Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Andy Samberg returned in a new digital short for the “SNL50” special to sing about the legendary, crippling anxiety experienced by him and countless others while working on the NBC series.
The short begins with Samberg calling to ask current “SNL” alum Bowen Yang whether he plans on attending the “SNL50” special or not. When Yang responds that he’s thinking about skipping it because “SNL” gives him “anxiety,” Samberg puts his arm around Yang and walks him into an ’80s electronic anthem about, well, the show’s history of giving its cast members intense nerves.
“Every single person who ever worked at ‘SNL’ had anxiety,” Samberg sings in the short, which also features appearances from Yang, Molly Shannon, Sarah Squirm, Chris Parnell, Ana Gasteyer, and other “SNL” cast and crew members from other the years. At one point, Samberg even jokes that working in a coal mine would probably be less stressful than getting notes from “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels.
You can watch the full “Anxiety” short below:
“He was the star of the show each Saturday, but he suffered the anxiety,” Samberg sings over clips of “SNL” star Eddie Murphy doing his “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood” sketch routine. “A few years later, Billy Crystal was saying, ‘You look marvelous,’ but one thing wasn’t marvelous. He had anxiety!”
“You are not alone, my friend,” Samberg goes on to assure Yang. “And we also all have IBS.” His latter claim is backed up first by Squirm, who makes a surprise appearance to rap about the “Brain to Gut Connection,” which the “SNL” comedian says is a “bi-directional” link “between the central nervous system and your butt” that has afflicted “Saturday Night Live” cast members for years. Parnell then tears through her presentation to tell viewers, “When you’re watching ‘SNL,’ just imagine everyone you see right before the show went to the bathroom.”
“We know these are champagne problems,” Samberg tells viewers. “It’s not like we’re working in a coal mine. But here’s a secret: It’s way worse than working in a coal mine.” Donning a construction helmet and going underground, Samberg continues, “Just look at these coal miners drinking sweet tea! They never had to get notes from Lorne!”
“You’re proving my point!” Yang notes. “This sounds good to you?” “Yeah, now that I hear it. I might skip it, too. In the end, you gotta take care of yourself,” Samberg concedes, referencing Yang’s plan to skip the “SNL50” celebration. “A mature decision for our mental health,” Yang agrees.
In the end, though, the allure of “SNL” and the legacy it provides proves too strong for Yang, the same way it has for every “Saturday Night Live” cast member.
