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February 28, 2023 - 7:15am
This weekend, actor Woody Harrelson delivered a provocative opening monologue during his appearance on the long-running American sketch show Saturday Night Live. In a clip that now has over a million views, Harrelson tells the audience about a script he read three years earlier while sunbathing and stoned in Central Park.
The plot went, as Harrelson recounts: “All the biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes, and people can only come out if they take the cartels’ drugs and keep taking them over and over.” He then jokes that he threw the script away because it was far too unrealistic: “Who’s gonna believe that crazy idea?”
Unsurprisingly, the media reaction to this monologue was swift. Numerous headlines accused the actor of spreading ‘anti-vax conspiracy theories’, but what does this episode say about SNL itself?
Saturday Night Live has long had a reputation for its Left-liberal tilt, even serenading Barack Obama when he left office. During Covid, however, it went into overdrive. As part of its ‘lockdown satire’, there was ‘Coronavirus Holiday’, a sketch in which a family of anthropomorphised coronaviruses sit in their living room arguing about how to most effectively wreak havoc. A rebellious teenage coronavirus is tired of spreading so glugs anti-bacterial gel, praises Cuomo and announces he’ll be getting vaccinated. The mother wistfully looks back on their family history and says, “who would have thought a year ago we were just a glimmer in the eye of a sick bat?”
In another sketch, ‘The Christmas Conversation’, three young women FaceTime their mothers with the news that they deem it unsafe to travel home for the ‘holidays’. The butt of the joke is irrational motherly love blinding older women to the sensible Covid safety espoused by their exasperated socially-conscious daughters. The sketch closes on a title card that reads, “Someday soon we all will be together. Stay safe, from SNL”.
The idea that the show would allow Harrelson to poke fun at Big Pharma a year or two ago would have been unimaginable, but there appears to have been a tonal shift over the last few months. The earliest signs could be seen in late 2021 with Kim Kardashian’s appearance on the show, in which she broached the topic of her father’s role defending OJ Simpson. She said of the infamous former footballer, “I met my first black person!” and joked about the number of stab wounds he may or may not have inflicted. It was a far cry from the on-message Covid comedy that SNL audiences had become accustomed to.
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SubscribeDon’t hold your breath. SNL hasn’t been even remotely funny for over a quarter of a century. Expect them to be reined in by their friends in Hollywood within weeks.
I do not necessarily disagree with you but I kinda get the sense that there is something shifting in the culture right now, a kind of backlash to the leftist hysteria of the last few years.
Things are getting out into the news, such as the recent report on masking ineffectiveness and criticism of the trans craze that just would have not made it out of a newsroom even a year ago. Heck, the fact that the national labs decided that Covid probably came from a lab leak just came out over the weekend. Again, something that would have been buried a year ago.
Something is afoot and I do not think the far left is gonna like it much.
But then, I kinda always suspected that the progressive left was always playing the useful idiot to the center left for the sole purpose of getting rid of Trump.
The national (international) conversation does seem to be shifting, and many truths may now dare to speak their names. I wonder how far it will go? Is this the beginning of genuine honesty in government and the media, or is it a controlled conversation to placate the increasingly restive masses?
Every extreme movement eventually engenders a backlash, particlarly when it starts to eat its own. I wonder how far this backlash will go. Revenge will be taken!
Every extreme movement eventually engenders a backlash, particlarly when it starts to eat its own. I wonder how far this backlash will go. Revenge will be taken!
Covid was released from the lab to thwart Trump’s inevitable re-election. Unfortunately it worked and now we have a senile puppet in charge of the free world at the moment of greatest danger since ‘62. But no mean tweets!
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.
I really hope you’re right. But I’m a bit too cynical to believe it.
You are on the right track here. When even Bill Maher is speaking out against the excesses and absurdities of the “woke” juggernaut, you know that they have gone way too far.
