On the Ground
Encyclopedia
"On the Ground" is a song sung by the band The Lonely Island
from their second studio album Turtleneck & Chain
, and an SNL Digital Short
which aired on Saturday Night Live
on October 3, 2009. Andy Samberg
is the lone member of the band who appears in the video. He plays a character who is extremely cynical and disillusioned with life, and possibly in some sort of quarter-life crisis
, walking down a city street and throwing things he is given on the ground.
and Ryan Reynolds
both appear in the music video for "On the Ground". Reynolds was the host of Saturday Night Live
on the episode when the video premiered. They both "two Hollywood phonies" in the video.
) wearing clothes referring to Red Bull
who is advertising an energy drink
approaches him. The man claims that the drink will make him "run faster, jump higher". Samberg responds by saying "I am not gonna let you poison me." He then takes the drink and throws it on the ground.
The scene changes to another location with a hot dog stand
. The hot dog salesman (Brian H. Tucker) tells Samberg that since he comes to the stand all the time, he will give Samberg a free hot dog. Samberg responds by saying that he is not a "charity case" and that the hot dog man can't buy him. He then takes the hot dog and throws it on the ground.
In the next scene, Samberg goes to a farmer's market with his "so-called" girlfriend (played by Jenny Slate
, who was on SNLs 35th season as a feature player) and she gives Samberg her cell phone and tells him that it's his dad. Samberg tells her that he is not stupid and also "this aint my dad, this is a cell phone!" He then takes the phone and throws it on the ground.
Samberg then appears at a birthday party
and a little boy hands him a piece of cake. Samberg asks the kid that "what do you want me to do with it? Eat it?!" and then throws the cake on the ground after saying "happy birthday to the ground". He then throws the rest of the cake on the ground too.
In the next scene, Samberg is shown throwing several random objects on the ground. He then says in a deranged voice that "[he's] an adult".
Samberg then sees actors Ryan Reynolds
and Elijah Wood
having dinner together. Samberg calls them "Hollywood phonies" and runs up to and flips over their table, rejecting their autographs (despite no offer being made) that he says "nobody wants". The actors retaliate by chasing Samberg outside and attacking him repeatedly by tazing him in the anus. The video concludes with Samberg saying "the moral of the story is, you can't trust the system!"
The Lonely Island
The Lonely Island is an American comedy troupe composed of Akiva "Kiv" Schaffer, Jorma "Jorm" Taccone, and David Andrew "Andy" Samberg, best known for their comedic music. Originally from Berkeley, California, the group is currently based in New York City. The group broke out due to their...
from their second studio album Turtleneck & Chain
Turtleneck & Chain
Turtleneck & Chain is the second studio album of the American comedy troupe The Lonely Island, whose members are Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone. The album was released May 10, 2011, on Universal Republic Records. Many of the songs on the album debuted on Saturday Night Live as SNL...
, and an SNL Digital Short
SNL Digital Shorts
An SNL Digital Short is one in a series of comedic and often musical video shorts created for airing on NBC's Saturday Night Live, generally produced and written by The Lonely Island , though originated by Adam McKay, in collaboration with SNL hosts, writers, and cast members...
which aired on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on October 3, 2009. Andy Samberg
Andy Samberg
David Andrew "Andy" Samberg is an American actor, comedian, rapper and writer best known as a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live...
is the lone member of the band who appears in the video. He plays a character who is extremely cynical and disillusioned with life, and possibly in some sort of quarter-life crisis
Quarter-life crisis
The quarterlife crisis is a period of life following the major changes of adolescence, usually ranging from the late teens to the early thirties, in which a person begins to feel doubtful about their own lives, brought on by the stress of becoming an adult...
, walking down a city street and throwing things he is given on the ground.
Celebrity Appearances
Elijah WoodElijah Wood
Elijah Jordan Wood is an American actor. He made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II , then landed a succession of larger roles that made him a critically acclaimed child actor by age 9. He is best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's...
and Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
both appear in the music video for "On the Ground". Reynolds was the host of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on the episode when the video premiered. They both "two Hollywood phonies" in the video.
Plot
The video starts with Samberg's character walking down a street. A man (Bobby MoynihanBobby Moynihan
Robert M. "Bobby" Moynihan, Jr. is an American actor and comedian who is currently a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
) wearing clothes referring to Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
who is advertising an energy drink
Energy drink
Energy drinks are beverages whose producers advertise that they "boost energy." These advertisements usually do not emphasize energy derived from the sugar and caffeine they contain but rather increased energy release due to a variety of stimulants and vitamins....
approaches him. The man claims that the drink will make him "run faster, jump higher". Samberg responds by saying "I am not gonna let you poison me." He then takes the drink and throws it on the ground.
The scene changes to another location with a hot dog stand
Hot dog stand
A hot dog stand is a food business stand that sells hot dogs, usually from an external counter on a public thoroughfare such as a road, street, ballpark, mall, or food court....
. The hot dog salesman (Brian H. Tucker) tells Samberg that since he comes to the stand all the time, he will give Samberg a free hot dog. Samberg responds by saying that he is not a "charity case" and that the hot dog man can't buy him. He then takes the hot dog and throws it on the ground.
In the next scene, Samberg goes to a farmer's market with his "so-called" girlfriend (played by Jenny Slate
Jenny Slate
Jenny Slate is an American actor and comedian best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2009–2010 and for her recurring role as Stella on the HBO comedy series Bored to Death.-Early life:...
, who was on SNLs 35th season as a feature player) and she gives Samberg her cell phone and tells him that it's his dad. Samberg tells her that he is not stupid and also "this aint my dad, this is a cell phone!" He then takes the phone and throws it on the ground.
Samberg then appears at a birthday party
Birthday party
A birthday party is a party to celebrate the anniversary of one's birth.Birthday Party may also refer to:- Theatre, film, and television :* The Birthday Party , a 1958 play by Harold Pinter...
and a little boy hands him a piece of cake. Samberg asks the kid that "what do you want me to do with it? Eat it?!" and then throws the cake on the ground after saying "happy birthday to the ground". He then throws the rest of the cake on the ground too.
In the next scene, Samberg is shown throwing several random objects on the ground. He then says in a deranged voice that "[he's] an adult".
Samberg then sees actors Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
and Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood
Elijah Jordan Wood is an American actor. He made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II , then landed a succession of larger roles that made him a critically acclaimed child actor by age 9. He is best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's...
having dinner together. Samberg calls them "Hollywood phonies" and runs up to and flips over their table, rejecting their autographs (despite no offer being made) that he says "nobody wants". The actors retaliate by chasing Samberg outside and attacking him repeatedly by tazing him in the anus. The video concludes with Samberg saying "the moral of the story is, you can't trust the system!"