Dick in a Box

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Dick in a Box"
The Lonely Island - Dick in a Box.png
Single by The Lonely Island featuring Justin Timberlake
from the album Incredibad
ReleasedJanuary 27, 2009 (2009-01-27)
RecordedDecember 14, 2006 (2006-12-14)
Genre
  • Parody
  • R&B
  • Christmas
Length2:41
LabelUniversal Republic
Songwriter(s)
  • Andy Samberg
  • Akiva Schaffer
  • Jorma Taccone
  • Asa Taccone
  • Justin Timberlake
  • Katreese Barnes
Producer(s)
  • Jorma Taccone
  • Asa Taccone
  • Barnes
The Lonely Island singles chronology
"Jizz in My Pants"
(2008) 		"Dick in a Box"
(2009) 		"I'm on a Boat"
(2009)
Justin Timberlake singles chronology
"Follow My Lead"
(2009) 		"Dick in a Box"
(2009) 		"Hallelujah"
(2010)

"Dick in a Box" is a song by the American comedy group The Lonely Island, featuring singer Justin Timberlake. The trio—Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone—co-wrote the song with Timberlake, Katreese Barnes, and Asa Taccone; with the latter two co-produced it with Jorma. Saturday Night Live (SNL) creator and producer Lorne Michaels asked Samberg to write a musical sketch for the 2006 Christmas episode with Timberlake, who returned as both host and musical guest. Samberg developed the concept with other members of the group, before working with Timberlake on December 14. They recorded the track around midnight and spent the next day and a half filming the corresponding music video.

The sketch depicts two early-1990s R&B singers, played by Samberg and Timberlake, singing a holiday song about making a Christmas gift for their girlfriends of their penises wrapped in boxes. The sketch premiered on SNL as an Digital Short on December 16, 2006, when the word "dick" was bleeped 16 times following an agreement with the Federal Communications Commission. SNL producers published an uncensored version of the sketch online right after its broadcast debut, a decision criticized by the Parent Television Council. More than two years later, the song was digitally released as a single and included in The Lonely Island's debut studio album, Incredibad (2009).

"Dick in a Box" became a viral hit on the internet, generated more than 28 million views on YouTube by October 2007. The song garnered generally positive reviews from both television and music critics, who praised its raunchy humor and Timberlake's performance. "Dick in a Box" has been retrospectively recognized as The Lonely Island's signature song and one of the best Christmas-themed SNL sketches. The track won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2007, while also appearing in the Australian and Canadan single charts in 2009. Samberg and Timberlake reprised their roles in two Digital Shorts sequels, "Motherlover" (2009) and "3-Way (The Golden Rule)" (2011).

Background[]

Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone first met each other while attending junior high together in Berkeley, California.[1] They decided to move to Los Angeles in September 2000 and formed the comedy trio The Lonely Island, named after the nickname they gave to the apartment they shared.[1] They hosted several short films on their website, before signing to the variety show Saturday Night Live (SNL) in late August 2005.[2] Samberg was promoted as a performing member of the 32nd season, while Taccone and Schaffer joined the show as writers.[2] In December, the trio wrote and recorded "Lazy Sunday" with fellow cast member Chris Parnell, which was broadcast as their second Digital Short.[3] The gangsta rap song attracted more than five million views on YouTube by February 2006, became the first television clip to went viral on the online video platform.[4][5] The track's popularity contributed to the success of YouTube and reintroduced SNL to a younger audience.[4][6]

Justin Timberlake first appeared on SNL as a musical guest in 2000, where he performed as member of the American boy band NSYNC.[7] Despite having no prior acting or comedy experience, Timberlake subsequently appeared as both host and musical guest in an episode in October 2003.[7][8] He did, however, showcase his acting potentials in the episode, where he did an impression of Jessica Simpson and joined Jimmy Fallon on the now-recurring The Barry Gibb Talk Show sketch.[7] "Hosting SNL was something I'd always wanted to do. The show allowed me to play to my strengths—mixing music with comedy seemed like a way into that world", Timberlake recalled.[9] After the show, he got several acting offers and spent the next two years launching his acting career.[8][10] He shot four films, including Edison Force (2005) and Alpha Dog (2006), before working on his second studio album FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006).[10] In late November 2006, Timberlake announced his return as both host and musical guest on SNL on the December 16 episode.[11]

