Initially, Saturday Night Live (SNL)
was created to answer Johnny Carson’s complaint and demand for NBC to create a new
show to air instead of showing the reruns of Carson’s Tonight Show on Saturday nights. With SNL’s premier (then only called Saturday
Night) on October 11, 1975 produced a bold, trendsetting television program
that would continue to make audiences laugh for decades to come. Really, who
knew? Now, after noting the season premier of its 39th season proves
that SNL is one of the longest
running shows of all time. [1] Undoubtedly, this show has become a
staple in our popular culture. SNL’s
style remains unique to any other Late Night show out there; honoring the older
variety show style with comedy and music sketches combined into one-hour slot.
With this traditional form of broadcasting, brought a new attitude and a new
vision for late night television comedy. Even through all of SNL’s prominent success, many critics have
panned the show currently. Stating motives such as SNL is not as successfully funny with the new cast and new jokes, as
it once was in the past. Yet, I will respectfully disagree, as I explain why SNL is still current, funny, and one of
the most impactful shows in our society.
SNL’s style and format could serve as a
discussion alone, but I will merely sum it up because odds are anyone
interested in reading this have most likely seen or heard about an episode, or
two. In each episode, a celebrity guest hosts the show and delivers a monologue
to open the segment. The celebrity performs with the cast in impromptu sketches
that are prepared earlier in the week. They typically go through 7-10 sketches
in a show that range from various political and social topics in current
popular culture. The beginning of the show introduces the “cold open,” where in
the end, the sketch allows the actors to break away from their character and
blurt out the famous phrase, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” [2]
The benefit of SNL’s format is that it is set up to move easily
from failed material. To dig deeper, the different skits allow viewers to receive
a wide range of jokes in a small amount of time. With example of the most
recent episode out from SNL’s season
back, featuring Lady Gaga as the host, the sketches ranged from a number of events. From a celebrity
parody of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West “if they had a daytime talk show”
called KimYe to Weekend Update’s Jebediah Atkinson sketch, a different parody
of an old English speech writer discrediting all of the famous speeches, from
Abraham Lincoln’s Four Scores to
Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream.
What seems like a major jump in between jokes is what works with SNL’s setup
effectively. And, because of SNL’s
historical success with having millions of viewers every Saturday night, this provides
the writers and producers with a wide range of topics to pursue, along with an
edge to push the boundaries of their sketches. Basically, having the thought
that if one joke didn’t work for someone it may have worked for someone else. And
many times when a joke fails, everyone has to endure watching a failing SNL skit. (Which is definitely the
worst!) Knowing the failing joke is not working for anyone, even the actors
trying to pull it off, is rough. Yet, with so many different sketches, when one
doesn’t work the casts have the power to “bounce back” from the failed joke
with new skits to follow. Therefore, this setup for failure, so to speak, allows
the show to move away swiftly from the failed sketch to recreate a more
humorous one.
Another
way that SNL constantly invites more creative juices within the
show is an influx of new cast members. Since the cast members can technically
leave the show whenever they feel necessary (after their contract) and stay as
long as they like. [1] Therefore, as explained by Seth Abramovitch,
the cast of SNL “…is divided
into two tiers: the more established group of repertory players; and newer,
unproven cast members known as featured players, who may eventually be promoted
to the repertory stable.” [6] Frankly, this
show gains new viewers through these shifts in generational audiences. With new
talent, the late night show invites new viewers who may have never seen the
show before. Thus, by not focusing on the same cast for years to come, the
casts’ type of humor doesn’t matter as much (not having to deal with actors
losing touch). What matters even more is keeping up with the political and
societal issues of the times, which make any audience member, young or old, both
able to enjoy the jokes. This type of tactic works well in SNL’s favor: the idea that newer talent is adding their own comedic
flavors to each sketch. Even though critics initially doubt the new cast’s
talent and credibility as impromptu comedic actors, the vivaciousness of the
show’s younger talent generates new jokes and new ways for audiences to view and
accept these jokes. Which makes SNL a
standout show that continues to be as inventive and fresh, as ever.
Yet, this is where many critics
have shown a loss of interest. The view that new and unknown cast members are
not able to keep up with the consistency of the legendary talents of SNL’s prime eras, such as: John Belushi,
Steve Martin, Dan Akroyd, Dana Carvey, Mike
Meyers, Chris Farley, Amy Phoeler, Tina Fey, and Will Ferrill, to only name a
few. Many remarks of mixed criticism have circulated over the Internet of fans
and critics questioning the ability of the new cast’s talents. Especially, more
recently with the premier of the new season earlier this Fall:
“In
fact, the new cast members were not very good at all, and were so unfunny that
they seemed to be dragging the rest of the more seasoned cast member down with
them. The show, overall, might be in trouble.” – Rebecca Savastio, Guardian Express [5] [A response
to SNL’s new 2013 season with Miley Cyrus as host]
“Will
they struggle? Perhaps, but after watching the season 39 premiere, it seems
like this surprising all-hands-on-deck approach may provide enough energy to
smooth out the rough spots and make this a sneakily good season.” – Jason
Tabrys, Screen Rant [4] [A
response to the new cast with the initiation of the 39th season
premier]
And
other times, critics have a lot more to say about the chosen
celebrity host and/or the head writers (or lack their of) on SNL.
