The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast
Episode: "Cherry Battle"
Date: December 16, 2025
Hosts: The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone) & Seth Meyers
Episode Overview
This episode centers on the making of the "Cherry Battle" SNL Digital Short. The gang delves into the origins, shoot, and surreal artistry behind the sketch. With Andy absent for the main discussion (he chimes in via voice note later), Akiva, Jorma, and Seth reminisce about their time at SNL, break down the specifics of both the “Cherry Battle” short and other fan-favorite sketches, swap stories about cast gifts, impressions, life in the SNL trenches, and talk about the broader landscape of online comedy. Throughout, the hosts preserve their typical banter—warm, irreverent, and detail-rich.
Main Discussion & Key Insights
Catching Up, Banter & Andy’s Absence
Timestamps: 03:24–14:13
- Seth gushes about the previous episode, emphasizing the podcast’s chaotic charm when he’s not present.
- The group jokes about substitute teaching analogies, riffing on the dynamic when someone's missing.
- Seth details recent time in London: Graham Norton appearance, Hot Rod producer Aaron David, and excitement about "SNL UK" coming in March.
“SNL UK is officially happening in March of next year and it’s really exciting.” — Seth (07:06)
- They share celebrity car encounter stories—comparing Jason Statham’s "souped-up Roomba" (09:24) and The Rock's Maserati (10:21).
Spelling Bee Rivalry & Andy's Scheduling Woes
Timestamps: 14:13–16:38
- Andy is having a bad streak with the New York Times Spelling Bee, missing key words day after day.
- Jokes about whether personal stress impacts Bee performance or vice versa.
- Insight into Andy’s obsessive rules for “cleaning bees” (solving the Spelling Bee puzzle with/without hints).
“He’s a savant. The way Andy is good at Spelling Bee is the way Ike [Barinholtz] is at Jeopardy!” — Seth (15:43)
- Quick congrats are exchanged for Critics’ Choice Nominations (13:04).
"Cherry Battle" SNL Digital Short: Deep Dive
Timestamps: 16:45–34:27
Genesis of the Concept
- Inspired by last-minute panic, Akiva pitches the idea to Andy during a late-night car ride home:
“What if we use the Phantom camera … do super slow mo and put it in reverse so it looks like you guys are spitting cherries into each other's mouths from impossibly far lengths?” — Akiva (17:09)
- Emphasizes ‘Monday-to-air’ desperation for ideas.
Conceptual Approach and Execution
- Described as a “favorite-ish off-center short” because of its bizarre, artful style.
- Details on shooting:
- Utilized SNL’s stage, requiring intense lighting for 500fps slow-motion (18:52).
- No solid “plan” going in—highly experimental, pieced together in the edit suite.
- Sets up a reverse narrative—making it look like cherries fly into mouths from afar.
- Brian Tucker’s response captured the team’s own satisfaction:
“You guys still have some tricks up your sleeve… nothing like anything you did before.” — Akiva, paraphrasing Brian Tucker (19:15)
Artistry & Audience Reaction
- Seth: “Of everything we did, this is maybe the closest to art… If you were at MoMA… and it's two people spitting cherries in super slow mo.” (20:12)
- Jorma compares it to watching slow-mo art installations: “I once saw an exhibit of just rocks falling down a hill in slow mo. And I was like, this is captivating.” (20:28)
Technical Notes
- No visual effects save for the animated, singing cherry.
- Post-production was largely masked and composited in Final Cut Pro using layers and black backgrounds (28:04–29:19).
- Discussion on a minor continuity error:
“There’s a moment where Andy looks smug in the single, and then it cuts to wide and he’s screaming…” — Seth’s “keef peeve” (27:22)
The Animated, Singing Cherry
- The addition came in late, inspired by choral music akin to “O Fortuna.” VFX for the singing cherry came from an in-house artist, and a child's voice was sourced hours before broadcast (30:00–31:04).
- Andy (via voice note): His favorite part is the cherry singing, likening it to “the bird flies away from Gandalf on the top of the tower in The Two Towers… I want it to be like that…” (32:28–33:51)
Gabourey Sidibe’s Involvement
- Effusive praise for Sidibe’s game attitude and collaborative energy.
“She was an absolute delight and she was a total delight while shooting Cherry Battle and very, very fun to be around.” — Jorma (39:01)
Is it Criterion?