Writing and recording[]

Jorma Taccone (left) and his brother Asa (right) co-wrote and co-produced the song with music director Katreese Barnes

On December 12, 2006, when Timberlake was on track to host SNL for the second time, creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels asked Samberg to try writing "something funny" to showcase the singing skills of Timberlake.[12] Although the writing team originally came up with a different idea, Michaels gave them a direct order and insisted on exploiting more of Timberlake's musical side.[13][14] Inspired by the music they grew up listening to, members of The Lonely Island wanted to do an early '90s R&B song that was similar to the work of Jodeci, R. Kelly, the Isley Brothers, LeVert, and H-Town.[13][15] That night they contact associate music director Katreese Barnes to help them working on the song, who was later credited as one of the songwriters and producers.[16][17] Samberg felt the concept of imitating a '90s-style band was "a perfect fit" for Timberlake, who was also a member of a boy band.[13]

The concept of the track was not utilized until December 14,[16][18] when Jorma came up with the "dick in a box" premise.[13][19] Once the trio thought the concept was funny enough, they presented a rough draft of the song to Timberlake that afternoon.[13][12] A fan of the '90s-style music, Timberlake immediately accepted.[13][20] He was the only one who was confident about the sketch, while the trio was having doubts about the "crass and stupid" joke and the bygone musical concept.[21][20] Timberlake felt it was important to make the song "really singable" and suggested several changes to "Dick in a Box".[9][13] He came up with the hook and the line "Mid-day at the grocery store", while adding pauses to make the song more catchy.[13] Schaffer also suggested adding the three steps of making the box into the lyrics.[14] Samberg, who was feeling nervous when working the idea with Timberlake, said the singer "took the reigns and schooled us on how to record and make it sound fantastic."[13] [Timberlake] is really positive, and he knows hits... His confidence rubs off on you slightly," Jorma said.[20] The writers finished writing the lyrics within two hours.[18]

Similar to other SNL sketches, "Dick in a Box" was recorded and produced in a very short time.[22][23] Samberg and Timberlake recorded their voice track for two hours around midnight of December 14, right after finishing the lyrics.[12][18] They recorded by using special equipments, including a $500 microphone, in Samberg's office.[12][24] Timberlake recalled that the crew were "laughing hysterically" during the production and that the "delirium of no sleep" contributed to the humor of the song.[25] Although Samberg's voice cracked a few times, Timberlake's easygoing attitude made him more relax throughout the recording session.[13] Asa Taccone, Jorma's brother, worked on the track in Los Angeles while the other writers were in New York City.[23] Jorma initially gave Asa the specific outline of the track for him to work with, which Asa described as a "cheesy, 90s, Color Me Badd type track".[22][23] Asa then sent to the writers several instrumental tracks and went through each beat with them through phone calls.[22][23] Asa was nervous while working with Timberlake and felt the process was "chaotic" and "hectic" because of the limited worktime. "It was semi-terrifying having [Timberlake] listen to my stuff. I was a kid back then. I'm sure the stuff I was playing was mostly terrible," Asa said.[22][23] NBC originally did not aware of his contribution to the track, and Jorma paid him $60 for it.[22][23]

Music video[]

Maya Rudolph (left) and Kristen Wiig (right) played the love interests in the video.

After listening to the finished audio track, Barnes felt that it would "gonna be a big hit" if they have an equally funny video to it.[16] The music video for "Dick in a Box" was filmed in New York City in a day and a half.[12] The crew spent a first whole day, 15 December, to film the video, with Timberlake occasionally left to prepare for the show; they finished the session at 3 AM next morning.[21][26] Schaffer directed the video with the assistance of Jorma.[27][28] In-door scenes were filmed in Studio 8H, SNL's prominent set.[12] Timberlake and Samberg sported wigs and fake short beards for the video.[12]

Schaffer felt the filming process was both "scary" and "funny", saying "We knew it was a really dumb idea and we weren't sure if we were even gonna get away with it on the air, but once we were actually making it, it was just super fun!".[27] Members of The Lonely Island wanted to do the filming process as quick as they can, since Timberlake was also busy with other hosting gigs and sketches.[27] Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph played the duo's lovers.[29] Wiig felt the song would be a hit after hearing it and seeing the filming set.[30] It was not until 4 PM on the day of the show's broadcast, less than eight hours before the show was to go live on 16 December, was the video in sufficient shape to be shown to NBC executive Rick Ludwin.[12]

