The video: This weekend's episode of Saturday Night Live didn't just mark former cast member Will Ferrell's return to Studio 8H as host. It also featured the 100th edition of the show's mini-music-video series, Digital Shorts. (Watch it below.) The videos debuted as a regular SNL feature in 2005, and have since won Emmys, wooed major guest stars, and routinely become viral sensations. In the "dirty and weird" centennial clip, Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone — two original members of Lonely Island, the musical trio responsible for the series' songs — along with Justin Bieber, don tuxedos to sing about their R-rated plans to celebrate the milestone. Bonus: Cameos from classic Digital Shorts characters, including Justin Timberlake's "Dick in a Box" crooner, Natalie Portman's angry rapper, Jon Hamm's bare-chested saxophonist, and Michael Bolton's Pirates of the Caribbean aficionado.
The reaction: This was "an unparalleled extravaganza of nuttiness," says X. Alexander at Idolator. That may be but... ew, says Hillary Busis at Entertainment Weekly: The raunchy running joke about the stars' auto-fellatio goals was unnecessary. "It would have been enough just to see Justin Bieber and Shy Ronnie in the same room." And egregiously absent from the best-of clip, says Ben Yakas at Gothamist, was any reference to "Lazy Sunday," the first Digital Short breakout hit. See the video for yourself:
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