One of his all time best, this sketch showcased Will Ferrell's bizarre Janet Reno impression and his equally bizarre dancing ability. Set in the basement of the Attorney General's home, Janet Reno hosts a dance party with local teens. In a nice touch, the only song she will dance to is "My Sharona" by the Knack. But Ms. Reno doesn't even know the name of the song she likes:

"Hey, I want to dance some more. Play that song again!"

At which point, the driving beat of "My Sharona" starts up again and Will goes nuts on the dance floor. President Clinton comes in and tries to talk her out of it, and we learn that Janet Reno dances to escape the memories of Waco.

"Shut up! Dance party takes away Waco!"

Kevin Spacey joins the party as Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, and is hilarious in drag.

Reno: "Tell me what song you have selected for our spotlight dance."
Shalala: "I've selected "Songbird" by Kenny G."
Reno: "That's wonderful, Donna, but there's no chance in hell we're gonna hear it. Play my song!"

Everything in this skit is hilarious. Will's deep voice, Kevin Spacey's costume, Will's flailing dancing style (in which he keeps his head absolutely still.. that's what makes it funny), and the driving, familiar drum beat of "My Sharona." Also, every teenager cast to dance with Will is about 5'4" so it makes him look absolutely gigantic.

It is impossible for me to hear "My Sharona" without getting the visual image of Janet Reno dancing. And how Will plays Janet Reno without cracking up is beyond me.


"Join us next week when the Dance Party takes place on the deck of a battleship!"

Note: Will Ferrell has had many memorable sketches with Janet Reno, this one is just the best. If I were to pick another favorite, it would be the "Elian" musical in the 2000 Christopher Walken episode, where Janet Reno sang a tender love ballad with Elian's father.

Script Transcript: http://snltranscripts.jt.org/scripts/96jdanceparty.phtml

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