The video begins with Samberg and Rudolph sitting in front of a fireplace, where Samberg says he has a Christmas gift for her and instructs her to "just sit down and listen".[29][31] The balladeers wear silk suits,[32] jewel-toned rayon shirts,[33] herringbone chains,[32][34] trimmed goatees,[35][36] and sunglasses.[29][37] The men later give their lovers a box with their genitalia inside as presents, and tell them to open and take a look inside.[25][38] The singers stroke their goatees and pose with a gift-wrapped box attached to their waists.[29][31] Their girlfriends seem aroused and excited towards the present,[29][39] while the men aggressively rub roses and feathers in their faces.[29] Toward the chorus, they sing about how their presents are better than other gifts, such as diamond rings, fancy cars, or luxury houses.[29] The duo also suggests that the present is suitable for all holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.[38][12][40] At one point, they give step-by-step instructions on how to create the gift.

It's easy to do, just follow these steps:
1. Cut a hole in a box.
2. Put your junk in that box.
3. Make her open the box.
And that's the way you do it.[14][41]

The video cuts back-and-forth to scenes of Samberg and Timberlake dancing and singing in various urban landscapes: in a park, on a ferry in front of the East River,[42] and on a basketball court, where Timberlake is seen hanging from a basketball hoop with a gift box on his crotch.[36][31][41] At the end of the video, the men sing about giving the present on multiple occasions—over at the parents' house, the grocery store, and backstage at the CMAs—while being arrested by the NYPD, presumably for indecent exposure.[12][31]

Composition[]

"Dick in a Box" is an R&B song[43][44] with a runtime of two minutes and forty-one seconds.[45][28] According to Universal Music Publishing Group's digital sheet music for the song, "Dick in a Box" is composed in the key of C minor and set in common time signature, and has a moderately slow groove of 80 beats per minute.[46] The vocals span from the low note of C♯4 to the high note of C♯6.[46] Noah from Idolator said the track is a "slightly more up-front–and generously Yuletide-themed" version of Color Me Badd's "I Wanna Sex You Up" (1991).[42] Mark Lore of News & Review and Gilbert Cruz of Entertainment Weekly noted the middle spoken-word breakdown and the way last syllables of the refrain "go increasingly up" similar to the work of Color Me Badd.[47][36] Caroline Palmer of Broadcasting & Cable wrote that the duo is a mix of "the greasier portions of New Kids on the Block meets Daryl Hall and John Oates meets the back room of a bad place near a Robins 8th and Walnut."[48] A writer from Stereogum that the singers is "part Backstreet Boys facial hair, part boy-band neo-soul croon."[49]

Rolling Stone called "Dick in a Box" a "R-rated, very-bleeped send-up of '90s R&B",[50] while David Jeffries of AllMusic described it as a "smart mimicry of teen pop".[51] Matt Dentler of IndieWire called it a "psuedo [sic]-90s R&B love ballad/holiday tune",[52] and Stephen Saito of Premiere called the song a "three-minute slow jam, an ode to the phallic present for all occasions".[53] Chris Mincher of The A.V. Club viewed it as a "throwback, horns-punctuated midtempo jam [that] soundtrack a rapidly unfolding nightmare".[29] Stuart McGurk of GQ described it as a mix of "the pretentious cool of Nineties synth rock with the rather uncool topic."[24] "Dick in a Box" has been described as a Christmas song.[54][55][56][57] Mincher wrote that by releasing in the special Christmas episode of SNL, the track "was first and foremost a holiday song".[29] Writers of Complex referred to the track as a "X-rated Christmas carol",[58] while Ross Bonaime of Paste wrote that it is a hybrid between "a Christmas song, a '90s R&B parody and a joke about bad gift giving."[39] Matthew Dessem of Slate believed the sketch qualifies as a Christmas film, although most people don't categorize it as such genre. He pointed out the Christmas setting and the theme surrounding Christmas presents, as well as the non-Christmas holidays mentioned in the song all take place around Christmas.[59]

