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May 17, 2006
SNL Digital Shorts People Like Paying Homage, Dislike Giving Credit
A reader has alerted us to ANOTHER blogger who has questioned the integrity of the SNL Digital Shorts team's creative output.
In January of 2006, Wil Wheaton found several INSPIRED CHOICES between the SNL Digital Short, "Young Chuck Norris," and the widely circulated internet video, America We Stand As One.
Two days later, after Wil touched off a small firestorm amongst internet-insiders, Wil posted a memo written by a source close to the Digital Shorts people:
Hey Wil,I have some facts I can share about Young Chuck Norris that may help to clear the air.
It was written October (by Andrew Steele), but it didn't get a green light until Lazy Sunday's success opened the doors for shorts like these. The Lonely Island guys weren't aware of the Chuck Norris Facts meme until after the short aired and everyone started emailing it to them.
It is a parody of 80's hair rock videos. They liked the American We Stand As One video and thought it would be a cool homage to dress the guy like him. Also it was a convenient way to describe the look to the costume department. The total shooting budget was zero dollars. All of the non-SNL people in the video were just random people from the park (including the kids).
Other than the wardrobe, any similarities are coincidental. They are all just cliches one finds in 80's rock videos.
Your Well Placed Anonymous Source
Posted by The Apiary at May 17, 2006 3:00 PM
Comments
That, and "My Testicles" is a less funny "rip-off" of The Lonely Island's own Bing Bong Brothers ("My Penis"). The Lonely Island et al. are creatively sinking. :(((
Posted by: Savant at May 17, 2006 4:00 PM