- The group semi-jokingly questions whether "Cherry Battle" is a “Criterion” short—a hallowed status among their work.
“Is it Criterion? I don’t think so, but I would maybe posit that it’s like in the conversation for Kim’s video.” — Andy, voice note (34:27)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On SNL Cast Gifts:
“Every Christmas when you get a jam jar, a blueberry jam from Lorne, every Christmas, I just picture him slaving over a stove making it… Oh, God, another 5,000 of these…” — Seth (34:44) “Before your time, the previous Lauren gift was lemons… When Lorne gives you lemons…” — Seth (36:05)
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On Mike Myers' Dr. Evil as Lorne:
“It felt like he should have been stroking a hairless cat… 'that one’s not me.'” — Jorma (40:54) “He said Mike told me. [Dr. Evil] isn’t based on him.” — Jorma (40:25)
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Wirecutter Endorsement:
“I need new smoke detectors, and I went on Wirecutter to find out which ones to get.” — Akiva (44:01)
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On Quoting Maya Rudolph:
“She once said Hyundai… and I will say that I like it so much that I have trouble saying the actual name of the car brand.” — Seth (45:20)
Audience Questions & Tangents
SNL Production & Behind-the-Scenes
Timestamps: 63:31–65:28
- How does the live SNL audience react to on-stage swaps (real person to prop/dummy, etc.)?
- Most audience members watch the monitors, which makes magical swaps easier (64:03).
- Akiva and Jorma break down specific sketches (“Quado”) where the switch is so drawn-out that it becomes a source of live humor.
SNL, Digital Shorts, & Album Rights
Timestamps: 60:16–63:08
- Songs were generally imagined as videos during writing, but “the real world” (budget, guest actor schedules, label negotiations) controlled what could be filmed.
- Ownership and licensing: Record label partnership allowed them to retain distribution and get content onto YouTube.
The Comedy Web Boom & Influence
Timestamps: 65:40–67:08
- They were aware of the burgeoning online comedy scene (CollegeHumor, Britanick, etc.), but not integrated since SNL was all-consuming.
- Cross-pollination happened: writers like Sarah Schneider and performers like Streeter Seidell from those platforms ended up at SNL.
Notable Listener Interactions
- A listener reveals they almost said “hit us in the tittis” during a work meeting, a phrase from the show, drawing laughs from the group (58:50).
- Another writes in about listening to the podcast at bedtime and subconsciously absorbing medication names like “Gabapentin” (59:25).
- A question about song selection for digital shorts prompts a deep dive into how they matched album tracks to video ideas and navigated music rights (60:16).
Memorable Callbacks & Running Jokes
- Lauren's Lemon Gift: Rachel Dratch’s reaction, “When Lorne gives you lemons…” (36:08)
- ‘Forney Numbskrulls’: Recollection of a classic Maya Rudolph/Rachel Dratch sketch and the joy of SNL’s invented words (46:19, 56:56)
- Spelling Bee Rivalry: Ongoing, playful competitiveness between Andy and Seth about who gets "Queen Bee" status (31:53).
Conclusion
In classic Lonely Island and Seth Meyers fashion, this episode is a blend of deep-dive sketch craftsmanship, SNL folklore, and sharp, speedy banter. "Cherry Battle" emerges as perhaps their “art-iest” digital short; its creation is both a tale of creative emergency and happy accident. The group’s affection for each other, their SNL compatriots, and their fans is genuine and infectious, punctuated by stories of car gags, jam deliveries, celebrated guest stars, and the surprising places old inside jokes turn up.
To quote Akiva (on Cherry Battle):
“It doesn’t make any sense… but, yeah, it’s art.” (31:19)
Quick Reference Timestamps
- 03:24 – Show proper begins, catching up
- 07:06 – SNL UK teased
- 09:24 – Jason Statham car story
- 16:45 – Cherry Battle discussion begins
- 17:09 – Origin pitch for Cherry Battle
- 28:04 – Technical breakdown (editing, VFX)
- 31:53 – Andy on Queen Bee rivalry
- 34:27 – Andy’s full voice note about Cherry Battle
- 39:01 – Praise for Gabourey Sidibe
- 44:01 – Wirecutter discussion
- 64:03 – SNL prop/dummy swaps
Hosts Present
- Seth Meyers
- Akiva Schaffer
- Jorma Taccone
- Andy Samberg (voice note, selected commentary)
End of Summary