The national (international) conversation does seem to be shifting, and many truths may now dare to speak their names. I wonder how far it will go? Is this the beginning of genuine honesty in government and the media, or is it a controlled conversation to placate the increasingly restive masses?
Covid was released from the lab to thwart Trump’s inevitable re-election. Unfortunately it worked and now we have a senile puppet in charge of the free world at the moment of greatest danger since ‘62. But no mean tweets!
I really hope you’re right. But I’m a bit too cynical to believe it.
You are on the right track here. When even Bill Maher is speaking out against the excesses and absurdities of the “woke” juggernaut, you know that they have gone way too far.
It was never funny. A coked-up John Belushi dressed as a bee? Jerry Lewis was more sophisticated. The only time I ever laughed was when Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd did the wild and crazy guys – and that was good for a few minutes the next day in the cafeteria but soon forgotten. The funniest satire has come from Britain – The Fast Show, Mitchell and Webb, Fry & Laurie, that early group with Rowan Atkinson and company, and, of course, the sublime Monty Python. All American late-night is just Democrat-owned propaganda. We’ve taken to giving up on all new programs (cancelled HBO in the late 90s when “Oz” appeared, and Netflix when the content was explicit about its sexualize-the-kids content with “Cuties”). Thanks to YouTube (although for how long?), one can find the brilliant Powell/Pressburger films (watched “Black Narcissus” last night), or listen to superb voice actors read Evelyn Waugh. Let’s just accept it: Hollywood is dead. Good run, lots of great stuff, but entertainment in the USA is owned by China now. I’m going elsewhere – mostly back.
Owned by China eh?
Ok slight exaggeration but see https://www.thewrap.com/hollywood-companies-owned-by-china/
and because they are the largest market they have huge influence over films being made that might be critical of China
Ok slight exaggeration but see https://www.thewrap.com/hollywood-companies-owned-by-china/
and because they are the largest market they have huge influence over films being made that might be critical of China
Owned by China eh?
I do not necessarily disagree with you but I kinda get the sense that there is something shifting in the culture right now, a kind of backlash to the leftist hysteria of the last few years.
Things are getting out into the news, such as the recent report on masking ineffectiveness and criticism of the trans craze that just would have not made it out of a newsroom even a year ago. Heck, the fact that the national labs decided that Covid probably came from a lab leak just came out over the weekend. Again, something that would have been buried a year ago.
Something is afoot and I do not think the far left is gonna like it much.
But then, I kinda always suspected that the progressive left was always playing the useful idiot to the center left for the sole purpose of getting rid of Trump.
It was never funny. A coked-up John Belushi dressed as a bee? Jerry Lewis was more sophisticated. The only time I ever laughed was when Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd did the wild and crazy guys – and that was good for a few minutes the next day in the cafeteria but soon forgotten. The funniest satire has come from Britain – The Fast Show, Mitchell and Webb, Fry & Laurie, that early group with Rowan Atkinson and company, and, of course, the sublime Monty Python. All American late-night is just Democrat-owned propaganda. We’ve taken to giving up on all new programs (cancelled HBO in the late 90s when “Oz” appeared, and Netflix when the content was explicit about its sexualize-the-kids content with “Cuties”). Thanks to YouTube (although for how long?), one can find the brilliant Powell/Pressburger films (watched “Black Narcissus” last night), or listen to superb voice actors read Evelyn Waugh. Let’s just accept it: Hollywood is dead. Good run, lots of great stuff, but entertainment in the USA is owned by China now. I’m going elsewhere – mostly back.
Don’t hold your breath. SNL hasn’t been even remotely funny for over a quarter of a century. Expect them to be reined in by their friends in Hollywood within weeks.
