In Defense of Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon's tenure on Saturday Night Live (1998-2004) was largely a polarizing one for both casual and avid viewers of the show. Fallon's tendency to break during sketches quickly earned him dirty looks. Several of my friends - I'm positive this is the case with the general public as well - say that Jimmy Fallon was one of the weakest cast members on Saturday Night Live for precisely this reason. I concede that Fallon broke during sketches quite a bit. Fallon, however, provided a wide array of spot-on impersonations, brought a relatable charm to the Weekend Update anchor, and sufficiently played a wide variety of characters during his time on Saturday Night Live.

Among my favorite Fallon characters is Barry Gibb, co-host of The Barry Gibb Talk Show. In this sketch, Fallon teams up with Justin Timberlake (who plays Barry's brother Robin Gibb), and the two members of the Bee Gees host a talk show. During an interview with the actual brothers, Fallon revealed that the idea of the SNL stemmed from having conversations based on the way the band used to sing. The recurring sketch is one of the most beloved in the modern SNL era.

During his first couple of seasons, Fallon also played Nick Burns, your company's computer guy. The sketch was funny, and Fallon tied it together. In the recurring sketch, Fallon would play an annoyed Nick Burns, who was always tired of fixing the company's workers' computer problems.

Fallon brought an authenticity to the show that had been lacking since Adam Sandler left the show. His musical talents aside (and he made use of them, through great song parodies), Fallon made the audience feel like they could relate to a cast member on SNL (Bill Hader or Kristen Wiig come closest in this current cast).

Other characters that I've thoroughly enjoyed throughout the years: The Leatherman, a clerk at Jeffrey's, Sully (from Sully and Denise), Randy Goldman (from Wake Up, Wakefield!), Van Morrison, John Lennon, French Stewart, Dave Matthews and Adam Sandler.

Despite Fallon's obvious inability to keep a straight face, he was an integral part of Saturday Night Live for six years. His greatest strength was impressions, but he was equally as good at playing a variety of characters just goofily enough for the audience to be aware that they were watching a comedy sketch and enjoy it just the same. I, for one, am a very big fan of his time on the show. If you don't have the Best of Jimmy Fallon DVD, I would recommend you get your hands on it.