Premise and themes[]

The sketch's premise was partly inspired by a similar act performed by Mickey Rourke (pictured) in Barry Levinson's Diner (1982)

"Dick in a Box" was inspired by the music that the songwriters grew up listening to.[13][21][25] They wanted to do a joke about the members of a 1990s R&B group, who "were still stuck in that era".[21] It follows the tone from other songs by The Lonely Island, which focuses on mundane characters and has them express aggressively about their daily lives.[20] The fictional duo was named 2:30 AM, which Timberlake explained is the time (up until 5 AM) when "really strong lovemaking happens".[9] Despite making references to the 1990s R&B style of music, Timberlake stated the sketch wasn't "parodying anyone in particular".[25]

Timberlake explained that the premise, in which the characters genuinely giving their genitalia as Christmas presents to their lovers,[20] was aimed for comedic effect while making the characters even more idiotic and "ridiculous".[21][25] He initially thought the idea was "creepy" but still pursue it.[32] The premise was largely based on dick jokes and men's habit to put their penises in unusual things.[60] "It's nothing new. Guys have been putting their dicks in boxes since caveman days," Schaffer said.[61] Samberg cheekily commented "There's probably an Egyptian hieroglyphic of a guy holding a snake charmer's basket in front of his crotch".[14] Despite not trying the method himself, Samberg had heard stories from other people doing similar acts, which led to bad results.[60][62] Jorma stated that the premise was also inspired by a scene in the 1982 Barry Levinson film Diner, in which Mickey Rourke's character tricks his date into groping him by placing his penis inside a box of popcorn at a movie theater.[20][52][43] An identical act can be found in a scene of La Boum (1980), directed by Claude Pinoteau.[63][64] Devin Gordon of Newsweek described the characters as "two lotharios who pull the old Diner trick".[43] Mincher felt that the act was "so absurd (and unexpectedly raunchy) that few watching it live could see it coming."[29]

Critics have offered various interpretations of "Dick in a Box". Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times viewed the sketch as a satire of "the bad faith of the pandering R&B foreplay songs", which was made to trick a women's desire for comfort, until she "opens that nicely wrapped present".[33] Heffernan also linked the content to Timberlake's recent public image, saying "He's all sweet, but he gets what he wants. And no one, not even Janet Jackson, stands in his way... [The audiences] have decided, for now, that he's cooler than they thought."[33] Terry Gross of Fresh Air opined that the sketch is a parody of male narcissism, in which the characters suggest "the greatest gift [a man] could give to a lady is a very special lovemaking".[25] She noted that the singers emphasize "how great he is, not how much he loves his girlfriend, but really how much he loves himself".[25] Tracy Moore of MEL Magazine noted that despite the women unpleasantly reacted to the act in Diner and La Boum, the duo in "Dick in a Box" is still proudly convinced that their Christmas gift is "the best you can give a woman. (Suffice to say, it isn't)".[63] Mincher argued that besides the joke about men's obsession over their own genitalia, the sketch pokes fun at several men's gift-giving mistakes: believing himself is the greatest present his girlfriend could receive, implying a woman should provide sexual favors for her man; giving lazy presents; and dismissing more expensive presents as superficial.[29] He also suggested the sketch is a product of male fantasy that detach from relationship realities.[29]

Release[]

The video for "Dick in a Box" was sent to Ludwin after finishing raw editing at 4 PM on 16 December.[12] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was having an issue with the actors saying "dick" on-air and wanted to stop the sketch from screening.[26] SNL producers came to an agreement with the FCC that the song could be aired with the word bleeped out.[26] However, since the FCC has no jurisdiction over the content on the internet, the producers requested Ludwin to make the uncensored version available online.[12][65] Ludwin, who was initially hesitant about the idea, decided to watch the footage himself with a representative from the legal department.[12] He found the sketch funny and realized that those searching on the internet specifically for the video would not be upset by its content.[12] He sought final approval for the uncensored sketch from Kevin Reilly, the president of NBC Entertainment, and Jeff Zucker, the chief executive of NBCUniversal Television Group—both of whom approved the idea.[12] The video was edited for the rest of the day, in time for its television debut.[25][21]

Lorne Michaels, who originally asked Samberg to write the sketch, expressed his approval towards its uncensored online release