Perhaps SNL realized that their liberal slant has become so predictable that it undermines the premise of the show which is, to be, you know, funny. I suspect Lorne has been around long enough at this point to know that predictable and funny rarely appear in the same general vicinity. If pointedly asked about the change, expect anyone involved to deny any political leanings before or after and instead say something cliched like, “well we all felt the show had gotten a bit stale and so we’re trying to spice things up. Good comedy has to be edgy so we’re trying some new ideas to push the envelope.” More practically, I’m sure it’s occurred to more than a few NBC executives that South Park has long since passed SNL as the default American political satire and the leading inspirer of water cooler discussions, and that Parker and Stone have managed to stay mostly apolitical by criticizing everyone and making it impossible to pin down their own political leanings, assuming they actually have any.
Yeah, I haven’t researched their ratings, but I strongly suspect SNL viewership was dropping and they need to reinvent themselves or at least move back toward their former edgy style. At the end of the day, money talks even louder than “progressive” activists.
Someone should let John Oliver and Stephen Colbert know about the shifting attitudes.
We’ll know for sure if this is a plausible explanation when SNL does a send-up of all the “woke” appointments to federal office made by the Biden administration. That’s the third rail of progressivist humor. When the have the guts to mock the hypocritical BLM movement and CRT, then we will know that money speaks louder than ideology. I am not holding my breath, but I will be watching both SNL and Disney to see if they change their propagandistic tunes.
Yeah, I haven’t researched their ratings, but I strongly suspect SNL viewership was dropping and they need to reinvent themselves or at least move back toward their former edgy style. At the end of the day, money talks even louder than “progressive” activists.
Someone should let John Oliver and Stephen Colbert know about the shifting attitudes.
We’ll know for sure if this is a plausible explanation when SNL does a send-up of all the “woke” appointments to federal office made by the Biden administration. That’s the third rail of progressivist humor. When the have the guts to mock the hypocritical BLM movement and CRT, then we will know that money speaks louder than ideology. I am not holding my breath, but I will be watching both SNL and Disney to see if they change their propagandistic tunes.
Perhaps SNL realized that their liberal slant has become so predictable that it undermines the premise of the show which is, to be, you know, funny. I suspect Lorne has been around long enough at this point to know that predictable and funny rarely appear in the same general vicinity. If pointedly asked about the change, expect anyone involved to deny any political leanings before or after and instead say something cliched like, “well we all felt the show had gotten a bit stale and so we’re trying to spice things up. Good comedy has to be edgy so we’re trying some new ideas to push the envelope.” More practically, I’m sure it’s occurred to more than a few NBC executives that South Park has long since passed SNL as the default American political satire and the leading inspirer of water cooler discussions, and that Parker and Stone have managed to stay mostly apolitical by criticizing everyone and making it impossible to pin down their own political leanings, assuming they actually have any.
Look – the elephant in the room is getting restless – it is knocking over lamps – it pushed an old woman off her chair, it is groaning and chomping the curtains….
The people are having too hard a time forcing themselves to not see it anymore…. Someone is going to say something…….
And so Woody..
It is called ‘Controlled Opposition’.
”A controlled opposition is a protest movement that is actually being led by government agents. Nearly all governments in history have employed this technique to trick and subdue their adversaries. Notably Vladimir Lenin who said “The best way to control the opposition is to lead it ourselves.””
Interesting comment. Sort of like the court jester, the fool who is tolerated but tightly controlled. Harrelson is a died in the wool ultraliberal, so this fits the script.
Brilliant observation, and much closer to the truth than the fiction that SNL has changed. It’s still a leopard. It still has spots.
I always enjoy your comments but that Lenin quote is definitely a keeper.
Interesting comment. Sort of like the court jester, the fool who is tolerated but tightly controlled. Harrelson is a died in the wool ultraliberal, so this fits the script.
Brilliant observation, and much closer to the truth than the fiction that SNL has changed. It’s still a leopard. It still has spots.
I always enjoy your comments but that Lenin quote is definitely a keeper.
Look – the elephant in the room is getting restless – it is knocking over lamps – it pushed an old woman off her chair, it is groaning and chomping the curtains….
The people are having too hard a time forcing themselves to not see it anymore…. Someone is going to say something…….
