So, I’ve developed a new show addiction lately and it’s not good. The show is good, yes, however my complete and utter addiction to watching it in every second of my free time is not. Okay, now I’ll tell you, it’s Saturday Night Live.
The lead-up to that reveal was lame I know, I mean who hasn’t heard of this notorious late night, skit-filled comedy series? It’s one of the longest-running late night shows in America, and has had some of our country’s most notable stars in music, cinema and politics command the stage for an hour and 15 ish minutes while taking up the mantle as host.
Saturday Night Live is also widely known for its ability to make fun of anyone and everyone, whether it comes to demographics, Hollywood scandals or Presidential proceedings. All in all it’s a great show, and I’m highly recommending it to you.
(Fun fact: All of the graphics in this article are either pictures or gifs of these celebrities on the set of Saturday Night Live)
By now you might be wondering if I’ve ever seen Saturday Night Live before I developed this love affair, and the answer of course is yes. However, I haven’t seen it since I was a child because cable television is extremely outdated in comparison to the types of media streaming services we use now in 2021. I remember the “Weekend Update” and seeing the people on TV dress up as different characters, but I was too young to understand what was going on. I didn’t even know there were different political parties at this point, so how was I supposed to get a painstakingly stereotypical joke about Republicans? The short answer is, I wasn’t and I didn’t. However, now that I’m at the ripe old age of almost 20, and more knowledgeable about the world around me, I can enjoy the series and its jokes pertaining to the happenings of our society’s climate dating back decades.
I’m also a huge comedy fan, so when it comes to sometimes painstakingly questionable comedy, I’m all in. My favorite comedian just so happens to be Dave Chapelle, do with that what you will. Whoever is writing the skits for the cast of Saturday Night Live needs a raise, or two at that. They keep up with trends in our society, make TikTok jokes and refresh their content every week. Also coming from a filming standpoint, that’s pretty hard to do. The writers always have to keep an eye out for events that are on the rise of popularity, and cast some shame on those in their downfall. Not only does it keep me laughing, but there’s always something new added to the show which seems to breathe some life into it. This is most likely one of the main reasons SNL has been able to air continuously since 1975, by providing something new always.
Okay, so I’ve gone over the structural components of the show, but when it comes to actors and writers, many stars have actually started their careers at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which is a building in New York where legends seem to be made and where SNL is filmed.
Notable cast members include: Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Pete Davidson, Kenan Thompson and many many more. Most of the previous cast members also come back to host SNL a time or two and take a trip down memory lane, which I find kind of sweet.
Then there are musical guests, like an upcoming performance by Taylor Swift and recent performances by Halsey and Kacey Musgraves. SNL doesn’t only include a slew of skits to lighten the load of daily events happening in America, but it also gives its viewers some time to relax and soak up popular and up-and-coming musical talent.
In short, SNL is one of the best shows I’ve ever watched and I probably won’t waiver from that belief anytime soon. All 47 seasons are available to watch on Hulu, and if you don’t want to watch them seriously, they’re also good for background noise. Personally my two favorite motivators for watching SNL are Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, which I won’t elaborate further upon. It’s also nice to be able to tune out what’s going on with school and work, and just laugh a little. So hopefully SNL can bring you the same joy it does me.