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Quiz about Banned by SNL
Quiz about Banned by SNL

Banned by 'SNL'! Trivia Quiz


In 2014 'Saturday Night Live' began its 40th season. Of hundreds of hosts and musical guests most have performed well. But a few made themselves unwelcome, have been banned and will never appear on the show again. Here are some of them.

A multiple-choice quiz by wilbill. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
wilbill
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
372,710
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
9 / 10
Plays
809
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 71 (8/10), toddruby96 (9/10), Guest 74 (8/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. I moved from a martial arts career into acting in films like 'Above the Law' and 'Under Siege'. I'm even a reserve Sheriff's Deputy. When I hosted 'SNL' in 1991 the cast and crew thought I was hard to work with. Producer Lorne Michaels called me "the worst host ever" and banned me! I'm sure you recognize me, what's my name? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. I was the youngest actor ever to win the Oscar as Best Actor for my role in 'The Pianist'. My career has flourished since then so imagine my surprise when my 2013 guest hosting appearance on 'SNL' ended with me being banned from the show. All I did was wear a dreadlocks wig and use a Jamaican accent to introduce musical guest Sean Paul - hey, he's Jamaican, mon. Do you know me? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. I was Mr. Television in its Golden Age! For a while 80% of the viewers in my time slot were watching me! Those ungrateful kids at 'SNL' obviously didn't know who they were dealing with in 1978. They expected a star of my magnitude to share the spotlight with a cast of unknowns and I was having none of it. You know who I am, right? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. 'SNL' banned me in 1977 but I guess they couldn't do without me because I appeared again in 1989! My band and I switched songs during our live performance which got us banned. Maybe I was un-banned because I borrowed my stage name from the King of Rock 'n Roll. Who am I? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Look! When 'SNL' asked me to host their crummy show in 1982 they knew I was a tough guy. So they banned me for being tough? Didn't they see me in 'Baretta'? If they'd written decent sketches for me I wouldn't have treated them so bad. They're just lucky I didn't bring my shotgun like I did in 'In Cold Blood'. Who do you think I am, punk? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. I was well behaved during my first appearance as musical guest on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1990. Two years later, though, while singing a song decrying child sexual abuse, I held up a photo of Pope John II and tore it up, telling the audience to "fight the real enemy". They tell me I had the largest audience of all the people who've been banned by 'SNL'. Do you know which Irish singer I am? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. I was already starring in my own TV sitcom in 1994 when I guest hosted 'SNL'. I guess my monologue got me in trouble with the producers. How was I supposed to know they wouldn't think feminine hygiene was a funny subject? Who am I? My TV show was named after me, Martin ________.

Answer: (One Word - Surname)
Question 8 of 10
8. 'SNL' and I weren't a good mix. I was an artist and they were TV people. I didn't like drugs and much of the cast loved them. As host in 1978, I mugged the camera and made references to the cue cards. Along with my band 'The Mothers of Invention' I was also musical guest that week. Who am I? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. You could say I banned myself from 'SNL'. Or did I? Hard to say since I loved to leave the audience wondering what they'd seen. I appeared in the very first episode of 'SNL' in 1975 as my character 'Foreign Man' and in other appearances I lip synced the 'Mighty Mouse' theme and did my famous Elvis impersonation. In 1983 I appeared, asking the audience to call 900 telephone numbers to vote to keep me or dump me as a future guest. Viewers voted to dump me and I never appeared again. Who am I, really? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. I'm the first former cast member who's off the list permanently. I was an original Not Ready for Prime Time Player and the first host of 'Weekend Update'. My former cast members thought I was difficult to work with for some reason. When I first returned to guest host I got into a fight with Bill Murray. I made other hosting appearances during which I was accused of verbally abusing the cast and in 1997 I was banned when I slapped Cheri Oteri on the back of the head. Hey! It was a joke! You know who I am, right? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. I moved from a martial arts career into acting in films like 'Above the Law' and 'Under Siege'. I'm even a reserve Sheriff's Deputy. When I hosted 'SNL' in 1991 the cast and crew thought I was hard to work with. Producer Lorne Michaels called me "the worst host ever" and banned me! I'm sure you recognize me, what's my name?

Answer: Steven Seagal

'SNL' staff and crew have said that Seagal contributed no good ideas for his sketches, that he "just wasn't funny" and berated the talents of the cast and writers.
'Under Siege' was Seagal's biggest hit movie. Following a couple of less successful features, he's appeared mostly in direct-to-video thrillers. He's also appeared in two seasons of 'Steven Seagal: Lawman' a pseudo-reality TV show based on Seagal's experiences as a reserve deputy in Louisiana and Arizona.
2. I was the youngest actor ever to win the Oscar as Best Actor for my role in 'The Pianist'. My career has flourished since then so imagine my surprise when my 2013 guest hosting appearance on 'SNL' ended with me being banned from the show. All I did was wear a dreadlocks wig and use a Jamaican accent to introduce musical guest Sean Paul - hey, he's Jamaican, mon. Do you know me?

Answer: Adrien Brody

You'd think the producers of a TV show that's broadcast live with no chance for a redo would love unscripted improvisation, but such is not the case with 'Saturday Night Live'. The show is live but but it's definitely scripted and Lorne Michaels has a long history of disapproving when performers wander off-script.
3. I was Mr. Television in its Golden Age! For a while 80% of the viewers in my time slot were watching me! Those ungrateful kids at 'SNL' obviously didn't know who they were dealing with in 1978. They expected a star of my magnitude to share the spotlight with a cast of unknowns and I was having none of it. You know who I am, right?