"Dick in a Box" was premiered as a Digital Short on the Christmas episode of the 32nd season of SNL, which aired on December 16, 2006.[28][65][35] NBC bleeped out the word "dick" a total of 16 times during the sketch's airtime, following their agreement with the FCC.[26][65] After the broadcast concluded at 1 AM on December 17, both the censored and uncensored versions of the sketch were made available on the website of NBC and YouTube channel,[65][66][67] under the headings "Special Treat in a Box" or "Special Christmas Box."[12][67][56] A cautionary warning was shown at the beginning of the unbleeped version,[12][65] while the viewers must affirm that they are over 18 to access the video.[65][66] Besides the official video uploaded by NBC, other bootleg copies of the clip were being removed from YouTube at the network's request.[65]

The release made SNL the first scripted comedy show on a broadcast network to use the internet to avoid being controlled over its explicit content by the FCC.[12] On December 21, the Parents Television Council (PTC) called on NBC and asked the network to explain the decision to post both versions of the song online. L. Brent Bozell, the president of PTC, said that the video is "a new low for NBC" and the online release "is blatantly irresponsible and unacceptable".[65][68][69] That same day, in an interview published on The New York Times, Michaels stated that posting the equivalent of a "director's cut" of his late-night show on the internet "will be the exception" in the future. He believed that other shows and networks would be likely to follow NBC's lead in making inappropriate-for-TV material available online, saying "Now that the door has been opened, some things will go through it".[12][65]

Days after "Dick in a Box" was released, Samberg expressed his interest in creating an album full of comedy hip hop and R&B songs.[13][70] "It's something we've always wanted to do and we've been working on putting it together," said Samberg.[13] More than two years later, the album, titled Incredibad, was released under Universal Republic on February 10, 2009.[71][72] The album included 14 new tracks that the trio recorded while living together in Encino, Los Angeles during the summer of 2009.[73] "Dick in a Box" was one of five selective SNL Digital Shorts to appear on the album, along with "Lazy Sunday", "Natalie's Rap", "Ras Trent", and "Space Olympics".[73][74] This was made possible due to the partnership between NBC and Broadway Video that gave Universal Republic the rights to release these videos.[72] It was the first time these sketches had been released without the audience laughter over it.[73] "We spend so much time getting stuff to sound good... but nobody has ever really heard a clean version of those songs," Jorma said.[73] Prior to the album release, the lead single "Jizz in My Pants" was broadcast and released digitally in December 2008,[72][18] following by the first-ever digital release of "Dick in a Box" on iTunes and Amazon on January 27, 2009.[72][75][a] "Dick in a Box" later appeared on the Saturday Night Live – The Best of '06-'07 extra DVD, released in March 2008.[76][77][78]

Public reaction[]

The SNL episode aired on 16 December received a 5.3/13 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic,[79][80] and attracted 7 million American viewers during its initial broadcast.[81] It was one of the show's highest ratings for a Christmas episode.[79][80] Less than a week after releasing online, the uncensored version of the sketch had been viewed by over 320,000 times on the website of NBC, and 3.5 million times via YouTube, according to New York Daily News.[65][82] Thanks to a partnership between NBC and YouTube, the video quickly became one of the top 20 most-viewed on the site and became one of the quickest viral hits of 2006.[13] It generated 7.5 million views in one week alone at the end of December.[83] According to Bri Holt, founder of the online video analytics site Vidmeter, there were at least 18 additional identical copies of "Dick in a Box" were also posted to various YouTube and Google Video accounts, bringing the total views to over 20 million as of February 2007.[84][85]

The official uncensored video garnered more than 15,000 comments and 28 million views[86] (combining with other versions of the video for a total 34.9 million views)[60][87][88] before NBC took down its YouTube channel in preparation for the launch of Hulu on October 21.[89][90] "Dick in a Box" appeared on the top 10 of the special Christmas edition of Guardian Viral Video Chart, compiled by The Guardian and Viral Video Chart, which showed the most viral video on December 23, 2008.[91] An official video of the sketch was re-uploaded on YouTube in December 2018, which garnered 5.5 million views as of April 2020.[26][92] Following the release as a digital single in January 2009, "Dick in a Box" debuted at number 82 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 48 on the Billboard Canadian Digital Song Sales.[93][94] Both were The Lonely Island's first entries on the charts.[95][96] In late June, the single peaked at number 61 on the Australian Singles Chart, the third track from Incredibad to appear on the chart following the top 10 entries "Jizz in My Pants" and "I'm on a Boat".[97] In January 2011, "Dick in a Box" peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Comedy Digital Track Sales.[98]

