During a recent episode of Conan O’Brien‘s talk show, the iconic “SNL” writer Jim Downey reflected on some of his favorite sketches from the late ’70s to early ’80s era. Downey, known for his comedic talents, shared that during those days, most sketches were collaborations among a small group of writers. However, there were a few sketches that Downey wrote entirely by himself, which became personal favorites.
One of his specialties during that time was creating foreign language sketches. He mentioned a game show sketch called “Keness Musm Macho,” inspired by his Colombian friend who spoke six languages fluently. Downey’s friend used to tell hilarious stories about American television shows from the ’50s, but with Spanish titles. These stories intrigued Downey, as he found the Spanish language to be majestic and grander than English.
Downey brought up the ’50s show “Sea Hunt” starring Lloyd Bridges, which had the Spanish title “Investigador Submarino.” He also mentioned “The Fugitive” as “El Fugitivo” and “The Untouchables” as “Los Intocables.” These Spanish titles for popular American shows sparked his interest and made him laugh.
The conversation then shifted to the concept of “macho.” Downey explained that while watching “Welcome Back, Kotter,” he noticed a character who appeared somewhat feminine. This observation led to the idea of a game show where contestants had to determine who was more macho between two different celebrities. The catch was that the entire sketch would be conducted in Spanish. Bill Murray played the host, and Gilda Radner and Ricky Nelson were the contestants.
When looking back at his old sketches, Downey mentioned that there are two types of comedy writers: those who crack up at everything they write and those who remain nervous and rarely laugh at their own material. He admitted to falling into the latter category but acknowledged that years later, with distance from the sketches, he can appreciate the humor.
One particular moment in the sketch made Downey laugh. When introducing the contestants, he recalled the interactions in Spanish between the host and Gilda Radner‘s character. As Radner portrayed an excited and giggly contestant, the host would calm her down in Spanish. When he asked Radner about her occupation, she replied that she was a housewife, and when asked about her husband’s profession, she responded, “Mi esposo exterminator.” This humorous exchange about her husband being an exterminator and his insect extermination expertise, including cockroaches and mosquitos, brought laughs from Downey and the audience.
Being able to listen to Jim Downey reminisce about his favorite “SNL” sketches and the personal joy they brought him was a delightful moment on Conan O’Brien‘s talk show. As fans of both Downey and the comedic genius that is “SNL,” it’s always a treat to hear these behind-the-scenes stories and gain insight into the creative minds that have shaped the world of comedy.