And so Woody..
It is called ‘Controlled Opposition’.
”A controlled opposition is a protest movement that is actually being led by government agents. Nearly all governments in history have employed this technique to trick and subdue their adversaries. Notably Vladimir Lenin who said “The best way to control the opposition is to lead it ourselves.””
It’s one thing to be unfunny, it’s another to be over-the-top political and preachy. No one likes that garbage. SNL has went through a few different periods of being hilarious, followed by long stretches of blah. This current stretch is probably 20 years or longer though.
I’m skeptical that SNL had turned a corner though, for its humour or politics.
Yes indeed. I used to watch SNL every week like clockwork back in the 1980’s, when it was truly funny. Don’t think for a second that anything is slipping by accidentally. They agonizingly craft every sentence that is uttered on SNL, per a documentary I saw several years ago. And yes, over the last 20+years, they have become rabidly liberal and, thus, humorless.
Yes indeed. I used to watch SNL every week like clockwork back in the 1980’s, when it was truly funny. Don’t think for a second that anything is slipping by accidentally. They agonizingly craft every sentence that is uttered on SNL, per a documentary I saw several years ago. And yes, over the last 20+years, they have become rabidly liberal and, thus, humorless.
It’s one thing to be unfunny, it’s another to be over-the-top political and preachy. No one likes that garbage. SNL has went through a few different periods of being hilarious, followed by long stretches of blah. This current stretch is probably 20 years or longer though.
I’m skeptical that SNL had turned a corner though, for its humour or politics.
SNL is yesterday’s news. They just aren’t funny, and they never were.
I’d say they were funny way back in their early years with performers such as Belushi, Ackroyd, and Radner. But that phase fizzled out quickly and the show became a sort of national icon and they ended up pandering to their own image. It’s almost a social ritual in some quarters to say you watched the latest SNL.
The Belushi days were the zenith for SNL, but the show had good stretches over the years. Eddie Murphy was legit funny, maybe the single funniest cast member. He fizzled out though and the rest of the cast at the time was meh.
Will Ferrell was a pretty close second. Other great cast members were Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Kristen Wiig and Molly Shannon. Jimmy Fallon might have been the unfunniest cast member ever.
1975-80. Belushi and friends!!
1975-80. Belushi and friends!!
It’s an echo chamber masquerading as a comedy show.
The Belushi days were the zenith for SNL, but the show had good stretches over the years. Eddie Murphy was legit funny, maybe the single funniest cast member. He fizzled out though and the rest of the cast at the time was meh.
Will Ferrell was a pretty close second. Other great cast members were Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Kristen Wiig and Molly Shannon. Jimmy Fallon might have been the unfunniest cast member ever.
It’s an echo chamber masquerading as a comedy show.
1975-80
I’d say they were funny way back in their early years with performers such as Belushi, Ackroyd, and Radner. But that phase fizzled out quickly and the show became a sort of national icon and they ended up pandering to their own image. It’s almost a social ritual in some quarters to say you watched the latest SNL.
1975-80
SNL is yesterday’s news. They just aren’t funny, and they never were.
After 2 years of the Biden Presidency they do not have any choice. Ignoring the absurdities after attacking Trump non stop for 4 years would make them look absurd! Any change in their stance has been forced rather than made voluntarily.
After 2 years of the Biden Presidency they do not have any choice. Ignoring the absurdities after attacking Trump non stop for 4 years would make them look absurd! Any change in their stance has been forced rather than made voluntarily.
One incident does not make a trend.
One incident does not make a trend.
It is pretty sad when we are surprised that comedians make fun of big pharma. It is like all these ‘activists’ who agree with the government, their university professors, their school teachers, big tech censors and the UN about everything. So stunning – so brave.
It is pretty sad when we are surprised that comedians make fun of big pharma. It is like all these ‘activists’ who agree with the government, their university professors, their school teachers, big tech censors and the UN about everything. So stunning – so brave.