By: Abigail Chai, Center Spread Editor
Just three days before the highly-contested election, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris made a quick stop in New York City for one of her final campaign events of the year. However, it wasn’t for a self-hosted rally filled with her most devoted supporters, but instead, for a surprise appearance on NBC’s hit show Saturday Night Live (SNL). Starring alongside comedian Maya Rudolph, her cameo on the show elicited a myriad of laughter and applause from the audience- as well as a stream of surprise and criticism from internet goers. Albeit an unexpected and somewhat peculiar campaign strategy on Harris’s part, SNL’s deep-rooted history in the American political scene makes her appearance just a bit more understandable.
Since its debut in the mid-1970s, SNL has never shied away from the contentious topic of politics, kicking off every episode with a political cold-open sketch, sprinkling in the occasional joke during the Weekend Update segment, and impersonating several of the country’s leaders, politics is just another comedic staple to SNL. However, the level of political content runs especially rampant during election season, when the show typically tends to draw in more attention – and controversy – than usual.
Frequently mocking both sides of the presidential race, SNL uses its talented cast members to deliver over-the-top impersonations of the candidates, frequently exaggerating their personalities to a nearly absurd extent. And despite their at-times nasty depictions of those running the country, numerous of the actual politicians have made their way onto the show. Harris’s recent appearance was no unique case, as back in 2015, Trump hosted his own episode amidst his presidential run against Hilary Clinton. While these appearances and impersonations make for tons of viral-worthy sketches and shoot the show on the front page of social media sites, not all viewers find the humor in SNL’s content.
Increasingly deemed “unfunny,” SNL often now attracts more criticism than laughter. Whether it be for insensitive or dull jokes, many of their sketches have gone viral for seemingly all the wrong reasons. Senior Warren Shiu, who regularly watches SNL, admits that the show has admittedly gone downhill over the past few years. “You either laugh really hard, or you don’t laugh at all.” he stated. Nonetheless, the show has continued to amass enough views to stay on the air for over the past 40 years, regardless of its fluctuating quality of content.
Besides what people think of the show, SNL plays an important role in exposing American audiences to real-world political issues and has even found its way into some of Mills’ curricula. For instance, social sciences teacher Mr. Lira used one of SNL’s most recent sketches in his AP Government classes when teaching about media bias in political campaigns. The sketch, which parodied a recent interview Harris had on Fox News, mocked both presidential candidates, as well as current president Joe Biden. When explaining how to turn such an over-top and exaggerated video into a lesson, Lira stated that you should “cover the event first from both sides and then explain what satire is.” So, while a sketch-comedy show may not be the most conventional way to educate students, it can make for a useful resource when paired with other factual elements.
Despite the 2024 election season coming to a close, rest assured that SNL will continue to produce the same ridiculous content that the media has come to love over the years. And with a new president taking office, there’s no telling what new events the show will be able to recreate in the coming months.
