfunny per se, Chase's backstage antics and turbulent relationship with the cast created SNL lore, such as the infamous fist fight with Bill Murray and the banishment from hosting the show by Lorne Michaels.
http://uproxx.com/uncategorized/exact-sketch-got-10-performers-banned-snl/
6. Deion Sanders
As a hot athlete in the 1990s, Sanders hosted SNL in 1995. Taking himself too seriously, insisting on performing two rap songs from his album, and demanding an entourage of over 20 people, contributed to an unsuccessful outing for Sanders.
https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/season-20/episode/13-deion-sanders-with-bon-jovi-63996
5. Justin Bieber
Struggling to fit in the SNL environment, Bieber's hosting gig in 2013 was uncomfortable and unprofessional. With an entourage of over 20 people and a poor understanding of the show's comedic format, Bieber was a distracting presence on the set.
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1538639/justin-bieber-on-snl-strips-down-apologizes-for-weed-in-hosting-debut
4. Steven Seagal
In 1991, Seagal hosted SNL, leading executive producer Lorne Michaels to claim that Seagal was the worst host the show ever had. Seagal's egotistic attitude and poor preparation resulted in missed cues, forgotten lines, and improvised monologues, contributing to a disastrous performance.
http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/top-10-worst-saturday-night-live-hosts-of-all-time/?view=all
3. Katy Perry
Perry's hosting gig in 2011 was poorly received as she was relegated to a supporting player in most sketches, causing their failure. Her unprepared performance and distracting presence ultimately led to a breakup with her then-boyfriend, comedian Russell Brand.
https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/season-36/episode/1-amy-poehler-with-katy-perry-60476
2. Lindsay Lohan
Four SNL appearances between 2004 and 2012, three of them during her Mean Girls fame, resulted in a chaotic and disconnecting performance by Lohan. Her confusion, missed cues, and poor preparation showcased a lack of professionalism and difficulty adapting to SNL's format.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/lindsay-lohan-saturday-night-live-ratings-296746
1. Paris Hilton
In 2005, Hilton hosted SNL to a disappointing performance, with her limited comedic abilities evident in every skit. The cast became frustrated with Hilton and gave up trying to write good material for her, which led to her portrayal of a Barbie doll with no elbows.
http://www.vivelohoy.com/entretenimiento/8432907/momentos-historicos-de-snl-en-sus-cuarenta-anos
Celebrities often face the spotlight during their stint on Saturday Night Live (SNL), and sometimes their performances miss the mark, such as the ill-fated hosting engagements of Paris Hilton, whose limited comedic abilities were highlighted in every sketch. In a similar vein, pop-culture icons like Lindsay Lohan, with four appearances between 2004 and 2012, struggled to adapt to SNL’s format, leading to an overall chaotic and disconnecting performance. On the other hand, entertainment figures like Adrien Brody, who hosted in 2003 after winning an Oscar for The Pianist, became a nuisance by shooting down the cast's ideas and suggesting his own unfunny rap-focused ones, while Lance Armstrong, prior to his doping scandal, spent his night on SNL in October 2005 mocking doping allegations and taking pot shots at his then-fiancee, Sheryl Crow, in unfunny skits. These instances show that even established celebrities can fall short when thrust into the fast-paced, high-pressure world of SNL.
