A balloongram for John Gotti, and an afternoon with Dan Quayle. Courtesy of Kurt Andersen.

For a hot minute last year, funny internet videos of idiots smoking salvia were the thing. Then smokin' Smarties came along, and the appeal of salvia faded. But now it's back! This is just what America's funemployed citizens need:

Last night's Will Ferrell-hosted SNL season closer was a perfect freak-storm of cameos (Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Norm McDonald, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler) and nostalgia. The play-by-play, post-jump.

Madeline Stowe is back on the map, folks! So are Guy Pearce and Miranda Otto, noted comedians. Nicole Kidman is retreating into the shadows, and iCarly fans have emerged from them.

More than other TV comedians, Norm MacDonald seems to delight in thumbing his nose at network bigwigs. Tonight it was CBS' turn, via David Letterman's Late Show. At least the audience had fun.

An Onion staffer whispers to us that the humor publication has already laid off editorial and sales staff for its Los Angeles and San Francisco print editions, which will, said the staffer, cease publication.

Oh, to write jokes for one of those late night TV shows! Seriously, please, let me do that. Those staff writers get paid. But the freelancers get totally screwed!

Six months ago, someone made a fake Sarah Silverman Twitter account. But this seems genuinely to be the comedian's work, what with all the facetious jewish jokes and invented profanities. (Click for highlights.)

The shows sound pretty awful. Fox News host Beck told USA Today his live shows are a sort of "poor man's Seinfeld," which would make them conservative shows about nothing. "Conservative" in this context apparently means "not funny, to anyone," judging from the clip at left.

Margaret Cho's "Domains" Q&A in the New York Times magazine is an entertaining romp, at least for fans of the comedian. Which is surprising: In a different light, these moments could look depressing.

So say the early reports from a 20-minute screening that played at the SXSW festival in Austin over the weekend. Said a THR reporter: "It's funny deja vu, but it's still deja vu."

Comedy Central will soon start production on Tosh.0, in which comedian Daniel Tosh makes fun of blogs, online videos, tweets, etc., oh-so-boldly reversing the usual flow of snark between the internet and television.

So the Sarah Silverman-Matt Damon "f*ckng" was for laughs, but the July breakup was real; Silverman's awkwardness on Jimmy Kimmel Live in October was staged but the couple's reconciliation was real. This latest breakup?

In the midst of a tour, stand-up comic Robin Williams checked into a Miami hospital with "heart issues," the Miami Herald reported. Drudge said the movie star is in "intensive care."

Jimmy Fallon was mercifully blessed to have former Saturday Night Live/Weekend Update co-star Tina Fey on his second show.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld gave the New York Times exactly two examples of disputes that might be tackled in his (dubiously) forthcoming reality show The Marriage Ref.

Even when facing tragedy, the 30 Rock star brings the funny. That recent fire at his apartment? He put a statement out: The blaze started in his fish tank. Full of water.

Unfortunately the White House Correspondents Association event should be as clubby as ever, the press corps eagerly sucking up to the administration it's supposed to be hounding so it can keep doling out tickets to a black-tie event involving the president.

Here's theatre we can all get behind. None of that artsy crap. Will Ferrell's You're Welcome America Bush parody-palooza opened last night on Broadway. And the reviews are pretty solid!

Ha, this parody of the NYT's ad for its "weekender" deal is funny because it's true. Who doesn't love the Politics & Socks section? Note to Times: even aged hipsters are mocking you. Not good.