By “Saturday Night Live” is a renowned name in the world of sketch-comedy. Everyone has heard of it and most have watched an episode. However, for the millennial generation, “SNL” has fallen short of the expectations set in place by older seasons.
A lot of factors play into this recent steady decline in viewers. Currently on its 43rd season, it is the longest running late-night show in the history of television. So how is it that such an iconic show seems to bore its current audience?
“SNL” has created many comedic stars. Comedians such as Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon created names for themselves after their appearances on the series. It propelled them into stardom, and even now some of the best episodes are when these big names come back to host.
So what has changed from the “SNL” glory days with Sandler and Fallon? One of the biggest characteristics of the show is having well-known personalities host each Saturday. They perform in skits, introduce the musical performer of the night and address the audience in their own monologue. “SNL” may be relying on its ability to book these celebrities, and hasn’t met the bar in a long time in terms of content and humor.
While big names are still big names, celebrities and shows continuously have to compete with videos and posts going viral daily. In less than a month, the yodeling child of Wal-Mart became an internet sensation and performed at Coachella this past weekend. Maybe I should start a band; I’ve always been partial to the banjo.
While it’s funny to watch the “popular kids” act foolish in a television show, there’s more of an appeal to see relatable, everyday people reach the top of the ladder. I’m not saying the yodeling kid should host the show, but “SNL” would benefit from looking outside of its regular pool of celebrities and give audiences something they haven’t seen before.
Another big issue with “SNL” is that the jokes are just not funny anymore. For a series run completely off chortles and guffaws, the jokes have been falling flat for the past few years. In this politically conscious day of age, “SNL” is all too quick to perform on political topics that miss the mark more often than not. Every episode has at least one, if not multiple, references to issues such as Trump, sexual harassment, Trump, racism and of course, more Trump.
Serious subjects are presented as light mishaps and brought up for laughs, but because of the sensitive nature it usually opens the door for people to take offense. By trying to stay timely, the show regularly and carelessly pushes the envelope on certain sensitive issues.
When “SNL” did a skit on sexual harassment in the Hollywood industry with an incredibly awkward parody of award shows called the “Grabbies,” the term “too soon” came to mind. It made cringe-worthy comments about an issue that is a serious problem affecting many people.
Despite these mistakes, “SNL” still has its winners. A personal favorite “(Do It On My) Twin Bed” is a hilariously accurate music video starring Fallon and the rest of the “SNL” gang. The relatability and catchiness of the song makes it an memorable skit that still sticks with me. Notice the lack of political basis.
New comedy shows are quickly surpassing the once iconic series. “Key and Peele,” hosted by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, ran for five nearly flawless seasons. Performed similarly to “SNL,” Key and Peele starred in a series of satirical skits where they dressed up as various characters. The newer series rises where “SNL” falls short, as Key and Peele looked at topics from a comedic personal view as opposed to making fun of political issues.
“SNL” isn’t doomed. It’s an easy fix if the show were to focus on a younger audience and stop trying to constantly push boundaries. The key ingredient to a comedy show is to make it either relatable or outrageous, and obviously the latter isn’t working well anymore for “SNL.” Stay clear of the politics and throw in some hilarious and clever scenarios about weed, dating, work or maintaining all three and “SNL” will have a brand new fan.
