SNL: Daytime’s New Soap ‘The Californians’

COMMENTS (35)

• Agree that it’s very funny!

  This episode was subpar for me except for this skit, because they got the stereotypical “Californian” people look down to a tee, and made me realize the stereotypes actually exist in my head.

  Comment by Leon — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 5:35am PDT  Reply to this post

• My favorite sketch of all time. Went to college in socal- they nailed it!

  Comment by Tomeril — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 5:50am PDT  Reply to this post

• So funny the exact hidden conversation of everyone in la. Did they get a new writer??

  Comment by Omg — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 7:18am PDT  Reply to this post

• I’m guessing you have to be from California or have lived there to get this, because I have absolutely no clue what they’re talking about.

  Comment by cindercity — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 7:30am PDT  Reply to this post

  • We’re obsessed with traffic routes and refer to our highways as “The 405″ and “the 10″ and so forth – it’s actually very accurate. The route you drive is a major topic of conversation, dude.

    Comment by Anonymous — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 9:27am PDT  Reply to this post

    • Agreed! I grew up in SoCal, then moved to NoCal, where I would say, “Well, take the 101 to the 12…” and everyone would say, “THE 101, THE 12, what do you mean?!” Especially on the west side of LA, you know, near THE 405 and THE 10…traffic and traffic routes are obsessions…totally lol-ing through this entire skit…BUT…since I don’t watch SNL regularly, is it just the current cast that is UNABLE to memorize their lines and relies, distractingly, on the teleprompter?

      Comment by jennab — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 12:34pm PDT  Reply to this post

      • Yes, the actors do read from the cue cards, but that’s the nature of being in a live show where lines/sketches can be completely overhauled in a short span of time. Read the book “Live from New York” for an interesting behind the scenes look. It grows appreciation for what they do over at SNL. It also explains why it’s such a great training ground for so many actors.

        Comment by ae — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 7:09pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Great Skit – but yeah – kinda california-centric. Laughed out loud. Now we know why daytime soap operas are over. They’ll just do prime time ones instead! LOL

  Comment by BBuchanan — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 9:13am PDT  Reply to this post

• Dumb and most of the directions were wrong. This show just sucks now.

  Comment by captain Lashout — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 10:29am PDT  Reply to this post

• So accurate. As someone who lives on the East Coast, every time I go to LA I really don’t understand why people constantly talk about the highways (“freeways”). I especially hate the way they say “The 5″ or “The 10″. If said “The 95″ or “The 1&9″ I would be shot.

  But thank god they finally put up exit numbers, it makes getting around so much easier.

  Comment by anon — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 10:45am PDT  Reply to this post

  • It’s not unique to CA at all –

    In upstate NY we say “The 5 and 20″ (Route 5-20 combined) … “The QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way – Canada)… The 400 (Buffalo) etc.

    Not as much as in CA, but enough.

    Comment by Mr NYS — Saturday May 26, 2012 @ 9:30pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Forget the inaccurate driving directions, the looking in the mirror bit hit closest to home. I never looked at myself so much when I lived in other places. And I don’t have any hair at all, although I suppose in my mind I’m a blonde.

  Comment by James Killough — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 12:40pm PDT  Reply to this post

• LOLed so hard.

  Comment by EtotheT — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 3:08pm PDT  Reply to this post

• what is the name of the song they play when they show the title of the soap “Californian” every time

  Comment by conesej — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 4:29pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Just a riff-off on Ventura Highway inverted.

    Comment by Anonymous — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 8:29pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • I think it’s supposed to be a parody of the opening bars of Ventura Highway by America.

    Comment by TVWriter — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 9:25pm PDT  Reply to this post

• LOL I have to admit, we do slur our speech here in So Cal.

  Comment by Erik M. — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 7:28pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I thought this was weirdly funny too Nikki. Couldn’t help but laugh. Love Kristin Wiig’s accent. Hilarious.

