> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theomnicosm.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # JK Simmons enjoys a teacher snow day, Mike O’Brien plays Jay-Z - URL: https://www.theomnicosm.com/jk-simmons-enjoys-a-teacher-snow-day-mike-obrien-plays-jay-z/ - Published: 2015-02-01T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2025-10-27T19:00:32.000Z - Description: A republished recap of the Jan. 31, 2015, episode of ‘SNL’ hosted by JK Simmons. - Author: Bill Kuchman - Tags: The Cold Open • From the Archive, SNL Season 40, The Cold Open, SNL, The Cold Open • Episode Reviews, JK Simmons *I wrote* SNL *recaps for the original version of Popculturology from 2012 to 2015\. The opinions voiced in these recaps may be outdated based on the events that have occurred since their writing. This article was originally published on Feb. 1, 2015.* Welcome to Edition No. 55 of **Popculturology**'s *Saturday Night Live* recaps. All of your questions about the **JK Simmons**\-hosted episode will soon be answered. ### How'd JK Simmons do? *SNL* wasted little time having the *Whiplash* star capitalize on his current claim to fame. After **Kyle Mooney** and **Pete Davidson** suffered Simmons' band teacher wrath, we got another signature **Leslie Jones** moment when the freshman *SNL* star barked right back at Simmons. C'mon, guys, you do not yell at Jones. Sadly, *SNL* ruined this segment by bringing out **Fred Armisen**. Like **Kristen Wiig**, Armisen has been allowed to use *SNL* as his personal showcase despite leaving the program years ago. Having Armisen show off his skills as a drummer was neither funny nor did it add anything to the sketch. Luckily Armisen disappeared from the episode after the monologue. (That meant no "Garth and Kat" during "Weekend Update," thank God.) Simmons performed well as an *SNL* host, playing mostly off his gruff persona. In a way, it was the only way we'll ever know what it would be like if Spider-Man nemesis J. Jonah Jameson hosted an episode of *SNL*. ## Sign up Join the hundreds of ****Deep SNL Thoughts** subscribers who already get free editions including the episode recaps, news and more. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ➕ Already a ****Deep SNL Thoughts** subscriber? ****Please consider becoming a supporter** by [****upgrading your account**](https://www.theomnicosm.com/account/). 🍿🍪 Wanna add ****Popculturology** and ****Snackology** to your subscription? ****Update your email preferences** [****on your account page**](https://www.theomnicosm.com/account/). ### What were the best sketches of the night? Why isn't **Mike O'Brien** still a member of *SNL*'s cast? The former *SNL* castmember/current *SNL* writer delivered another killer short, presenting the story of **Jay-Z**'s rise to fame ... with white actors. O'Brien is quite possibly the whitest person working on *SNL*, making the idea of him playing Jay-Z all the more absurd. *SNL*'s current generation of shorts don't live up to the Lonely Island's Digital Shorts, but they're still often the highlight of an episode. The entire *SNL* cast got in on the action with "Teacher Snow Day." Does an *SNL* writer use Simmons as inspiration to write a sketch spoofing *Casablanca* or is that just something that a writer tries to pitch every week? ### Saturday Night Live: Super Bowl edition The Super Bowl is on NBC this year, so why not a bit of corporate synergy? What's better: **Jay Pharoah** and **Kenan Thompson** as **Richard Sherman** and **Marshawn Lynch** or **Keegan-Michael Key** and **Jordan Peele** as the Seattle Seahawks duo? I think we can live in a world where both impressions exist, but there's some real potential here for a great crossover if Key and Peele ever host an episode of *SNL*. Why does Simmons' character hate his wife so much? Let her watch the Super Bowl, man. ### How was 'Weekend Update'? **Cecily Strong** has found a new "Weekend Update" character, bringing back her One Dimensional Female Character for the second time. I really like this character. I really like all of Strong's "Update" characters. But that doesn't mean Strong shouldn't be anchoring "Weekend Update" right now. Is **Taran Killam**'s Jebidiah Atkinson funny? I think there's a nugget of creative humor in this character, but much of the humor comes from watching Killam throw notecards around and come close to breaking. That's really not enough to establish a character as a recurring segment. ### How about the rest of the show? What was the joke here? **Bobby Moynihan** as a Clippy-esque Microsoft mascot is funny, but who thought this sketch should have made it air? Did something get cut last minute and *SNL* had to open up its "Sketches We Never Aired in 1995" file? Hey, *SNL* built that classroom set — they gotta use it every episode to get their money's worth. ****Deep SNL Thoughts** is written and produced by ****Bill Kuchman**. Copyediting by ****Tim Kuchman**. 💰 Like what you’re reading on ****Deep SNL Thoughts**? [Send ****a one-time tip to show your support** for the newsletter](https://www.theomnicosm.com/#/portal/support). ➕ Already a ****Deep SNL Thoughts** subscriber? ****Please consider becoming a supporter** by [****upgrading your account**](https://www.theomnicosm.com/account/). 🍿🍪 Wanna add ****Popculturology** and ****Snackology** to your subscription? ****Update your email preferences** [****on your account page**](https://www.theomnicosm.com/account/). You can also follow me on [****Bluesky**](https://bsky.app/profile/billkuchman.bsky.social?ref=theomnicosm.com) and [****Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/popculturology/?ref=theomnicosm.com). ![The Omnicosm](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/the-omnicosm-wordmark-new-1.png) **Deep SNL Thoughts** is a publication of The Omnicosm.