SNL Was Too Cheap to Approve This Bob Dylan Sketch

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As a seasoned critic with a penchant for all things musical and comedic, I can confidently say that James Austin Johnson’s Bob Dylan impression is nothing short of sublime. His portrayal on Saturday Night Live has been an unparalleled treat, evolving as swiftly as a Gen 2 Pokémon in the digital age.

Gather around, everybody! You’ve had two opportunities to witness James Austin Johnson’s stunning Bob Dylan impression on Saturday Night Live, which is developing at a pace similar to a Pokémon from the era of ‘Modern Times’. Johnson made his impressive debut in a promo last month, hinting at Dylan as a new staffer struggling to produce good material for host John Mulaney. This was followed by an actual sketch on December 7, where the musician shared insightful musings on the red carpet for ‘A Complete Unknown’. If Johnson had his way, we would’ve seen his impression much earlier, but song rights posed a problem. In an interview with Uproxx, he also shared another musical idea of his that was scrapped after a discussion due to being too costly for the show to justify. Let’s rewind to one of pop music’s most memorable nights and check out this gem:

Among my most noteworthy skits that came close to airing was a collaboration between Andrew Dismukes and myself, where we portrayed Bob and Bruce Springsteen standing together in the choir during the chorus of “We Are the World.” We were joking about our sandwich choices, and I’m incredibly proud of it. It was one of the most challenging and hilarious experiences we had writing that piece, and it resonated strongly when we performed it. Bob jokingly said, “I’ve ordered the herbed chicken breast. Doesn’t it sound good? Have you ever tried the herbed chicken breast?” To which Bruce replied, “I opted for a meatball sub. I’m still waiting for it to arrive.

Don’t worry, we would’ve gotten the sandwich orders of a few other soloists:

Then he goes, “Bob, don’t look now. Looks like Cyndi Lauper just got her muffaletta.” And then it cuts to Sarah Sherman as Cyndi Lauper getting ready to munch on a muffaletta. Then we have to sing the chorus. Then Bob and Bruce notice that Hall & Oates got their sandwich. “Shit!” Then we have to sing the chorus again.

In the interim, while we were trying to secure Stevie Wonder for the task, Johnson made an appearance in the movie “A Complete Unknown“. Let’s see if we can locate him instead!

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2024-12-09 22:53