  Comment by Liz H. — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 8:23pm PDT  Reply to this post

• The original cast (going way back now) used to call it a Burnette when someone would break character and laugh. It was a big no no and the term meant you were lame and going for the easy laugh. And good God, why does the audience think it so funny when one of the performers do this? Stop it Bill Hader… you’re the worst offender.

  Comment by Russ in VA — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 8:27pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Werd.

    Comment by Jerkstore Jimmy — Monday April 16, 2012 @ 9:47am PDT  Reply to this post

• conesej – the song was Ventura Highway by America

  Comment by jeremy — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 8:47pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Maybe everyone from the Southwest says “The 10″ or “The 101″ cause we say it here in AZ too. I mean, how else are you going to give someone directions? Seems kinda silly to say “Take interstate highway 10 to state route 101….”

  Comment by CM — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 8:56pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • You’re overthinking it. Just leave out the “the”.

    Comment by Michael — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 9:33pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Just say “take 10 to 101″

    Comment by GirlGirl — Tuesday May 29, 2012 @ 12:57pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Oh, and I think the song is suppose to be “Ventura Highway” by America but I think they changed a note or two to make it sound slightly different.

  Comment by CM — Sunday April 15, 2012 @ 8:57pm PDT  Reply to this post

• True creative bankruptcy.

  Comment by John — Monday April 16, 2012 @ 1:18am PDT  Reply to this post

• Hilarious!

  Comment by native — Monday April 16, 2012 @ 1:30pm PDT  Reply to this post

• To the person that said the were from the east coast and you don’t understand why we talk about freeways like that, for 1- live here, then you’ll get it; 2- it’s the same reason we make fun of you guys for the way you sound just by simply uttering a word.

  Comment by Ibitzz — Monday April 16, 2012 @ 11:04pm PDT  Reply to this post

• the song is the intro for “Someone to Call My Lover” by Janet Jackson

  Comment by Matt Porche — Sunday April 22, 2012 @ 12:56pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Wow, Matt, you must be a young’un… Janet Jackson’s “Someone to Call My Lover” heavily samples America’s “Ventura Highway.” Take a listen to the original! As many others here have said, SNL altered the riff a bit to sound similar, so it’s not Ventura Highway, but just an impressive simulation. There is no actual Ventura Highway in California; Dewey Bunnell, the song’s author, said when his family got stuck with a flat tire when he was a kid, he saw a highway sign that said “Ventura,” and never forgot it. It refers to US 101, although I always envision movie footage of Pacific Coast Highway since I’m from the east coast. I’d be inclined to say “I-405″ or just “405″ if I were in CA. I guess I’d get some funny looks.

    Comment by snl watcher — Saturday May 11, 2013 @ 7:03am PDT  Reply to this post

• I don’t understand… How do people outside LA refer to freeways? The 405 is the 405, the 10 is the 10… What else would you call them? Interstate 10???
  BTW, loved the skit, so true!

  Comment by Steph — Sunday April 22, 2012 @ 9:10pm PDT  Reply to this post

• The reason California Freeways are “The 10″, “The 405″, etc., is that they were all originally referred to by local names – 405 is THE San Diego Freeway, 10 is THE Santa Monica Freeway (or THE San Bernardino Freeway going east). When the numbers replaced the names, they kept the pattern: The 405 Freeway, or just The 405.

  And, yeah, we really do talk about driving like this all the time.

  Comment by Anonymous — Wednesday May 16, 2012 @ 6:07pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • I just think it’s hilarious that it’s always the same 2 or 3 highways that keep being referenced, so it doesn’t sound like there are too many choices to get someplace anyway! I keep thinking people in CA must just like to say the numbers over and over again. :p

    Comment by snl watcher — Saturday May 11, 2013 @ 7:08am PDT  Reply to this post

• Ventura Highway is sampled in Janet Jackson’s song “Someone to Call My Lover”

  Comment by Eric — Tuesday June 12, 2012 @ 5:18pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Anyone know what beach resort that is they keep showing behind “The Californians” logo?

  Comment by Don — Monday May 13, 2013 @ 1:45pm PDT  Reply to this post