During the rebroadcast of "Dick in a Box" on SNL, the FCC received several complaints from viewers about the sketch.[99] A report from The Atlantic showed that "Dick in a Box" and "Djesus Uncrossed," a 2013 parody of Django Unchained that starred Christoph Waltz, were the most frequent targets out of 100 complaint letters from the viewers about SNL from 2012 to 2015.[100] Most of the letters were skeptical towards Timberlake's performance, with one viewer called it a "profane attempt at humor... not funny and beyond vulgar" after Timberlake's controversy at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show.[99][100]

Critical reception[]

"Dick in a Box" garnered generally positive reviews from both television and music critics. Annie Wu of TV Squad was "laughing [her] head off" while watching "Dick in a Box" and was impressed with Timberlake's performance, despite calling the episode "wasn't as funny as his first time".[35] Palmer wrote that Timberlake and Samberg "have given new meaning to 'giving of yourself' and 'package' with the perfect gift for that special someone."[48] Both Wu and Palmer were confused about the sketch title and content during the broadcast, with the latter critic calling the censored version "pointless".[35][48] Cruz thought the sketch was a nice way "to cap off what has been a fantastic year for [Timberlake]" and suggested SNL should focus more on the Digital Shorts.[36] Tom Hall of IndieWire also praised the Digital Short as "the absolute highlight of the show",[101] while Lore felt the track was Timberlake's best work since "Rock Your Body" (2003).[47] Adam Sternbergh of New York described it as "by far the most hilarious Timberlake–starring, Kwanzaa-referencing, Color Me Badd–parodying, 'put your junk in that box'–instructing short video you will ever see."[14]

Timberlake (left) and Samberg's (right) performances received critical acclaim. They reprised their roles in two more SNL Digital Shorts in 2009 and 2011.

Larry Carroll of IGN stated the "cheesy" and "highly-censored" song "was the closest to 'Lazy Sunday' that we've seen yet". He praised the "dead-on spoof of that musical time period" and Wiig's brief cameo. He concluded that "Mr. Timberlake brought a very special package to us all this year, and he didn't even have it attached to his crotch."[34] Heffernan said that Timberlake "[sealed] his triumph when he managed to score a cherished asset: a holiday classic." She commended the joke as both "stupid fun" and "ingenious".[33] Carroll, Dentler, and a writer from Rap-Up chose the sketch as the funniest moment of the "better-than-average" episode.[34][55][52] Joel Keller from TV Squad picked the sketch as one of the best television moments in 2006,[102] while Brian Zoromski of IGN listed the "hilariously juvenile" sketch as his favorite Digital Short and the most memorable moment of the year on SNL.[103]

"Dick in a Box" has been retrospectively recognized as one of the best Christmas-themed SNL sketches. Bonaime wrote the sketch is a "hilariously egotistical" and "might be the pinnacle of the Digital Short's success".[39] Tara Aquino of VH1 labeled the track as "The Christmas Song" for the Millennials that should "make its way to every station come December 1st".[54] Eric Spitznagel of Vanity Fair wrote that the track is "as recognizable and hummable" as Steve Martin's "King Tut" (1978).[60] Dessem hailed "Dick in a Box" as a "the finest, most festive Christmas movie ever made".[59] Jody Rosen of Vulture commended the track as a "sublime cultural artifact that deserves to be in the next time capsule that NASA shoots off toward Jupiter.[104] From the same publication, Rebecca Caplan ranked it as the best SNL holiday sketch, writing that the singers' chemistry "ensures there is not a dull moment the entire three minutes" and the censored version made "the entire thing ten times funnier".[37] Hillary Busis of Entertainment Weekly ranked the track as Timberlake's best moment on SNL, calling it "still as funny as you remember" and that it was "largely responsible for Timberlake's stellar hosting reputation."[105] Billboard called the clip "one of the most iconic musical moments in the show's history", along with "Lazy Sunday".[21] Rolling Stone listed the skit at number three on their "50 Greatest 'Saturday Night Live' Sketches of All Time" list, called it "possibly the best Timberlake song post-FutureSex/LoveSounds".[50]

