"That Would Be a Great SNL Skit!"

I have lost track of all of the times I've uttered these words... and I always kick myself for not writing my great comic sketch ideas down.

As quickly as they come, they are gone. Fleeting.

I've finally decided to make myself a blog post so that they have a home (and, of course, if you think of one please do share it in the comments!) and I have also figured out a way to make them curriculum-relevant.

Composing dialogue and detailing stage directions is a pretty sophisticated form of writing so I would save it for Eighth Grade. This is different from Improv Games, which we play at all ages. In Eighth Grade we study Shakespeare, so you could easily have an assignment where students have to write a short comedy sketch. What would be more FUN?!?!

Of course, then they can trade with their classmates and everyone can learn their lines and act them out. It's just a scene so the pressure isn't a lot and your character doesn't have to have an arc or anything like that.

Draw sketch titles out of a hat and go for it!

So many ideas of mine are lost in the mists of time. But I do remember one.

Best Guess Moving Company

best guess as to what you want packed vs. what should be left behind

best guess as to how to protect your items
(crystal vases in with a bowling ball, massive quantity of bubble wrap around a single fork, pet goldfish wrapped carefully in brown paper)

best guess as to where your new house is!

Alexa in the Time of Fairy Tales
Feb 25, 2022

I have a vision of the queen from Rumplestiltskin looking all teary eyed and weary, asking Alexa what the date is, and Alexa telling her. And then saying in her little computer voice, "By the way, I can tell you the name of every person in the kingdom. Just say, 'Alexa, who is the little man who took my child?' Would you like to try it now?"

Jeff Probst at Your Grocery Store
Feb 25, 2022

You know in Survivor how Jeff Probst is always saying with great earnestness, "This is a million dollar decision" or "This could be a million dollar mistake." Wouldn't it be great if he showed up at other times? Like if you were in the grocery store choosing a can of soup that you'd never tasted before and might not like... and Jeff Probst popped up and said very seriously, "This could be a $3.99 mistake."

I'd love for this to be a collaborative effort. Share your funny sketch ideas!