I am very familiar with the American pop culture and I always encounter celebrities talking about SNL as if it is the biggest thing that could happen to them.
while I do appreciate the show and I find it quite funny, with very memorable music appearances whether good or bad, I still find it overrated from my humble perspective.
Which got me wondering, if I am missing something in terms of culture, legacy, classic, historical sort of facts that I would be happy to learn about, otherwise the show is average at best.
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I have faithfully watched SNL since its first episode was broadcast in 1975. So, for me, It’s a throwback to my college days.
There was a period of time in the 1970s and ’80s where Saturday Night Live was possibly the most influential place for comedians on American television. Many of the top comedians from SNL would go on to have fantastic film careers, and Saturday Night Live was an incredibly popular show.
A lot of people remember it fondly, even if it hasn’t been the most influential anymore since there’s been a lot more showcases for comedians available in the modern era.
Back in the day it used to be something generally the family could watch and rely on for a laugh. In the modern day, I have zero idea.
Yeah, you’re missing the context of the mid-late 70s when it was new, edgy, absolutely hilarious relative to anything on broadcast TV, it’s swung between kinda funny and below average for decades based on that big breakout (both the show and individual cast).
Watch some Laugh-In, Johnny Carson Tonight Show, All in the Family to get a feel for early-mid 70s American TV comedy. Then watch the Blues Brothers film.
It’s a weekly show poking fun at American current events that relate to Americans.
Other countries have similar shows, not that odd.
I don’t know a single person under 50 who watches SNL with any regularity.
It’s been the best way to break into big time comedy for decades. It is a big deal.
SNL hasn’t been funny in decades
The SNL News segment was kind of the forerunner of things like The Daily Show.
Because the people who still watch tv will laugh at anything as long as there’s a live audience (being incentivized) to laugh along with.
At this point, it’s an institution.
It’s been around since the 1970s, when some of the most brilliant minds in comedy were part of the “inaugural” season. Plenty more brilliant comic minds (both performers and writers) have had tenures on the show, or gone on to do other notable things. There have been some legendary musical performances. Actors, musicians, other comedians, and even presidential candidates have appeared as hosts and guests. Every so often, something happens on SNL that becomes part of the shared national consciousness, be it one of the sketches or an unscripted moment.
There’s an ongoing complaint that SNL “isn’t as good as it used to be.” This is an ongoing phenomenon, and people have been saying it since the 80s (and let’s be honest, probably since the second season aired).
I’ve never watched it, but I’ve seen some clips
My take is that SNL isn’t necessarily good (let alone great), but it is culturally ubiquitous because of how many entertainment people got their start there.
Oprah’s talk show kind of has the same influence in a different genre
I think SNL isn’t that big of a deal to most Americans, but it does have a legacy among comedians, particularly improv comedians whose careers took off after working there. I mean, even some writers got a big break there, like Conan O’Brien who went from there to the Simpsons and then his own talk show, or Bob Odenkirk, star of Better Call Saul.
It’s also been running since 1975 on one of the original big three networks in the US. There’s not really any similar variety show that has that kind of history.
Most people feel like SNL’s quality has declined, though when their golden years were are always up to debate, and often based on when someone started watching it. Personally, I find it pretty average as well and just watch when there’s a comedian I like as guest host, since they usually star in a few great skits they helped write. Otherwise, Weekend Update is probably the only consistently good part of the show.
SNL adopted a classic skit format that was waning in the1970s but very familiar for decades prior. They made it a bit more edgy and stuck with the same format since then. In the1980s every one else had moved on. They are still doing basically the same 40 years on. The only similar thing that I can think of was “In Living Color” on Fox in the 90s but they did not last.
It is like West Point Army football. The game may change but we never will.
I don’t think it’s such a big deal. Maybe it was decades ago. It’s running on the fumes of its past. Of course someone hosting it would say it’s a great thing to have happened to them, that’s more a political statement than anything.
Being a musical guest on SNL is often one of the indications of “making it”. And I’d say that’s still a pretty big deal even if the show as a sketch comedy show isn’t as relevant anymore.
The older episodes with Farley and talent that is now famous outside of SNL are better imo. Now I feel that you can insert Trump or Biden and hit the low hanging fruit. My parents liked it in the 70s and 80s but I don’t go out of my way to watch it if it’s on.
