Lettuce

Pop-ups (23 · 4 fan picks from YouTube comments)

1. Fans point here

   0:08

   1 YouTube comment timestamps this moment, 16 likes.

   Hey, everybody. Welcome to episode two. And I got to be honest, this is a huge turning point episode because we're going to talk about the first digital short that aired. It is Dane Cook, James Blunt, the seventh…

2. Lettuce: the first digital short to air

   0:15

   Lettuce, the Dane Cook episode's short, is noted as the first Digital Short to air on SNL. The hosts treat it as the turning point of the early Lonely Island run.

   we're going to talk about the first digital short that aired
   Criterion

3. Where the James Blunt musical came from

   1:24

   The James Blunt space musical was born when Andy riffed on Blunt's You're Beautiful after his December 2005 musical guest slot. The sketch was never picked.

   James Blunt, when he was a musical guest December 3rd, 2005, did sing You're Beautiful.

4. Andy's habit of rewriting lyrics

   3:34

   Andy explains he wandered the office singing new words to Blunt's melody, a habit that led to the space musical. It shows his instinct for parody lyrics.

   as is my want, I was putting stupid words into a different melody

5. Table reads as the crew's joy

   5:52

   The hosts describe the SNL table read as a slog, and Andy's table jokes kept the room laughing even when sketches weren't picked.

   I'm gonna write stuff that gets laughs at the table and makes everyone feel happy during the table read.

6. Egyptian: the cut exercise sketch

   7:34

   Egyptian was a Dane Cook exercise class sketch built around Walk Like an Egyptian. It was cut for time after making it to the air rundown.

   It was a exercise class being, I think, led by Dane Cook

7. Monkey Business went to dress

   9:05

   Jorma and Jost wrote Monkey Business, a kid-and-monkeys sketch that reached dress rehearsal but never aired.

   something that I wrote with Jost as a joke called Monkey Business

8. Brokeback update by Andy and Sudeikis

   9:24

   Andy and Jason Sudeikis wrote a 2005 update called Brokeback. They never wrote together again, a fact Akiva also mirrors with his wife Liz.

   You and Jason Sudeikis wrote an update called Brokeback.

9. Who wrote Lettuce

   10:31

   Lettuce was written by Will Forte, who had it in his back pocket and brought it to the trio when they were looking for a new short idea. It was not written by the Lonely Island.

   We did not write Lettuce. Lettuce was written by Will Forte

10. Lettuce premise explained

    11:02

    Two friends on a stoop trade sentimental lines while stopping to eat huge bites of raw lettuce, and the sketch turns out to be a lettuce commercial.

    It's like a dramatic scene between two friends sitting on a stoop

11. Lettuce as a New York staple

    12:30

    The sketch's tag implies lettuce is a casual New York food, comparable to a Starbucks coffee. The joke lands as universe-building.

    it's like having a Starbucks coffee.

12. Shot on mini DV for almost nothing

    13:33

    Lettuce was shot on borrowed camera gear from Maggie Carey and edited on a writing computer. The shoot cost about 20 bucks in lettuce, which the trio never got reimbursed.

    It cost like 20 bucks. I'm still fucking pissed about that.

13. Bombing the system

    14:28

    During the shoot Jorm kept saying they were bombing the system and sticking it to the suits, an anarchic framing that the hosts jokingly tie to the four Banksys bit.

    we're like four Banksy's, he kept saying.

14. Fans point here

    14:40

    1 YouTube comment timestamps this moment, 16 likes.

    It's not as easy as just having the one Banksy. Saporat comes from Airbnb. As we've talked about, I just got back from St. Lucy watching the Mets. I stayed at a home on Airbnb in Stewart Island, Florida, and it was… — Seth

15. Fans point here

    15:53

    1 YouTube comment timestamps this moment, 16 likes.

    It does it all. Do you guys want to go to Seth's Corner for a minute? Oh, yeah. Seth's Corner, you're all invited. Seth's Corner, it's happening right now. Take it away, Seth.

16. Seth's Corner begins

    15:55

    Seth's Corner is the segment where Seth discusses the sketches he wrote that week, here introduced with School Announcements.

    Do you guys want to go to Seth's Corner for a minute?
    Seth's Corner

17. Dratch's squeal

    17:38

    Dratch was known in table reads for an emphatic ew reaction to bummer jokes, a sign the joke was landing.

    Dratch would say, ew. Yeah, exactly.

18. Lettuce nearly became a bad air

    18:56

    Akiva jokes that Lauren could have skipped airing Lettuce, a short the group felt uneasy about. Jorma says he begged the show not to air it all week.

    There was a moment that we'll get to where we were like, Lauren, you do not have to air this short.

19. The Dane Cook sweater sketch

    27:46

    Seth describes a classic Emily Spivey sweater sketch in which Dane Cook plays a man tormented by an itchy turtleneck at a party. The premise is small, but the physical comedy carries it.

    I think this is a Spivey classic sweater sketch.

20. Lettuce aired early in the show

    29:37

    Seth confirms Lettuce was act three, between the sweater sketch and Target Lady. It shows how the group's first shorts were placed mid-show.

    Lettuce was act three between Sweater Sketch and Target.

21. Why SNL sketch titles stay vague

    29:43

    Akiva explains that SNL titles are written at the table read and deliberately avoid giving away the premise. The habit carried over to I Think You Should Leave, where titles also hide the content.

    SNL titles never want to give away the premise.

22. Akiva's smug 'prove it' stance

    30:45

    Akiva describes watching the sketch with arms crossed. Jorma says he kept saying 'prove it' under his breath, a recurring gag about his skepticism.

    Yeah, you did a lot of saying like, prove it under your breath.

23. Lettuce led to a Hot Rod opportunity

    31:47

    Akiva recounts that Lorne had a Paramount feature script, Hot Rod, originally written for Will Ferrell. After Lettuce aired, producer Jimmy Miller suggested Akiva direct the film with Andy starring.

    why don't you just direct it? Andy will be in it and you'll direct it.

24. Seth's Hollywood luck speech

    32:18

    Seth jokes that the reason not everything in Hollywood works is that people do not see the right shorts. Akiva's Hot Rod story is his example.

    Just know that someone saw Lettuce and said, hey, kid.

25. Lazy Sunday is next

    32:32

    Seth reveals that the next short covered on the podcast is Lazy Sunday, aired two weeks after the first Christmas show of the group's first year.

    the second short you guys ever had that aired was Lazy Sunday.

26. Criterion Collection of digital shorts

    32:45

    At the end of each episode the hosts decide whether a short makes the Criterion Collection of Digital Shorts. The debate here centers on whether a first short automatically qualifies.

    does it make the criterion collection of digital shorts?
    Criterion

27. Fans point here

    33:35

    1 YouTube comment timestamps this moment, 6 likes.

    Hey, hello. Nice to see everyone. I'm doing Tim Calhoun. When you're on a warm mic, it just becomes Tim Calhoun. Hey, how's it going, everybody? Will Forte here reading for Elvis.