‘Saturday Night Live’ Star Norm MacDonald Was the Perfect Weekend Update Host for the ’90s

Norm Macdonald died Sept. 14 at the age of 61. In keeping with experiences confirmed by his managers, Macdonald had been battling most cancers, however saved his prognosis non-public. MacDonald was a fixture in the comedy world, energetic on social media and regularly popped up in motion pictures, tv and streaming exhibits. Nonetheless, Saturday Night Dwell will in all probability all the time bear in mind him as a Weekend Update host.

Norm MacDonald | Mary Ellen Matthews/NBCU Photograph Financial institution/NBCUniversal through Getty Photos through Getty Photos

Macdonald sat at the Weekend Update desk from 1994 – 1998. He adopted Kevin Nealon and preceded Colin Quinn. In some ways, Macdonald was the final Weekend Update host for the ’90s.

Norm Macdonald was the anti-Dennis Miller ‘Weekend Update’ host

Dennis Miller hosted Weekend Update on Saturday Night Dwell from 1985 – 1991. In some ways, he’d change into the definitive Weekend Update host, a lot in order that he continued to do faux information experiences when he hosted speak exhibits after SNL. Miller’s mental type included references so obscure many viewers needed to look them up. 

Kevin Nealon struggled to observe Miller. He saved the desk for three seasons, and centered on jokes about the information. He would sometimes attempt a setup with no punchline, or convey again his Mr. Subliminal character, however his Weekend Update run didn’t actually stand out, maybe deliberately so. 

Macdonald stood out, however for the reverse causes as Miller. Macdonald would usually make the silliest, most irreverent and apparent jokes attainable. For the smart-alec slacker ‘90s, Macdonald reflected an attitude that didn’t take the information, or the rest significantly. He as soon as introduced that Higher Than Ezra was No. 1 on the faculty music charts, and at No. 2 was Ezra. Macdonald actually had a method of punctuating the supply on “Ezra.” 

One other time, when Will Ferrell upstaged him by faux vomiting throughout the information desk, Macdonald gave up on no matter joke he had deliberate. Then, since the faux vomit was edible, Macdonald ate some to gross out the viewers. 

Norm Macdonald ruffled ‘Saturday Night Live’ feathers with O.J. Simpson jokes

Macdonald’s Weekend Update tenure coincided with the O.J. Simpson trial. He went fairly arduous on Simpson, regularly referring to him as a double assassin with out bothering to say “alleged.” Even after Simpson was acquitted, Macdonald had Tim Meadows play Simpson giving NFL commentary and spelling out the phrases “I did it” on the telestrator. 

NBC West Coast President Don Ohlmeyer would fireplace Macdonald in the spring of 1998. Macdonald stated he suspected it was due to all his O.J. Simpson jokes, as Ohlmeyer was mates with the soccer participant. Ohlmeyer denied that was the motive. Nonetheless, for viewers watching the Simpson trial unfold, earlier than Ryan Murphy made a TV collection, Macdonald supplied the commentary they wanted. 

Norm Macdonald invented his personal Weekend Update emblems

Most Weekend Update hosts had their very own factor. Chevy Chase had, “I’m Chevy Chase and you’re not.” Dan Aykroyd had “Jane, you ignorant slut.” Nealon notably downplayed recurring schtick however after Quinn, Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler would do “Really?” Colin Jost and Michael Che make one another learn offensive jokes. Macdonald might have had the most Weekend Update schtick of anybody. 

Norm Macdonald laughs while Adam Sandler plays guitar
L-R: Norm MacDonald and Adam Sandler| Alan Singer/NBCU Photograph Financial institution/NBCUniversal through Getty Photos

Macdonald would regularly pull out a tape recorder and converse a “note to self” into it. In the aforementioned Ferrell incident, Macdonald improvised a be aware to by no means observe a vomiting man with a joke. Macdonald additionally did lots of David Hasselhoff tales and posited the concept “Germans love David Hasselhoff.” Hasselhoff himself as soon as appeared on Weekend Update to repay Macdonald’s lengthy working gag. 

With such an influence on the Weekend Update custom, who might ever overlook Norm Macdonald’s run as the anchor?



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