Still culturally relevant, 'SNL' lacks original inventiveness
In 1975, Bruce Springsteen released “Born To Run," Muhammad Ali beat Joe Frazier in the “Thriller in Manila" and "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) debuted on NBC. Today, Rock rarely tops the charts the way Springsteen did, and boxing viewership is on a steady decline spanning the past few decades. Through it all, SNL has remained a cornerstone of pop culture, even through enduring some worrisome periods.
"SNL"’s ratings peaked in the late 70s, but have been dropping ever since. The show hit its lowest point in the early aughts. Still, a low point for "SNL" would still be top billing for almost any other show, and the lowest viewership was when they dipped to less than 7 million in viewer average. Also, the Trump-era has inarguably revived the show. From Kate McKinnon’s portrayal of Hillary Clinton to Alec Baldwin’s spoof of President Donald J. Trump, "SNL" became essential viewing at the onset of Trump’s presidency, in part because he often criticized the show on Twitter.
But, like most programs constantly covering the presidency, Trump-bashing has grown to be cumbersome and repetitive. When a presidential term is one long scandal, what would normally grab headlines becomes just another day. Sure enough, Baldwin’s Trump impersonation seems stale two years later, and McKinnon must be exhausted of playing just about everyone around the White House. Although they’ve pivoted to the internet in a big way through YouTube, the show feels outdated to how college students process current events and culture at large.
It goes without saying, but the ever-expanding internet has fundamentally changed comedy. The rise of internet comedy includes intensely specific inside jokes, constantly changing slang and multitudes of memes which can be hard to decipher to the uninitiated. These forms of humor often rely on the viewer already being in on the joke and can be incredibly subtle. Additionally, the content is rapid-fire and never ends, a dilemma that can be hard for a show that airs once a week to handle.
Historically, "SNL" capped off the week in news and culture, most clearly represented by the “Weekend Update” segment. Now, if news breaks on Monday night, then Twitter has already scrutinized it thoroughly and decided if it’s meme-able by Wednesday morning, the latest. To last a full week in the national conscience, the event has to be monumental. Furthermore, "SNL" lacks the comedic sleight of hand that flourishes on the Internet, as it aims to appeal to a multigenerational audience.
To put it plainly, "SNL" has increasingly become a one-dimensional program. Whole skits revolve around one — maybe two if you’re lucky — gimmicks. Whether it be through a weird accent or a strange physical tick, the show relies on being purposefully overblown. The writers seem to simply conflate the concept of satire with exaggeration, and the weekly guest appearances usually boil down to the waning appeal of seeing your favorite celebrity co-opt the bland caricature that the show mires in.
This isn’t to say that any form of entertainment born of the Internet is void of the same issues that plague the show, it’s just that "SNL" has been stuck in a format. That format worked better when the show was one of few outlets for satire, but it’s increasingly become unoriginal and uncreative since then. But, like most programs we deem cultural institutions, "SNL" still has an undeniable influence on many lives.
Sajel Clayburn, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year, said the program was a weekly tradition in her home. She grew up watching "SNL" with her family, and said it made them feel close in the midst of their hectic weeks and responsibilities. "I didn’t always understand the skits as a kid but I would still laugh at the funny costumes and facial expressions,” Clayburn said. “Nowadays I am still so obsessed with 'SNL.' It just captures the times so well and makes us feel a little better about all of the crazy things going on. I understand people who say that the show isn’t as funny as it used to be, but things are just different now and the show will ebb and flow. Nonetheless it’s still such an important part of modern American television.”
It’s nearly impossible to dispute the show’s impact and importance in TV history, and the "SNL" team deserves the credit they get for staying popular for as long as they have. Still, there may be no better summation of "SNL" than Urban Dictionary’s definition of cheap laugh, which reads: when one person makes a joke at another's expense ... the joke may or may not be funny.