“But
the combination of the actual Cyrus’ annoying persona and some really weak
writing set the bar pretty low for this early in an SNL season.” – Ross
Bonaime, Paste [3]
Yet, even though the critiques have been harsher in recent
years, they prove that the fans’ and critics alike want to flashback to the
former legendary casts of SNL that
have been long gone. However, whenever a new
cast graces the SNL stage, it makes
headlines and keeps audiences, even negative critics, interested and talking.
And, even looking back at the legendary casts and the beginnings of SNL, a former worker on the first season
of SNL, Herbert Schlosser, offers a
memory of his:
“I remember being at one of
the tapings of the show live on more than one occasion when the Muppets were
on. Some of the pieces were good, but the cast was so good you wanted to see
Belushi, and Gilda, and Garrett Moris doing news for the hard of hearing. As a
matter of fact, we had to take that off because we got protests from
organizations that felt this was not fair to the handicapped. And then after we
took it off, we started to get letters from people who were hard of hearing say
they loved it, why were we doing that, why didn’t we have the guts to keep it
on?!” [1]
Therefore, Schlosser expresses the confusing absurdity in how some people critique SNL.
Some people will love it. Others will hate it. And so, SNL now understands that they can’t please everyone, so
they are going to continue to do what they do best, that is, to continue to
make someone laugh. And, that is another way of how SNL is still reaching success by continuing to influence and shape
today’s popular culture and media.
SNL also proves it’s not going to lag
behind in the old beat up comedy wagon. It promotes new ways of getting jokes
across to younger demographics. Such as with the new induction of the cast
member, Andy Sandberg (2005-2012), brought along the inventive Digital Short
segments (Short films that synergises the hyperactivity and randomness SNL thrives on.) Such Digital Shorts include, the first, “Lazy Sunday,” and others to follow the phenomenon, “Jizz
In My Pants,” and “Dick in a Box,” that have totaled over a billion (Yes,
over a billion!) views on Sandberg’s YouTube channel for his band and comedy group,
The Lonely Island. [7] For being a one of a kind show, it’s not hard
for producers to make such swift inventive decisions. And overall, adding the
Digital Short segments has worked exceedingly well for the show by attracting younger demographics and reaching wider audiences. But now that Sanberg has
retired from the cast in 2012, the former glory with the Digital Shorts now
remains a question of what will the show do without its inventive and hilarious
creator? However, the fact that they have made so many successful Digital
Shorts on SNL that are now compiled
with the show’s already long list of
famous jokes and sketches, is impressive. A progressive achievement for a show
that was started over forty years ago that proves it will not be left
behind by newer competition. Because, without a doubt, SNL is becoming newer and more inventive as time goes on.
Even though the cast and jokes may
change, the structure, the traditions, and the legacy remains the same. An
essential piece to SNL’s puzzle of
why this show is able to generate consistent appeal and attract younger and
older viewers alike. The show combines traditional and modern broadcasting that
makes it a unique and one of the most successful shows to date. Yes, there are
recurrent dry jokes and dry seasons with less funny content (Thanks to the
critics, for pointing out what we already know.) Yes, I believe there has been
historically funnier moments in SNL’s
history that stand the test of time. But, underscoring the new and upcoming
talents SNL has to offer is degrading
to the show’s specific format and to the progressive attempts in the show's creation of new and
hilarious sketches. (Let’s give SNL some
credit for still being funny after its 40-year mark!) Still, SNL proves and maintains its
significance on late night television. Because, in the end, the show’s jokes and sketches continue to make audiences laugh.
And, their once inventive, but now traditional style still entices audiences
every Saturday night. Even though there is much more to say about the legacy
and influence of SNL’s success, that
discussion will have to be left for another blog someday. Until then, the
negativity from critics and audiences circulating are probably just waiting for
some more cowbell! (And, here you go!)
"I gotta fever! And the only perscription, is more cowbell!"
References:
1. Shales, Tom, and James A. Miller.
(2002). Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. Boston: Little, Brown.
2. Rulli, Maggie. (2010). “‘Live
from New York It's Saturday Night’: The Evolution of Humor as Rhetorical
Statement in the 35 Years of Saturday Night Live. Thesis. Boston College.
3. Bonaime, Ross. (2013). "Saturday
Night Live Review: "Miley Cyrus" (Episode 39.02)." Rev. of SNL
Episode (39.02). Web log post. Pastemagazine.com. 20 Nov. 2013.
4. Rebecca Savastio, (2013). “Miley Cyrus Host worst SNL
Episode in Recent History” Guardian
Express. 20 Nov. 2013.
5. Jason Tabrys, (2013). “’Saturday Night Live’ Premier
Review: Did the New Cast Sink or Swim?” Screen
Rant. 20. Nov. 2013.
6. Abramovitch, Seth (September
16, 2013). "'SNL' Announces Hire of 6 New Cast Members publisher =Prometheus
Global Media". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20. Nov. 2013.
7. Rosenberg, Yuval. (April 1, 2006). "Target: Dream Job."
Fast Company 104. 103–04. Fast Company. Washington, D.C.: Fast Co. Inc. Retrieved
20. Nov. 2013.
Additional Clips For SNL Fans
1. SNL Evolution
2. Dana Carvey’s audition part 1
3. Chris Farley’s “Man Down By the
River” Sketch
(Warning: Awful Quality, but still
watchable. It’s the only one I could find!)
4. Chris Farley’s “Quotation Guy” on
Weekend Update
6. The 10 Best SNL Crack-Ups
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