SNL is a cornerstone of American television that continues to surprise and delight its viewers.
From the show’s first broadcast on Oct. 11, 1975 to the present, the show stays relevant through its comedy, timeliness and relevancy with pop culture.
Saturday Night Live, also known as SNL, is a sketch comedy show that airs on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. “The ‘Weekend Update’ always stays timely and brings people in. In election years, the show really speaks to what’s happening in popular culture,” said Dr. Lori Bindig Yousman, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the College of Arts & Sciences and professor in the communication & media department.
“The show remains such a fixture in pop culture due to the fantastic writers, comedians that are part of the show, and they stay culturally relevant by bringing in celebrities and musical guests people want to see and hear from,” said Bindig Yousman.
The recent Oct. 12 broadcast featured skits from guest host Ariana Grande, which have followed the path of other skits in the past with its viral internet response.
“The first thing that comes to mind when I think of SNL is that Timothée Chalamet and Pete Davidson skit. I think it’s just so funny and iconic,” said sophomore Amanda Console.
Console is referencing the “Rap Roundtable” skit from December 2020, where Chalamet and Davidson portray and poke fun at SoundCloud rappers.
“Taylor Swift is probably my favorite guest. Her ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’ performance was so iconic,” said Console.
For 49 years, SNL has brought viewers in with its comedy and skits. “I think people watch because a large number of people grew up with it and it’s part of their youth,” said Bindig Yousman. “People like me, it’s been on my whole life. It’s just something you watch and it becomes part of this shared experience across generations.”
SNL is known for its guest appearances, featuring prominent comedians and musical guests.
“I think of the really iconic comedians, whether it’s Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler,” said Bindig Yousman. “My parents had their own comedians that really stood out for them and were part of the cast. Each generation has that.”
Upon its 50th season, director Jasion Reitman’s film “Saturday Night” is an ode to the show and its longevity.
The film follows the 90 minutes leading up to the first ever broadcast of Saturday Night Live. The chaos, anxiety and stars are all captured in 109 minutes on the big-screen.
According to a review by AP News writer Jake Coyle, “Reitman’s movie is striving for a myth of ‘Saturday Night Live.’” Released on Friday, Oct. 11, the film has scored an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.4/10 on IMBD and 63% on Metacritic, as of Oct. 17.
Manohla Dargis of the New York Times both criticized and complimented the film, saying that the movie is a fantastical retelling of the original story.
According to Bindig Yousman, SNL has lasted and stayed relevant this long for two reasons: “People want to laugh, no matter how good or bad times are, and that’s what SNL does. Timeliness, what sticks out to me is the Dan Levy skit about Zillow and looking at houses during the pandemic, when so many people were doing the same thing. It was a way to take something that was scary and make us laugh.”
The next SNL episode will air on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 11:30 p.m. and will be hosted by John Mulaney with musical guest Chappell Roan.
