Remembering Whale Boy

I was at Second City in Chicago the night Chris Farley got the call that he was going to be a new cast member on Saturday Night Live. Maybe. Or perhaps they were just mentioning it to the audience and he had found out earlier. My memory is a little fuzzy. It was seventeen years ago. Perhaps one of my friends who was there with me that night can confirm. For Farley and the rest of his improv troupe it was obviously a joyous occasion. He was visibly trashed yet incredibly “on” that night. I’ll always remember this one sketch featuring Farley as “Whale Boy,” a boy raised by whales later to be adopted by a high class family. He wore a helmet with a spout. It was really bizarre and involved a lot of flopping around on the floor. I distinctly remember his fellow cast members not being able to keep it together. It was so over the top but the audience ate it up.

It’s hard to believe that it has been ten years since Farley’s death. Farley’s comedy was often hit or miss for me. I don’t think I ever laughed at his Matt Foley motivational speaker character. However two of my favorite SNL skits feature Farley. The first being an audition for Chippendale’s with Patrick Swayze, and the second being this parody commercial (Schmitts Gay Beer anyone?) with Adam Sandler.

The NY Post has a nice article remembering Farley.