On July 19, 2007, it was announced that "Dick in a Box" received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.[106][107] Other nominees in the category including "My Drunken Irish Dad" (from Family Guy), "Merry Ex-Mas" (from MADtv), "Everything Comes Down to Poo", and "Guy Love" (both from Scrubs).[106][108][109] Members of The Lonely Island received the news when they were on their way to a Seattle morning radio show.[53] Prior to the ceremony, Samberg said "the fact that it's nominated and called 'Dick in a Box' is already pretty sweet."[53] The songwriters ended up winning the award at the 59th Primetime Creative Arts ceremony in September 8, where Samberg made a cheeky acceptance speech: "I think it's safe to say that when we first set out to make this song, we were all thinking 'Emmy!'".[110][111] "Dick in a Box" was credited for setting a precedent for more explicit material to win and earn nominations in the Emmy music-related categories.[112][39][58] The following year, Jimmy Kimmel Live! won in the same category for the sketch "I'm Fucking Matt Damon."[112]

Live performances and usage in media[]

On February 7, 2007, Timberlake and Samberg gave a surprise performance of "Dick in a Box" for the first time at the Madison Square Garden on Timberlake's concert tour FutureSex/LoveShow.[113][114] The performance was first announced by the New York Post on the same day.[113][115] The duo sang in front of a sold-out stadium of 18,000 people, including rapper P. Diddy, Donald Trump and his wife Melania.[116][114] They performed the track as an encore, beginning with an announcer appeared to introduce them as a new band that had "the most-watched video on YouTube."[116][114] The singers wore the characters' costume and facial hair from the sketch, with a gift box attached below the belt.[116] Samberg changed the holiday lyrics to "Valentine's Day... Flag Day... Kwanzaa", while Timberlake was giggling as he delivered the deadpan lines.[116][117] At one point, Timberlake fell on his knee and sang the line "All across America, a dick in a box".[114] After the song, Timberlake came back onstage and apologized, "I'm sorry if I offended some of you, but I could not resist".[114][116]

Billboard felt that the surprise performance "was hilarious if wholly unnecessary".[117] Caryn Ganz of MTV wrote that the singers were "struggled" with the "nasal" vocal performance and the song "landed a bit awkwardly in context".[114] Ganz, however, noted that the audience "went truly berserk" with the "ear-splitting response" to the performance.[114] Amelia McDonell-Parry of Rolling Stone wrote that "Samberg hardly has the pipes to fill an arena, but no one seemed to mind."[115] Samberg felt the performance was "surreal", while Timberlake called it a "magical" moment.[14][118] Timberlake, who was absent during the Primetime Creative Arts ceremony on September 8, celebrated after being notified of his Emmy win by performing a piano rendition of the song at the Tacoma Dome, Washington.[119] Samberg was willing to perform "Dick in a Box" with Timberlake at the main 59th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, held in Los Angeles on September 16.[111] Timberlake also had a concert at the Staples Center that night, which raised the possibility that he could perform the track at the ceremony.[111][110] The Emmy Awards producers were reportedly unsure about airing the explicit content and asked the duo to come up with a more family-friendly version of the track.[120][121] The singers rejected the idea and the performance was canceled.[120][122]

The online release of "Dick in a Box" resulted in many users filming response videos on YouTube, in which they either present their own gift box or give instructions on how to do the box.[123] Leah Kauffman, who was Temple University student, wrote and recorded a parody from the female perspective of the sketch, titled "My Box in a Box".[124][125] The music video of the track saw Melissa Lamb, a University of Pennsylvania student, lip sync to her Kauffman vocals and dances around with a gift-wrapped box in front of her crotch.[124][125] The video attracted more than 3 million views by January 2007.[124][125] American band Umphrey's McGee covered "Dick in a Box" as an encore on December 31, 2006, at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.[126][127] In "Koi Pond", an episode of the sixth season of the American comedy television series The Office, Michael Scott (portrayed by Steve Carell) dresses in a suit similar to Samberg and Timberlake's characters, with a box wrapped as a present attached to his waist, while slipping a noose around his neck and faking a hanging to scare a group of young visitors.[128] On an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, aired in January 2007, Ellen DeGeneres performed a jingle for AQUA2GO water drink boxes to the tune of "Dick in a Box".[129][130] The following month, Facebook created a virtual gift shop for Valentine's Day that included a box with a bow on top and a hole cut into one of its sides.[131][132]

