10 More SNL Fails That Became Iconic

10 More SNL Fails That Became Iconic

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for more of the most memorable character breaks and/or on-air mistakes in “SNL” history.

#10: “Beavis and Butt-Head”

Nobody could’ve expected this one to go viral. Ryan Gosling and Mikey Day don some convincing makeup, with a distracting connection to a TV show. Heidi Gardner then starts to break as she looks back at them. The laughs don’t stop there either, with Gosling doing his best over-dramatic acting. Breaking turns this ridiculous idea into one of the more famous sketches in recent memory. As the cast and host crack each other up, the audience might be wondering how this “Beavis and Butt-Head” skit even happened. It’s all super entertaining regardless of the intended effect.

#9: “Pepper Boy”

With Dana Carvey and Adam Sandler doing accents, this sketch really gets going. Both waiters prepare to dish out pepper with panache. The big turn comes when Chris Farley utters a line with gravitas. Adam Sandler needs to turn his face and mask his reaction, almost breaking character multiple times. You might even hear Carvey telling Sandler not to break under his breath. The tight-knit cast almost egg each other on while struggling to not fall over laughing. It might not go off without a hitch, but it does make for an entertaining and wacky skit.

#8: “Doctor”

Even the insane setup to this sketch doesn’t prepare you for its surprises. As soon as Ryan Gosling walks out in his outfit, the fuse is lit and the skit starts to wobble. While the plot of this scene is hard to guess, you know that Gosling is about to crack at any moment. When he points the camera the wrong way, he starts a long series of giggles. This doesn’t even count when Molly Kearney hits Bowen Yang’s foot with a wheelchair. There’s mistakes, laughter, and chaos galore before it’s all over. For a “Saturday Night Live” sketch, we couldn’t ask for anything more.

#7: “Gift Wrap”

This holiday-themed sketch starts off normal enough, but then a fake injury happens. James Franco plays an employee that starts bleeding. You’ve seen this kind of thing before, but the mishap comes when blood gets into Leslie Jones’ mouth. She can’t stay in character when she’s gagging either. The gross-out scene is nothing short of surprising, but rarely do special effects go quite this wrong. We feel bad for the actress, while we also recognize that it’s hard not to laugh. Even Kenan Thompson looks concerned for his scene partner. We’re just glad that nobody ended up getting sick on the set.

#6: “Corksoakers”

When Janet Jackson hosted, she entered into what could be called a classic sketch. The singer’s role deals with some excitable winemakers that specialize in corks. While Jimmy Fallon and company do fun accents, Jackson has to ask questions without laughing. She can’t quite pull off her dialogue without chuckling. The artist is helpless against this funny scene, with her co-stars mostly keeping themselves together. You almost think that it’s going to collapse, but even Jimmy makes it through without completely derailing the skit. This one certainly builds up to an entertaining and somewhat shaky landing.

#5: “Jeffrey’s with Sean Hayes”

At this designer clothing store, the employees are snooty and the boss has an interesting form of transportation. The breaks happen earlier with Horatio Sanz, but they become even bigger when Will Ferrell shows up. His boss character rides a scooter, cracking up Jimmy Fallon and host Sean Hayes. We don’t blame them either given the absurd sight. As Ferrell prepares to say his lines, his accessories only provide more chances for giggling. This fashion skit is chock full of some outrageous moments that break up the ensemble. Fallon almost guarantees that they keep happening, unable to keep a straight face for long.

#4: “Dr. Beaman’s Office: Test Results”

In any number of sketches, you might be asking yourself how an idea came about. This is especially true for this medical scene. Lines and insults come out of nowhere, with Tim Meadows showing up to do a comic dance. Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon both break after an amazing depiction of the robot. While the skit ends up being even funnier, we’re not sure if this could’ve ever been normal. The all-around train wreck certainly deserves a watch for how spectacular it is. Ferrell’s superb acting only enhances the experience, giving this chaotic premise another north star.

#3: “Extremely Stupid”

During the earlier years of “Saturday Night Live,” you might not see as many big character breaks. Five-timer host Candice Bergen helped give the show one of its first notable fails. Bergen is supposed to be the smart one in this sketch, with Gilda Radner playing stupid. The guest host ends up flubbing the name of Radner’s character. Things get even better when the dialogue continues, with the performers showing just how much the skit has gone wrong. You could easily argue that this made the sketch five times funnier. In the end, Bergen doubling-over with laughter gives this scene another iconic visual.

#2: “The Barry Gibb Talk Show: Bee Gees Singers”

Back in the 2000s, Justin Timberlake showed up on “SNL” and helped to start a tradition. He and Jimmy Fallon play members of the Bee Gees in this skit. The sketch takes a hilarious turn as Timberlake struggles. Fallon is so dedicated with his falsetto, breaking his co-star in the process. Given the absurdity of this idea, the music and crazy dialogue are bound to trip up anybody. It’s incredible that the “Tonight Show” host doesn’t start the chain of laughter himself. It’s no wonder that the beloved sketch became a recurring bit for all its comedic tension.

#1: “Matt Foley: Van Down by the River”

In what might be his most iconic sketch, Chris Farley gets into his motivational speaker role. The character Matt Foley was never funnier than during his debut on “Saturday Night Live.” Not only was the audience laughing, the co-stars also got a kick out of it. Farley gets up close and personal with David Spade and Christina Applegate. The result is some smirks and giggles, with Spade trying to hide his face from the camera. Those kinds of reactions helped to make this an all-time moment for the show. With the lead performer going all-out, the wild antics make for extra laughter.

Did we forget another memorable “SNL” mistake? Let us know in the comments below.