Saturday Night Live (SNL), an American variety show that centers around relevant comedy skits, is currently in its 50th anniversary season. The show has changed a lot throughout its time on television, with certain hosts, musical guests, and seasons getting both extremely positive, and negative reviews. SNL has become universally well known, but it is especially relevant in Berkeley, since some writers and cast members graduated from Berkeley High School.
Something that sets an SNL episode apart is the quality of its host. According to Lily Jelen, a freshman at BHS and a SNL fan, “The person has to be naturally funny, so it’s not forced,” Jelen said. The majority of SNL critics and watchers agree that an SNL episode is only as good as the quality of its host.
Some people find that SNL helps them in daily life, such as Kelly Boylan, a BHS APUSH teacher. “As an adult, I turn to SNL for help processing politics and current events. They help me laugh about things that otherwise might just stress me out,” Boylan said. She has noticed that SNL has become a more diverse and realistic expression of the USA’s population in the last few years. “I … appreciate that in recent years the SNL cast has gotten more diverse, and more representative of America,” Boylan said.
SNL skits in recent years have incorporated many aspects of social media, referencing platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. Sabrina Rahm, a BHS freshman said, “I think they’re really funny, honestly … I could relate them all to other videos I’d seen, and remember the original video.” SNL appeals to a very wide demographic and some jokes do not land with everyone. Jelen finds that the recent skits have not been as funny as the ones she fell in love with when she first watched SNL, finding old episodes from the mid 2000s a few years ago. “The old comedians, like Will Ferrell and Jimmy Fallon and stuff were the funniest ... sometimes I feel like it’s not as funny as it used to be,” Jelen said.
As the show continues, there is still room for improvement. Rahm feels that some jokes are excessive. “I do think some of it is over the top and dramatic,” Rahm said. Many skits have been criticized for being gimmicky and too obvious. As the show evolves, comedic styles also change. Jelen finds that moving on from older concepts takes away some of SNL’s genuineness. “You can still use new ideas, but I feel like the funniest ones were the originals, and the ones that just felt more authentic,” Jelen said.
Since SNL’s inception, its goal has been to keep viewers entertained and educated about the world through a lighthearted lens of comedy. As BHS students continue to watch SNL, opinions may change. But the show has made an indent in the public’s perception of comedy that cannot be erased.