Aliens are inherently funny, even when they're drinking the marrow out of your funny bone. These are ten of the best alien-themed sketches this side of the Crab Nebula (and no, Coneheads is not #1).
10.) "Spacelords" from Human Giant (2007)
An extra-dimensional despot and his crew disintegrate a bunch of food service workers, take over the restaurant, and then torture the customers. Like Superman 2, if General Zod had really low aspirations for intergalactic conquest.
9 & 8.) "Salame!" from Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2007) and "Star Worlds" from Sifl and Olly (1997-1998)
"Salame!" and "Star Worlds" are perhaps the most iconic sketches of their respective shows. These skits also contain a surrealist brand of humor as unfathomable as any alien culture, so chances are you'll find the below videos either really fucking funny or really fucking frustrating. It all depends on your threshold for puppets.
7.) The Alien Scene from Monty Python's The Life of Brian (1979)
This isn't exactly a comedy sketch, but A.) this list wouldn't feel right without it; and B.) it's one of cinema's greatest non sequiturs courtesy of one of history's finest sketch groups. The scene begins with Roman legionnaires chasing would-be messiah Brian up a parapet, segues into a minute or so of intergalactic insanity, and ends. That's what I love about Monty Python films - they're always keen to blow thousands of dollars on fantastically pointless scenes.
6.) "Astronauts" from The Upright Citizens Brigade (1998)
The Upright Citizens Brigade holds a benefit show to combat - among many things - prejudice against astronauts. Things go horrifically downhill when hecklers goad token astronaut Mike Birchwood to eat a plain old earthbound cheeseburger.
5.) "Anal Probing Aliens" from Kids in the Hall (1992-1993)
A career-weary extraterrestrial (Dave Foley) questions why his technologically superior civilization's Great Leader commands him to rectally violate rednecks. Best quote: "I'm sure the Great Leader is just some sort of twisted ass freak!"
4.) "Science Fiction Sketch/Man Turns Into Scotsman" from Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969)
A mysterious alien race is turning Englishmen into Scotsmen. 'Nuff said.
3.) "Conehead Family Feud" from Saturday Night Live (1978)
Yeah, it's dated, but this is the routine that pops into most folks' heads when you say the words "alien comedy sketch." It's also empirically impossible to hate on Bill Murray at his most oleaginous and Dan Aykroyd eating his morning eggs with fiberglass.
2.) "Racist In The Year 3000" from Mr. Show (1998)
"Not you, Zaxxon, I ain't talking to you. You one of the good ones. Aiight? I mean the-the-there's white people made of gas, you know what I'm saying. Give me another space beer, Gleep Glop." (PS: Best science fiction drinkery since the Mos Eisley cantina.)
1.) "The Bearded Men of Space Station 11" from The State (1995)
The sketch has no jokes, punchlines, or real beards. Paradoxically, these are the exact things that make it a comedy classic.
