Just a few short years ago, NBC's Saturday Night Live was plummeting downhill. Enter Andy Samberg, the boys of the Lonely Island and the SNL Digital Short. The quick, quirky clips reinvigorated a stale series and ushered SNL into the era of viral videos and YouTube. Now in the sixth season to feature digital shorts, tableau breaks down the best eight shorts for your homework-procrastination pleasure.
1. Dick in a Box\nThe gift concept that spawned a million Halloween costumes. The R&B parody hit all the right notes - from the lyrics to the costuming to the choreography. Justin Timberlake's cameo garnered him some serious respect in the comedy world and since then, he has been one of the most screamed-for SNL hosts of all time.
2. Lazy Sunday\nWhite people rapping are always funny. White people rapping about The Chronicles of Narnia and "snack attacks" are comedy gold. In fact, "Lazy Sunday" was the first digital short to explode on the Internet and made Samberg a household name.
3. Jizz in My Pants\nThe video for the Lonely Island's first single on its debut album, Incredibad, was insanely popular and surprisingly catchy. The video surpassed 10 million views on YouTube, and the short won an Emmy. Who would have thought an ode to premature - well, you know - could be so cool?\n\n4. I'm on a Boat\nYes, perhaps the song got more than a little annoying when it was played at literally every social gathering for several months, but "I'm on a Boat" is undoubtedly one of the funniest videos and songs ever. Admit it, you still cannot help but crack a huge smile at the "flippy floppies" lyric.
5. Extreme Activities Challenge\n"Extreme Activities Challenge" may be lesser-known than its predecessors on this list, but it is definitely as enjoyable. In it, Kristen Wiig and Samberg, clad in fierce black leather jackets, compete in absurdly hilarious tasks, with Will Forte as a miserable and socially inept referee.
6. Natalie Raps\nIn comedy, nothing is funnier than a reversal of expectations. Natalie Portman as a pot-smoking, dirty-talking gangsta rapper is certainly that. Samberg appearing at the end in a Viking costume complete with a horned helmet is merely icing on the cake.
7. United Way\nRight on the heels of the star quarterback's Super Bowl-winning season, Peyton Manning acted as the world's worst mentor in this fake public service announcement for the United Way. Professional athletes usually lack the acting chops to churn out the laughs, but Manning gave SNL cast members a run for their money in "United Way."
8. Firelight\nTaylor Swift's hosting of SNL last year was mostly lackluster until "Firelight" appeared on the screen. The short parodied the comical plot and bad acting of Twilight to a tee, with Swift as the dark-haired and moody Stella and Bill Hader as Philip Frank, a "Frankenstein"
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