Bill Hader Really Wants to Taste the Biscuit

The actor's cut-for-time "SNL" sketch, combined with a viral sensation starring a musical duo called Toasters 'N' Moose, offers double the fun.

I have to say: Nothing has made me laugh out loud like this song in a long time.

It caught me by complete surprise¹, because it is just so pure and random. And when combined with a beloved Bill Hader meme, this TikTok clip is all-around joy.

Let’s go on a journey together…to taste the biscuit.

@tomshawentertainment#CapCut #tastethebiscuit #biscuittok #toastersnmoose #toastersandmoose @amastelle @Vincent Gargiulo

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Even though “Taste the Biscuit” is new to me, it’s been an online sensation since the early 2010s. This Rolling Stone article does a great job of sharing the song’s delightful backstory that involves a fictional musical duo named Toasters ‘N’ Moose, and how its virality resurges every few years.

But honestly, it works even if you have no idea what the story is, because the song is just so funny. Either way, you’ll walk away from the video really wanting to taste the honey sauce on the biscuit.

The Bill Hader meme has been a TikTok favorite for years, originating from an old SNL sketch called “Alan” that didn’t make it to air. Even so, Bill Hader’s singular weirdness as “The Future of Casual Entertainment” became a massive hit online.

And with that, this week’s newsletter gives you two moments of laughter combined into one. The TikTok is above, and the original clips in full are below!

Reading recs:

*I love autumn, except for the fact that October ushers in a slew of scary movies. Which means this list of 21 Halloween movies for scaredy cats was tailor-made for me.

*Concert movies are having a big moment, thanks to Bey, Tay and The Talking Heads. Here’s another list, this time Uproxx’s roundup of the best concert films².

*Before podcasts, I used to fall asleep with the TV on. And so I was tickled by this story about the big community of Frasier fans that watch the show to fall asleep.

This week’s fun fact:

Well, I’m mixing it up a little bit. I loooove playing the New York Times’ Connections, a word game in which you group four words together that share something in common.

For this week’s fun fact, I thought I’d present the words below, Connections-style. Can you guess what they have in common? (Hint: It’s related to music.)

Struck. Strummed. Blown. Pressed.

Want to know the answer? Click the footnote. Yep, that little number right here.³

Thanks for reading! I hope it has offered a bit of joy, especially considering all that is happening in the world right now. And if you know someone who might enjoy this newsletter, please feel free to share.

Btw, I’ve received some kind emails these past few weeks, which have meant a lot! If you are so inclined, feel free to comment below too. :)

1. TBH: This was the first week I struggled to write this newsletter—my heart wasn’t quite into it, and I wasn’t sure what to post about. And then this clip turned up in my social media feed, and even though it made me laugh a lot, it felt too obscure to include. But this newsletter is called Free Happiness, after all, and so what I find funny, you might too.

2. TBH, part 2: This list is a little too rock-dude centric, but it did point me in the direction of some non-rock-dude centric movies I hadn’t heard of before, so thought worth sharing for that reason.

3. There are only five kinds of musical instruments, and the clue words are the four ways to play them: “Percussion instruments are struck. String instruments have their strings strummed. Both woodwind and brass instruments get blown. Keyboard instruments have their keys pressed.”