This story originally appeared in GW Today.
“Saturday Night Live” begins its 50th season on network television this fall, a feat previously matched only by daytime soap operas, “Meet the Press” and “Sesame Street.” The show long ago settled into a seemingly bulletproof format of opening sketch followed by host’s monologue, then more sketches, a musical guest, “Weekend Update,” more sketches and music.
Most members of the George Washington University community undoubtedly have fond memories of their favorite “SNL” moments, of laughing out loud at a certain sketch or being dazzled by a particular player, delighted by a line of dialogue, tickled by a comic character or moved by a musical highlight.
“SNL” has been around for so long and been so influential that it has inspired other TV shows about fictional sketch comedy shows, including “30 Rock” and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” It is not unusual to hear guest hosts gush with excitement over taking part in a tradition they revere.
Some viewers, like David Karpf, associate professor of media and public affairs in GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, enjoy the show’s recurring sketch formats, such as its riffs on game shows. As a particular favorite, Karpf cites the parodies of a celebrity version of “Jeopardy!” with former cast member Darrell Hammond as a strangely hostile Sean Connery. Karpf also admires the show’s strange musical parodies like the one with host John Mulaney as a bodega owner whose customer (Pete Davidson) asks to use the bathroom.
“I always love those because you can just tell that the writers are having fun,” Karpf said.
Other memorable sketches and characters include Chris Farley’s Matt Foley, the motivational speaker who lives in a van; Rachel Dratch as Debbie Downer; Fred Armisen in “The Prince Show” with Maya Rudolph as Beyoncé; and, more recently, Ego Nwodim’s viral success as Lisa from Temecula (“Cook my meat!”), to name just a few.
The show has had more than its share of unforgettable players. Think of Gilda Radner’s indelible turns as punk rocker Candy Slice (a satirical version of Patti Smith), befuddled commentator Emily Litella and “nerd” Lisa Loopner. Several other cast members have done equally stellar work.
“There are certain era-defining performers, like Kate McKinnon,” Karpf said, chuckling over McKinnon’s portrayal of a woman abducted by aliens. “She's a personal favorite. I think she lifted up the show for much of the last decade.”
Race, gender and topical humor
Asked about her favorite sketches, Imani Cheers, associate professor of media and public affairs in SMPA, said she would choose almost anything with Eddie Murphy (such as the mockumentary “White Like Me” and “James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party”) or Chris Rock (for example, a sketch about a racist bank robbery).
“Eddie Murphy has an ability to reach through and across demographics—not over, not around—because he is unapologetically Black, in a way that is funny to everyone,” Cheers said. She praised Murphy’s ability to succeed in so many formats, from standup and sketches to movies in multiple genres.
The show is often on point when it comes to politics, Cheers said, citing “Weekend Update” as well as Tina Fey’s uncanny turn as Sarah Palin (“I can see Russia from my house”) and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton—not to mention Alec Baldwin’s work as Donald Trump. Its cultural commentary on gender and women’s issues, as in the commercial parody for Big Brawn feminine napkins, also merits kudos, Cheers added, noting that the sketches have evolved with the culture, reflecting welcome diversity in the writers, players and subjects.
“In Living Color,” the series created by Keenen Ivory Wayans, was a “counterbalance” to “SNL” in the early 1990s, Cheers said, featuring mostly Black cast members with a few white comedians sprinkled in. (Original episodes of “In Living Color” ran from 1990 to 1994. That show gave Jim Carrey his first taste of wide recognition.)
In light of several unfortunate and tragic events of the past 50 years, some involving SNL cast members, Cheers added, the show’s longevity seems especially significant.
“‘Saturday Night Live’ has a poignant ability to make us laugh at times when we might want to cry, finding light and laughter even in heavy moments. You can laugh with ‘SNL’ in a way that I don’t think you can with any other sketch comedy show.”
The show never punches down or resorts to truly vicious mockery, Cheers added, noting that we live in an age when people seem especially quick to take offense. Even so, not every sketch strikes just the right balance.
“Overwhelmingly, though, ‘SNL’ writers and cast members have done a really brilliant job of bringing laughter and light to serious moments,” Cheers said.
A groundbreaking presenter of music
The impact of “SNL” on the music business should not be overlooked. It has long offered viewers a way to learn about new music—and now that the show has lasted so long, Karpf points out, mature viewers may say it is their main source of exposure to new artists.
Lauren Onkey, director of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design and professor in its Music Program, said the show has always been an important presenter of music. The fact that all of these musical performances were on live television added to their excitement, she added.
“I thought ‘SNL’ was hilarious,” Onkey said, “but before MTV, it was also a way to see acts that you couldn’t see anywhere else on television. And it’s against all odds in a way, because most people aren’t tuning in for music, they’re tuning in for the comedy. And I think where the show is taped, in Rockefeller Center, is a tough studio to play in, so it’s a real challenge for musicians.”
The show has given many legendary musicians a forum, Onkey said, listing some: Chuck Berry. Elvis Costello. Joan Armatrading. Sun Ra. Keith Jarrett. Ornette Coleman. Her favorite musical performance on the show paired legends Paul Simon and George Harrison.
“It was really beautiful,” Onkey said. “They sang ‘Homeward Bound’ and ‘Here Comes the Sun’ together. It’s a very poignant performance, and I’ll never forget that feeling. It was must-see TV.”
One of the show’s most important musical performances, Onkey said, was by Sinéad O’Connor in 1992, when the singer held up a photograph of Pope John Paul and tore it in half, saying “Hate the real enemy.”
“She was trying to call out the kind of abuse that she experienced, growing up in Ireland, at the hands of the Catholic Church,” Onkey said. “This was before we were really talking about that subject in the news media. The vitriol that she faced as a result was intense.”
Over the show’s life so far, Onkey said, a wide range of musical acts have appeared, from the worlds of jazz, hip-hop and, in more recent years, country. The biggest headlines, of course, were garnered by major guests such as Prince, Janet Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar. Another important musical contribution of the show, Onkey added, was the introduction of the Blues Brothers.
“The Blues Brothers started as a skit with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi,” Onkey said, “playing these two white guys in the mold of the great soul singers Sam and Dave, in a terrific band. And they ended up releasing an album called ‘Briefcase Full of Blues’ that became a hit. And then they went on tour. Is this comedy? Is it a tribute? Or are they unique artists?”
Like Onkey, Karpf and Cheers agree that, because sensibilities have clearly shifted over the last 50 years, some of the show’s past highlights, especially its most topical humor, might leave today’s students baffled. Nonetheless, this trio of faculty members joins millions of people, regardless of age, in looking forward to continued success for “SNL.”
“I'm hoping that the show continues to find new audiences and younger comedians and fresh writers, making the writing room as inclusive as possible,” Cheers said. “They clearly have a formula that’s working.”