Saturday Night Live is earning some major Oscar street-cred on Tuesday after they announced that 2015 Oscar nominee J.K. Simmons would be hosting Saturday Night Live on Jan. 31. This is the first time the industry veteran will host SNL, and he will be joined by musical guest, D'Angelo. The hosting gig comes a little less than a month before the Academy Awards, where Simmons is nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Whiplash. And just because this is Simmons' — and D'Angelo's — first time as host and musical guest, respectively, that doesn't mean the two don't bring with them some potentially hilarious skit material.
In Whiplash, Simmons plays an incredibly intense professor at a music conservatory who believes humiliation and fear are the best ways to build up a good performer. People, like myself, already think Simmons should just be awarded the Oscar now, because his performance in the film is so out of this world, but we'll humor the rest of the nominees and wait until Feb. 22. D'Angelo, who recently came out of a silent 15 years in the music industry, just released his Black Messiah album to the shock of the entire world.
So what can we expect on Jan. 31, as these two take to the Saturday Night Live stage? Here are four skits we hope to see.
Farmer's Insurance Commercial Parody
If you're a regular TV watcher, you might recognize Simmons from the Farmer's Insurance commercials. I don't know exactly what the parody should achieve, but SNL always does such a good job at commercial parodies (see: "My Calvins," and "McConaughey's Lincoln Commercial"), so I think they'll figure something out.
A Whiplash Sketch
Whether it's something like the Funny or Die sketch above, or maybe a sketch where Simmons' character from Whiplash meets his match in an SNL cast member, there definitely needs to be some drumming on Saturday.
An "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" Music Video Parody
Look, you can't have the musical guest D'Angelo — who might have made the most sexually charged music video of all time — be on the show and not make fun of this video in some way.
Law & Order Sketch
Let's bring some criminal justice system to Saturday Night Live with Dr. Skoda, please!
