Favorite SNL skits – MSU vs umiss
Ask any Mississippi State fan, and they’ll know. If you had to pick one Saturday Night Live sketch in the entire history of the show’s 40 years to be the official Mississippi State Saturday Night Live sketch, which one would it be?
They answer is obvious.
MORE COWBELL!
This SNL sketch originally appeared on April 8, 2000. It presents a fictionalized version of the recording of the song “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult. The sketch featured guest host Christopher Walken as music producer “The Bruce Dickinson” and regular cast member Will Ferrell, who wrote the sketch with playwright Donnell Campbell, as fictional cowbell player Gene Frenkle. The sketch also starred Chris Parnell as Eric Bloom, Jimmy Fallon as Albert Bouchard, Chris Kattan as Buck Dharma, and Horatio Sanz as Joe Bouchard. The sketch is often considered one of the greatest SNL sketches ever made, and in many “best of” lists regarding SNL sketches, it is often placed in the top ten, being ranked #9 by Rolling Stone.
There are many discrepancies between this fictionalized account and the actual creation of the song. Most notably, Gene Frenkle (Will Ferrell) doesn’t exist. Actual Blue Öyster Cult members, though, still report that fans have expressed their sympathy for his passing numerous times.
Bruce Dickinson also didn’t produce “The Reaper.” He was a reissue producer some years later, but it was actually produced by David Lucas,
Sandy Pearlman,
and Murray Krugman.
This SNL sketch and the phrase, “More cowbell,” has had such an impact on our pop-cultural landscape that people involved in the actual creation of the song now argue about who it was that actually played the cowbell. Producer David Lucas says it was him. Eric Bloom (portrayed in the sketch by Chris Parnell) says he played it, but it was David Lucas’ idea. Joe Bouchard (Horatio Sanz) says it was actually overdubbed by his brother Albert (Jimmy Fallon) after the rest of the song was recorded.
The connection with Mississippi State could not be more obvious. We love our cowbells!
Similarly, the other undefeated Mississippi SEC-member school would appear to have their own official SNL sketch.
A couple days ago Justin Strawn published a M&WN article comparing State’s cowbells to umiss’ landshark. While I see them as totally different things, he’s correct in that they are both traditions (though ours is since the 1930’s and theirs in since 2008) that fans are passionate about and defend against some fans of other schools who think they should be illegal, and neither really has anything to do with football.
Add to that list of comparisons the fact that they both have their own SNL sketch.
The landshark tradition at umiss dates back to 2008 when #47 Tony Fein, a juco transfer linebacker who had served 4 years in the US Army including a 15 month stint in Iraq, first threw it up in summer practice after laying a huge sack on Jevan Snead. His teammates liked it. “Blood in the water… Landshark.” Coach Tyrone Nix thought it was unique enough to help rally the team to make big plays. Head coach Houston Nutt liked it. It caught on. The first time it was seen on television was in umiss’ upset of Tim Tebow and the Gators that year in the swamp. Now, it’s everywhere! The Landshark was even up for election as the new umiss mascot in 2010.
But what is a landshark? Don’t sharks die on the land? I do remember one shark that walked about on the land when I was a kid. Jabberjaw.
If you remember, Jabberjaw had the same voice and mannerisms of Curly from The Three Stooges. Is that hand symbol starting to make any more sense to you now?
But back even before that, on Saturday Night Live’s 4th episode of their very first season, in a spoof of the newly released move Jaws, Landshark made his first appearance.
"The Land Shark is considered the cleverest of all sharks. Unlike the Great White shark, which tends to inhabit the waters and harbors of recreational beach areas, the Land Shark may strike at any place, any time. It is capable of disguising its voice, and generally preys on young, single women."
So you tell me… which Mississippi university has the coolest favorite SNL sketch?