Impact[]

Two people wearing the costume from "Dick in a Box" at the Dragon Con 2014

Like "Lazy Sunday", "Dick in a Box" has found a wider audience during its online release than the initial television broadcast.[81][83] The sketch, which has been rebroadcast over the years,[133][134] has become one of the most popular SNL sketches and widely recognized as one of The Lonely Island's signature songs.[135][50][60] Complex called the sketch "one of the biggest viral sensations on the Internet", while Mincher wrote that the popular video "helped solidified The Lonely Island as a stand-alone comic act".[58][29] In an interview with Esquire in 2013, Samberg said "[Michaels] says the thing you're known for will be in quotes in the middle of your name. He's Lorne 'SNL' Michaels, and I'm Andy 'Dick in a Box' Samberg."[136] Terri Schwartz of IFC opined that "'Lazy Sunday' might have been the first Lonely Island Digital Short to be featured on SNL, but it was 'Dick in a Box' that made the Digital Short one of the most anticipated skits on the improv series."[135] Many people have since picked the costumes similar to those of Timberlake and Samberg for Halloween.[137][29][58] Samberg was "flattered" by the costume trend, while Wiig was astonishing by it, saying "It was crazy. So I did expect it because I knew it was funny, but you never expect the level to which it goes".[30][138] Samberg and Timberlake's costumes are also displayed at "Saturday Night Live: The Exhibition", an exhibition about a week in the life of the show located on the Fifth Avenue.[139]

Jorma recalled the working experience with Timberlake has become their "standard for how we made things", saying "Getting to work with someone as wildly talented as Justin Timberlake, getting to spend maybe four days with him... That was amazing."[21] "Dick in a Box" has inspired many subsequent sketches by The Lonely Island, including the similar-themed "Jizz In My Pants" and "I Just Had Sex",[135][60] and has spawned two sequels, with Timberlake and Samberg both reprised their roles. In "Motherlover" (2009), broadcast during the 34th season, the duo sings about their desire to have sex with each other's mothers (played by Patricia Clarkson and Susan Sarandon) as a tribute to Mother's Day.[140] They find themselves invited to a threesome with a girl they met at the Payless ShoeSource (played by Lady Gaga) in season 36's "3-Way (The Golden Rule)" (2011).[141] "Motherlover" was released as a single in 2011 and appeared on The Lonely Island's second studio album, Turtleneck & Chain (2011);[142][143] while "3-Way (The Golden Rule)" was digitally released after the broadcast and appeared on the third studio album, The Wack Album (2013).[144][145] The duo also re-appeared on the special 100th Digital Short, which was broadcast in season 37 in May 2012.[146]

Credits and personnel[]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Incredibad.[17]

Studio locations

  • Mixed at Ansons Pocket Studio (Yorktown Heights, New York)
  • Mastered at The Cutting Room (New York City, New York)

Personnel

  • Andy Samberg – lead vocals, songwriting
  • Akiva Schaffer – songwriting
  • Jorma Taccone – songwriting, producer
  • Asa Taccone – songwriting, producer
  • Justin Timberlake – lead vocals, songwriting
  • Katreese Barnes – songwriting, producer
  • Brian Sperber – mixing
  • Tony Gillis – mastering

Charts[]

Chart performance for "Dick in a Box" in 2009–2011
Chart (2009–2011) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[97] 61
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[95] 82
Canadian Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[96] 48
Comedy Digital Track Sales (Billboard)[98] 8

Release history[]

Release dates and formats for "Dick in a Box"
Region Date Format Distributor Ref(s).
United States December 16, 2006 TV premiere NBC [28][65]
December 17, 2006 Streaming [65][66][67]
January 27, 2009 Digital single Universal Republic [45][72]

Notes[]

  1. ^ The release date for "Dick in a Box" on iTunes Store was falsely credited as January 1, 2009.[45]

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