January 1, 2019
By Ria Bhandarkar
Lorne Michaels’ variety sketch comedy series, Saturday Night Live, first premiered in 1975. Over the years, cast members have included Gilda Radner, Robert Downey Jr., Bill Murray, Dana Carvey, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers and Lexington’s own Rachel Dratch.
Though the show has faced writers’ strikes, tumultuous ratings and even terrorist attacks, it is still airing. Now in its 44th season, Saturday Night Live continues to produce comedic hot takes on various news stories and cultural phenomena. However, as the show continues its fifth decade on air, is it really as relevant as it was in the 20th century?
The answer is complicated. Although the show is still witty and often makes unique observations about politics and social norms, it suffers from too many filler sketches, awkward punchlines and drawn out jokes.
Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of Donald Trump as a posturing, self-infatuated blowhard blew up the internet—and for good reason. The cold open sketches featuring Baldwin weren’t just funny; they were informative and insightful. A recent sketch parodying President Trump’s meeting with rapper and icon Kanye West was a playful and nuanced satire of racism and classism.
However, these political sketches have gone downhill since Trump’s election. Most cold opens have become more about showing off SNL’s celebrity ties than clever political satire, featuring popular actors like Ben Stiller and Robert de Niro as uninspired versions of Michael Cohen and Robert Mueller. Despite Kate McKinnon’s excellent skewering of Fox News host Laura Ingraham, placeholders during Alec Baldwin’s arrest simply fell flat.
SNL’s non political sketches are also hit or miss. While some, such as Tom Hanks’ David S. Pumpkins character and John Mulaney’s “Lobster Diner” sketch have been wonderfully eccentric, others have left audiences scratching their heads.
Sometimes when SNL sprints towards ridiculousness, it pays off. In a recent sketch series, a scruffy McKinnon is so funny detailing her strange interactions with paranormal creatures that even her castmates have a hard time keeping straight faces.
However, for every witty sketch, there’s a tone deaf one. A scene featuring two cops harassing Seth Meyers at a road stop seemed to frame abuse of police power as comedic. It was an uncomfortable miss in an era of police brutality.
SNL isn’t good or bad; it’s frustratingly inconsistent. But while it doesn’t always reach its full potential, SNL provides a much needed laugh.
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