You’ve seen the meme. Even if you don't watch Saturday Night Live regularly, you’ve likely stumbled across those grainy, hyper-saturated clips of kittens shooting red beams out of their eyes while a synth-pop beat thumps in the background. It’s chaotic. It’s "Laser Cats."
In the mid-2000s, comedy changed. Specifically, on the night of May 13, 2006, the world met the first iteration of SNL cats with lasers, and late-night television was never quite the same after that. Bill Hader and Andy Samberg basically walked into Lorne Michaels’ office with a camcorder, some cheap props, and a dream of making the most intentionally terrible sci-fi series ever conceived.
Why Laser Cats Worked (Despite Being Intentionally Awful)
It shouldn't have worked. Honestly, the whole premise of SNL cats with lasers relies on the audience being "in" on a very specific joke: that the production value is bottom-of-the-barrel. We're talking about real cats being held by actors who are clearly visible in the frame, making "pew pew" noises while MS Paint-style laser beams are edited over their eyes.
This was the era of the "Digital Short." Before The Lonely Island took over the internet with "Lazy Sunday" or "Dick in a Box," they were experimenting with this weird, lo-fi aesthetic. Lorne Michaels, the legendary creator of SNL, famously plays the "straight man" in these sketches. Every time Hader and Samberg "pitch" him a new Laser Cats video, he looks physically pained. He treats it like a professional insult. That dynamic—the young, chaotic energy of Samberg vs. the old-guard prestige of Michaels—is what gave the sketch its legs.
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The Anatomy of a Laser Cats Sketch
Usually, the setup is identical every time. Admiral Spaceship (Hader) and Nitro (Samberg) are in a post-apocalyptic future where the only weapons left are, for some reason, cats. Real, fluffy, slightly confused house cats.
- The Weaponry: The cats are handled like rifles. They are tucked under the arm, pointed at the enemy, and then the "firing" happens.
- The Effects: There is no CGI here. Or rather, there is "bad" CGI. The lasers are jagged lines of primary colors that don't always line up with the cat's pupils.
- The Soundtrack: It’s that 80s-inspired, high-octane synth music that makes a three-minute sketch feel like a summer blockbuster from a fever dream.
If you look at the credits for these shorts, you'll see a recurring theme of "Produced for $0." That’s the magic. In a world where Marvel movies spend $300 million on visual effects, there’s something deeply satisfying about watching a billion-dollar network like NBC broadcast a video that looks like it was edited on a laptop in a dorm room.
The Celebrity Cameos No One Expected
Because the sketch became a cult favorite, celebrities started begging to be in it. It became a rite of passage for hosts. You weren't just hosting SNL; you were getting "shot" by a kitten.
Christopher Walken appeared in "Laser Cats 2." Think about that. One of the most respected, intimidating actors of his generation stood in front of a green screen and pretended to be a mad scientist obsessed with feline weaponry. Then you had Elton John in "Laser Cats 3D." He played a villain named "The Evil Lord of the Night," and the production "upgraded" to 3D, which really just meant they told the audience to put on paper glasses that did absolutely nothing.
Tom Hanks even showed up later on. Why? Because the SNL cats with lasers bit represents the purest form of "stupid-funny." It’s the kind of comedy that doesn't require a political stance or a deep understanding of current events. It’s just cats. With lasers.
The Impact on Internet Culture
We have to talk about the timing. 2006 was the Wild West of YouTube. People were just starting to realize that "viral" was a thing. "Laser Cats" was one of the first pieces of mainstream media that felt like it was made for the internet rather than for TV.
It used the "cringe" aesthetic before that was a standardized term. By leaning into the "so bad it's good" vibe, Hader and Samberg bypassed the traditional gatekeepers of comedy. They proved that you didn't need a massive set or a 40-person crew to create something that people would talk about for two decades.
Does it hold up?
Watching it today in 4K or on a smartphone, the joke hits differently. The "badness" feels even more pronounced because our standards for home-shot video have skyrocketed. Your iPhone can shoot a better-looking movie than the original Laser Cats shorts, which actually makes the sketches funnier. It’s a time capsule of a moment when the "Digital Short" was a revolution, not a standard format.
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The legacy of SNL cats with lasers isn't just in the laughs. It’s in the permission it gave to future creators. It told people that if you have a funny idea and a cat, you don't need permission from a network executive to make something iconic. You just need to press record.
Actionable Tips for Revisiting the Chaos
If you're looking to take a trip down this specific rabbit hole, don't just search for a random clip. There is a method to the madness.
- Watch in Sequence: Start with the first one from Season 31 (Hosted by Tom Brady, strangely enough). The evolution—or lack thereof—is the whole point.
- Pay Attention to the Backgrounds: The "sets" are often just the hallways of 30 Rockefeller Plaza or the SNL dressing rooms covered in tin foil. It adds to the charm.
- Check Out the "Making Of" Stories: Bill Hader has done several interviews (notably with Howard Stern and on various podcasts) where he explains that they often finished these videos minutes before they aired. The stress behind the scenes was real, even if the product looked like a joke.
- Look for the "Easter Eggs": Many of the "futuristic" props are just everyday kitchen appliances spray-painted silver. Try to identify the blenders and toasters acting as control panels.
The phenomenon of SNL cats with lasers remains a high-water mark for absurdist comedy. It’s a reminder that sometimes the simplest, dumbest idea in the room is the one that sticks. Whether you're a cat lover or just a fan of 2000s nostalgia, those glowing red eyes are a piece of television history that refuses to blink.