[Photos courtesy of Alice Falkowski and Lucan Furio]

Written by Cody Englander, Managing Editor and Rocco Prioletti, Editorial Director

Audio by Kate Tocke, PR Director and Jenell Taylor, Columns & Features Editor

Video by Alice Falkowski, Visuals Co-Director and Lucan Furio, Visuals Co-Director

On September 26, ACRN were given the opportunity to compete in a student journalism workshop for Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The following works were selected as one of two standout submissions.

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SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of Music – James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party

By Cody Englander, Managing Editor and Rocco Prioletti, Editorial Director

Cleveland, Ohio’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame captures half a century of Saturday Night Live (SNL) history within their latest exhibit, “SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of Music”. The exhibit features an eclectic array of SNL memorabilia, acting as an all-encompassing collection of the series’ most iconic sketches and musical appearances. On display, front and center is Eddie Murphy’s robe from the sketch, “James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party” – a fan-favorite which marries SNL’s comedic instincts with their musical prowess. 

Eddie Murphy’s comedic interpretation of James Brown’s vibrant, funk-fueled stage performance remains as a series-wide standout sketch. Not originally optimistic of the 1983 sketch, the routine depicts Murphy parodying Brown’s iconic soul sound: singing a tune about eagerly entering a hot tub and mimicking his call-and-response with the backing band.  

Eventually, Murphy removes his furry purple robe with a sequin-studded phrase, “Hot Tub Man #1” on the back, scantily revealing a golden speedo underneath. After he’s submerged in the water, he grabs his microphone and is suddenly electrocuted.

Brown performed as SNL’s season six episode four musical guest, performing his traditional cape routine during his medley performance of “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag / I Got You (I Feel Good) / Please, Please, Please”. Here, Brown dons two separate bedazzled capes which reinvigorates his musical performance throughout the medley’s duration.

Brown’s only two musical performances on SNL are viewable exclusively at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In a press release, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame stated, “With over 150 RRHOF Inductees who have appeared on the show, the RRHOF is the only place on the planet where fans can view the 1,900 musical guest performances”.

Written by David Sheffield and Barry Blaustein, the sketch tapped into Brown’s idiosyncratic performing habits: specifically, Brown’s cape routine. This concert-staple consisted of the soul singer becoming seemingly exhausted on stage, which prompts Brown’s longtime MC to drape an eccentric cape around his shoulders which revives Brown with renewed energy. The cape was oftentimes as iconic of an image as Brown himself, prompting a musical encore for the audience.

The hilarity and importance came from the over-the-top parody from Murphy, which he had coming into SNL at the young age of 19 through his film roles like The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and Shrek. This sketch helped propel the then 23-year-old cast member into stardom. 

Brown himself was a fan of the sketch. Murphy recalled to NBC that “‘James Brown actually loved it, […] He told me ‘You should do my life story.’ And I was like, ‘Well, I said people would be laughing.’ He said, ‘No, no! They’d be laughing if you was playing around, but if you’re serious, people will take it serious … because you got all that in-between stuff’”.

The importance of SNL as a generational milestone is none the more relevant than this sketch. Modern audiences aren’t familiar with Brown’s symbolic cape routine just as older audiences aren’t receptive to modern pop culture sketches. 

Now on display within the SNL exhibit, Murphy’s comedic take on Brown’s iconic outfit continues to propel the lifeforce of the series into the current generation, just as Brown’s cape had done for his dynamic performances. 

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Discussion on James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party

By Kate Tocke, PR Director and Jenell Taylor, Columns & Features Editor

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Eddie Murphy’s Robe: A Video Showcase

By Alice Falkowski, Visuals Co-Director and Lucan Furio, Visuals Co-Director