Top 10 Hilarious SNL Moments That Became Memes
advertisement
VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Tori Serpico
These SNL moments were so funny, they transcended the show and became beloved memes. For this list, we'll be looking at sketches from “Saturday Night Live” that spawned countless viral internet jokes! Our countdown includes “What Is Love,” “Like a Boss,” “The Shooting AKA Dear Sister,” “More Cowbell,” and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Hilarious SNL Moments That Became a Meme. For this list, we’ll be looking at sketches from “Saturday Night Live” that spawned countless viral internet jokes! Do you have a creative caption for any of these memes? Share them in the comments below!
#10: “Rap Roundtable”
It’s no surprise that a sketch starring Pete Davidson and Timothée Chalamet would drive the internet wild! The two play a pair of rappers, poking fun at the style of music that artists on SoundCloud tend to make. But when TikTok got a hold of their performance, it blew up! Their song “Yeet” became a trending sound as creators across the app started using it for all sorts of content. Lots of users choreographed dances to the song– including rapper Machine Gun Kelly! Whether you’ve seen it used as a punchline for a joke or the inspiration for an instrumental piece, “Yeet” was probably stuck in your head when this clip went viral!
#9: “What Is Love”
The iconic “Roxbury Guys” sketches performed by Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan have had quite a legacy! Not only did this recurring bit lead to the film– “A Night at the Roxbury” – but became a popular meme years almost ten years after the sketch debuted. In every installment, the party guys always pump up for the club by bopping to the song “What Is Love” by Haddaway. Now, the scene of Ferrell, Kattan, and special guest Jim Carrey has been meme-d thousands of times over! Folks online have photoshopped their favorite TV and film characters onto the clip, so that anyone you could imagine is dancing along to the music!
#8: “Lazy Sunday”
Comedy trio “The Lonely Island” is responsible for so many hilarious “Saturday Night Live” sketches, and even more viral memes! This rap song and performance was the second digital short that the writing team had produced for the show, and it was a hit! The original is a parody of popular music videos at the time in 2005, and even though it was released by SNL it was made completely budgetless. Seeing how homemade the video appeared to be, fans flocked to film and upload their own “Lazy Sunday” parodies. Michael Scott and Dwight even made one in season three of “The Office!”
#7: Debbie Downer
Everyone’s heard the expression at one point or another, but did you know it originated from SNL? This classic Rachel Dratch character always finds the most gloomy comment to make in any situation, ruining everyone’s mood. And let’s be real– we all know a Debbie Downer! Not only is the phrase itself widely used, Debbie’s face is often used as a reaction image for any negative news or commentary. Even after having left the cast, Dratch has returned to “Saturday Night Live” to play Debbie several times. And to be expected, she had lots to say in 2020!
#6: “More Cowbell”
Will Ferrell strikes again! This sketch is an all-time favorite of many fans, and has been considered one of “Saturday Night Live”’s funniest ever. Christopher Walken plays music producer The Bruce Dickinson, as he leads the band Blue Öyster Cult in recording their song “(Don't Fear) The Reaper.” Ferrell passionately plays his cowbell, and Dickinson can’t get enough of it! The quote “more cowbell” became so popular, it’s now a phrase in the dictionary used to describe “an extra quality that will make something or someone better.” Fans of the baseball team the Tampa Bay Rays even adopted the cowbell as their signature rallying cheer because of the sketch!
#5: The Californians
If everything you learn in life is from SNL, you may think everyone in California is bleach blonde, has an intense Valley accent, and knows the freeways like the back of their hands. And would you be wrong? Well yes, for the most part. This series of soap opera parody sketches were loved by many, but particularly “Saturday Night Live’s” actual Californian audience. Memes continue to circulate of the characters when attempting to describe hyper specific Southern California directions. Plus, the cast’s mega dramatic facial expressions alone make this moment extra meme-able!
#4: “The Shooting AKA Dear Sister”
Did you know that this fan favorite “Saturday Night Live” digital short was written as a parody of the teen show “The OC”? This is another classic Lonely Island sketch, widely loved for its absurd premise and over-the-top dramatics. But the use and repetition of the song “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap is what makes the clip so memorable! People began to edit scenes from their favorite films and television shows, adding the song in the background as homage to the “Dear Sister” sketch in what’s come to be known as the "Mmm Whatcha' Say" meme. And Andy Samberg was definitely onto something– the song makes everything funnier!
#3: Ladies and Gentleman, The Weeknd
Oddly enough, this meme wasn’t inspired by a sketch… or a Weekend Update segment… or a host monologue. It’s just Daniel Craig. And hey, that’s enough for us. On his season forty-five episode in 2020, the musical guest was singer The Weeknd. The short clip of Craig introducing him has completely blown up, and circulates on Twitter every Friday to ring in the weekend! The “No Time to Die” actor was made aware of the viral trend in 2021, and said he thought it was “lovely.” We think it’s lovely too, Daniel Craig!
#2: “Like a Boss”
What can we say, the internet loves music videos! In April 2009, “Saturday Night Live” released yet another Lonely Island parody song. In the video, Andy Samberg confidently raps to Seth Rogen about his middle management responsibilities. However, his benign descriptions rapidly descend into total chaos. The phrase “like a boss” took off online, becoming one of the most used meme captions at the time. And people were using the quote for just about anything! If you’ve been on the internet for the past decade, you know exactly what we’re talking about.
#1: Stefon
If you’re ever visiting New York City, you know exactly who to call– “Saturday Night Live”’s city correspondent, Stefon! This character– played by Bill Hader, who co-created him with John Mulaney– always has a bizarre list of clubs for folks around the country to come and visit. Hader famously could never get through a Stefon sketch without breaking, especially since Mulaney would often change his cue cards at the last minute to make him laugh! Images of Stefon continue to spread online, with people coming up with their own versions of New York’s Hottest Club!
