Despite the hesitation (nay, cynicism) of all of us, 17-year-old Twilight star, Taylor Lautner, brought down the house on this week’s SNL, throwing inhibition to the wind with a monologue that included back flips and Kanye quips (and a hint that the rumours of a Taylor-Taylor romance may or may not be true).
Although his promos weren’t exactly promising (personally, I was worried about another January Jones situation), Taylor delivered with his typical charm and earnestness, poking fun at his age and dressing up like a woman. Hilarious and attractive? (I know he’s 17 “ I said he was attractive, not that I intended on wooing him. Come on, people.) Win!
However, you can’t help but wonder why a 17-year-old was recruited to host a television show that’s boasted the likes of Oscar winners and esteemed comedians. Nothing against Taylor, nothing against 17-year-olds, but it seems like NBC’s attempt to reach out to younger audiences have included risky moves that have been lucky to work out so well.
SNL may be attempting to remain a relevant pop culture commentary, but many older viewers are not familiar with the young, fresh faces of today, and tune in solely for the political and social satire. If the suits at NBC don’t combine the new with the old, middle-aged folks may stop tuning in since the appeal of a teenage werewolf may be lost on them. (Hell, if it wasn’t for Taylor’s charm and likeability, it’d be lost on me, too.)
