Saturday Night Live Transcripts
Season 3: Episode 20
Sodom Chamber of Commerce
Head of the Sodom Chamber of Commerce…..Dan Aykroyd
Mayor Abanasher…..Buck Henry
Ashmore…..John Belushi
Noab…..Bill Murray
Sodomite #1…..Garrett Morris
Fellow Sodomites…..Andy Murphy, Mitchell Laurance
Song and Dance Girls…..Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner
[ open on close-up of Sodom Chamber of Commerce banner, with SUPER: “Sodom, 2003 B.C.” ]
[ pull back to reveal Chamber members talking amongst themselves ]
Head of the Sodom Chamber of Commerce: [ banging gavel ] Alright, settle down, gentlemen! Well, as the Head of the Sodom Chamber of Commerce, it’s always a pleasure to welcome our Mayor. You all know him — he’s a friend, a neighbor, and a great Sodomite. Gentlmen, please welcome Abanasher.
[ the Chamber members applaud as the Mayor rises ]
Mayor Abanasher: Gentlemen, thank you. I’d like to talk to you today about a problem that I consider the most serious problem facing our city. I’ve just returned from a trip that took me all around the Plain of Jordan. I regret to inform that Sodom… has a TERRIBLE reputation. [ the Chamber reacts ] I’m afraid it’s true, gemtlemen. When people of the empire think of Sodom, what’s the first thing that comes to their minds? Sodomy. [ the Chamber members nod ] Sodomy, sodomy, sodomy!
Ashmore: Well, what’s wrong with that? I mean, sodomy is what put us on the map!
[ the Chamber members agree ]
Mayor Abanasher: That’s fine for you to say, Ashmore, because you’re a pharmacist. The point is: I’m the Mayor of this city, and I’m faced with a financial crisis, and every time I go to the government for loans, they say to me, “Why should we give aid to a city so debaucehd and so vile?”
Head of the Sodom Chamber of Commerce: Vile? What’s vile about sodomy?
Mayor Abanasher: You have no argument from me on that! All I’m saying is that we ought to be concerned about the kind of image we project to out-of-towners. You know, there’s a lot of Samarians and Azarians who are spending their zuzan in Gomorrah. That’s why I’ve invited a guest here tonight — Noab the Hissite. Now, Noah created the campaign to turn Gomorrah around. He’s got some really great ideas, so please hear him out. Gentlemen, I give you… Noab!
[ the Chamber members applaud Noab, as he rises ]
Noab: Thanks, Abanasher! Gentlemen. You know, I was looking over your official city brochure. Now… what kind of city slogan is this: [ reading ] “You have to be crazy to live in Sodom — crazy about sodomy!” Now… if you’re going to attract investment, if you expect to have your bid for the Olympics taken seriously, you’re gonna have to play down the sodomy!
Head of the Sodom Chamber of Commerce: “Play down”? Come on! What do you think brings the conventions in here? A guy lookimh for a place he can gamble, practice gluttony, worship a flase idol or two… and have a little sodomy! He automatically thinks of Sodom!
Ashmore: He’s got a point there!
Noab: Alright, now look at Gomorrah, okay? Now, they’re every bit as wicked as you people, but it’s just not the main thrust of their publicity. They emphasize more conventional things. I think Sodom should, too.
Head of the Sodom Chamber of Commerce: Oh, like what?
Noab: Well, like the park. Like the museums. Like your restaurants. LIke your theater district.
Sodomite #1: Oh, yeah… and the human sacrifice!
Noab: No, no, no… You see, people around the empire, they sort of perceive the human sacrifice, not as a civic attraction, but as another one of the wicked things about Sodom!
Ashmore: We don’t want to look like goodie goodies.
Head of the Sodom Chamber of Commerce: No, Ashmore, you needn’t worry about that. Anyone who’s really interested in sodom, they know to come here — word-of-mouth will take care of that. I think that what Noab is saying is that we don’t have to bend over backwards to advertise it.
Noab: Exactly! Exactly! All we want people to know is that they can come to Sodom, check into a hotel, visit a museum or a gallery in the afternoon, have a nice dinner in a fine restaurant in the evening, and then, if they want it, the sodomy is there.
Head of the Sodom Chamber of Commerce: Gentlemen, Noab tells me that he has conceived a massive publicity campaign for Sodom’s new image.
Head of the Sodom Chamber of Commerce: Alright, Noab, can you give us a sample?
Noab: Alright, gentlemen. I think this is a concept that you’re going to love. [ calling out ] Kids?
[ three Song and Dance girls come out to perform ]
Song and Dance Girls: [ singing ]
“IIIIIII love Sodommmmmmm!
IIIIIII love Sodommmmmmm!
IIIIIII love Sodommmmmmm!”
[ pull back on wide shot of set, with SUPER: “coming up next… Do Termites Play House?” ]
[ fade ]