Answer: Milton Berle

Berle hijacked his appearance on 'SNL'. He rewrote sketches, inserted his own scripts, upstaged the cast regulars and mugged to the camera. He even went behind producers' backs to end the show with a maudlin rendition of 'September Song' complete with a staged standing ovation.

A staff writer likened the experience to "watching a comedy train accident in slow motion". Mr. Television was never invited back.
4. 'SNL' banned me in 1977 but I guess they couldn't do without me because I appeared again in 1989! My band and I switched songs during our live performance which got us banned. Maybe I was un-banned because I borrowed my stage name from the King of Rock 'n Roll. Who am I?

Answer: Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello and the Attractions were scheduled to play 'Less Than Zero'. A few notes into the song, Costello shouted "Stop! I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, there's no reason to do this song here." The band then played 'Radio, Radio' a new song considered controversial because it dealt with the commercialization of the airwaves. Costello's disobedience proved to be a boost to sales of his records. 'SNL' and Costello have joked about the episode on his subsequent appearances.
5. Look! When 'SNL' asked me to host their crummy show in 1982 they knew I was a tough guy. So they banned me for being tough? Didn't they see me in 'Baretta'? If they'd written decent sketches for me I wouldn't have treated them so bad. They're just lucky I didn't bring my shotgun like I did in 'In Cold Blood'. Who do you think I am, punk?

Answer: Robert Blake

During a rehearsal, Blake crumpled his script and threw it in the face of cast member Gary Kroeger. Some 'SNL' cast and crew members take exception to Lorne Michaels' naming Steven Seagal the "worst host ever" and prefer to give that honor to Blake. All this was several years before the former Little Rascal was accused of killing his wife!
6. I was well behaved during my first appearance as musical guest on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1990. Two years later, though, while singing a song decrying child sexual abuse, I held up a photo of Pope John II and tore it up, telling the audience to "fight the real enemy". They tell me I had the largest audience of all the people who've been banned by 'SNL'. Do you know which Irish singer I am?

Answer: Sinead O'Connor

O'Connor had held a photo of a child refugee in dress rehearsal so the camera zoomed close during the performance giving the audience (whose reaction could define "stunned silence") the full effect of the singer's act of protest. A few weeks later, Jan Hooks imitated O'Connor in a sketch titled "Sinead O'Connor Goodtime Happy Jamboree".
7. I was already starring in my own TV sitcom in 1994 when I guest hosted 'SNL'. I guess my monologue got me in trouble with the producers. How was I supposed to know they wouldn't think feminine hygiene was a funny subject? Who am I? My TV show was named after me, Martin ________.

Answer: Lawrence

In reruns and syndication, Lawrence's monologue is replaced by cue cards describing it as "a frank and lively presentation" that "nearly cost us all our jobs". Lawrence's career doesn't seem to have suffered greatly from the ban by 'SNL'. He has gone on to star in movies such as 'Big Momma's House', 'National Security' and 'Wild Hogs'.
8. 'SNL' and I weren't a good mix. I was an artist and they were TV people. I didn't like drugs and much of the cast loved them. As host in 1978, I mugged the camera and made references to the cue cards. Along with my band 'The Mothers of Invention' I was also musical guest that week. Who am I?

Answer: Frank Zappa

'SNL' writer Don Novello (Father Guido Sarducci) called Zappa "one of the worst" hosts. In retrospect, trying to mix Zappa and television probably wasn't advisable. Unlike Elvis Costello, Zappa wasn't un-banned and never appeared again prior to his death in 1993.
9. You could say I banned myself from 'SNL'. Or did I? Hard to say since I loved to leave the audience wondering what they'd seen. I appeared in the very first episode of 'SNL' in 1975 as my character 'Foreign Man' and in other appearances I lip synced the 'Mighty Mouse' theme and did my famous Elvis impersonation. In 1983 I appeared, asking the audience to call 900 telephone numbers to vote to keep me or dump me as a future guest. Viewers voted to dump me and I never appeared again. Who am I, really?

Answer: Andy Kaufman

Kaufman was one of the most enigmatic performers in show business. Many of his classic bits are revered by comics. But he often went off on tangents that were inexplicable to much of the audience (such as his wrestling career in which he wrestled against women). Andy died of lung cancer in 1984 - or did he? Some people think his death was a gag and still expect him to show up again any day.
10. I'm the first former cast member who's off the list permanently. I was an original Not Ready for Prime Time Player and the first host of 'Weekend Update'. My former cast members thought I was difficult to work with for some reason. When I first returned to guest host I got into a fight with Bill Murray. I made other hosting appearances during which I was accused of verbally abusing the cast and in 1997 I was banned when I slapped Cheri Oteri on the back of the head. Hey! It was a joke! You know who I am, right?

Answer: Chevy Chase

Chase is the first former cast member to be banned from hosting 'SNL'. During his numerous appearances, he allegedly berated cast members and writers and suggested embarrassing and inappropriate sketches. One idea he's credited with was having openly gay cast member Terry Sweeney play an AIDS patient. Lorne Michaels had enough when the cast reported the Oteri incident. Chase has made several cameo appearances since that time, but hasn't hosted the show again.
Source: Author wilbill

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ladymacb29 before going online.
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