It’s more of a big deal for comedians and comedy writers, because many of them get their first big job working for the show.
For many of the rest of us, its marginally funny, and nowhere nearly as important as for people in the comedy business.
The current version is typically decried as being woefully inferior while the stuff from ten years earlier and before is said to be far better. The fact that people have been saying this for decades shows how the show has ALWAYS been hit-or-miss, and most people have fond memories of the earlier versions typically because they only remember the good stuff and forget the forgettable stuff.
But yeah, it’s a long-running institution, and a good percentage of its alumni go on to bigger and better things, from Bill Murray to Eddie Murphy to Adam Sandler to Will Ferrell to Amy Poehler and so on. There is of course a percentage of alumni that go on to more middling careers, and some who practically drop off the face of the earth (Victoria Jackson, anyone? Cheri Oteri? Gary Kroeger?) but when they’re great, they’re great, and SNL was their springboard to greatness.
Unrelated, but I get a little skeptical of anyone who says they are “very familiar” with American culture in any regards when they themselves are not American. I feel there is alot of bold claims over what is normal in the United States and what is not, based solely on different kinds of edited media. Some believe what they watched on TV so deeply, that they will deny a contradictory correction from an actual American.
Just something I was thinking about when I was reading your post.
It’s been a cliche that “SNL isn’t as funny as it used to be” for the last 40 years. YMMV on whether that’s true.
I’m in my 50s, for context.
It’s quality really ebbs and flows. The early shows in the mid to late 70s haven’t held up well, but at the time it was truly unique and some legendary talents.
It was borderline unwatchable in the early 80s. If Eddie Murphy wasn’t in a sketch, it was trash.
Rebounded in the late 80s, with Dana Carney, Phil Hartman, Mike Meyers,.Kevin Nealon, Dennis Miller, etc.
Faded a bit in the early 90s. Chris Farley and David Spade, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, etc had some good sketches but was inconsistent.
Rose again in the later 90s and early 2000s with Will Ferrell mostly leading the charge, then Tina Fey and Amy Poehler taking the reins.
Sort of been an inconsistent mess since then. Some definite talent, some great sketches but just too low a hit rate. IMO went way too political in the Trump era. It’s always touched on politics but they just ramped it up tenfold for cheap, lazy laughs. The writing doesn’t seem there anymore. Or I’ve just gotten too old.
It’s built on nostalgia than actual quality. It’s one of those things no one cares for in the moment but gets better with survivorship bias. That said I think it’s dog shit and has always been dog shit
OP, you ignorant slut*
*before I get slapped for this…it is a classic line from 1970s SNL
The secret is in the name– Saturday Night *Live*. Live performance has a separate feeling to it than other formats. In a live performance, the audience becomes much more invested in the success of the performers– even more so if there is a sense of improvisation included. Sure, there may be a trainwreck of a show at times, but even that has an interest. When it works, it is so much more satisfying, since there are fewer barriers between the personalities creating art and the audience.
It was known as the “not ready for prime-time players.” While some of it is hype and mythos, that’s why it still has that legacy. Basically, there’s nothing else original on network television on Saturday nights, which is why it can exist, having little if no competition for television entertainment. This was before home video let alone widespread gaming or streaming. A lot of times they just throw things against the wall to see what works. Sometimes true comedic genius still breaks through, like Black Jeopardy or Meet Your Second Wife.
As far as legacy, it is a show that has launched the careers of many of the biggest names in comedy, both actors and writers. People can rag on SNL all they want but Look up a list of cast and crew alumni.
I don’t think it’s a big deal much anymore. I remember that the 90’s were a big hay-day for my generation (as were the previous). Although some great people came from SNL, it’s just not that big anymore and may need to be retired.
How is it overrated in any way?
You had to be there. It’s not something you can explain. It’s part of the culture. You certainly have things like that in your culture, too. You can’t “explain” them either. They just are.
It’s like asking why is turkey such a big thing at Thanksgiving. Or even simpler “Why is Thanksgiving such a big thing?” It just is.
SNL used to be pretty damn funny until they started making shit that gives the impression of writers in their late 30s trying to be hip with the kids and appeal to our humor. It’s more miss than hit these days.