Amy Poehler’s recent comments about regrettableSaturday Night Livesketches prove that the topical comedy show’s longevity is astounding considering its timely subject matter.Saturday Night Liveseason 50was the most-watched outing of the long-running comedy show since 2021, proving that the series still has a lot of viewers eager to see its weekly spin on news stories. Although manySaturday Night Livestars are rumoredto leave before season 51, these strong ratings are evidence that the series will remain relevant regardless of these departures.
That said,Saturday Night Live’s focus on contemporary news hasn’t always worked in the show’s favor. While some ofWill Ferrell’s bestSaturday Night Livecharactersare timeless, many other characters and sketches have aged terribly. Changing cultural norms constantly reshape what does and doesn’t work in comedy, and former series star Amy Poehler noted on an episode of her podcastGood Hangthat she and formerSaturday Night Livestar Will Forte undoubtedly appeared in sketches and roles they now regret with the benefit of hindsight.
Not All of Saturday Night Live’s Classic Gags Withstood the Test of Time
Speaking to Forte about their shared time onSaturday Night Live, Poehler said “(We) played people that we should not have played. The part about getting older and being in comedy is you have to, like, figure out, ‘Oh, it’s like everything has an expiration date’… We all played people that we should not have played. I misappropriated, I appropriated…I didn’t know.” While there have always been some norms for television comedy, a broader awareness of issues like cultural appropriation and insensitivity makesSaturday Night Live’s longevity particularly notable.
1995’s “Directors On Directing,” where the main gag is that a round table of movie directors are only interested in discussing who slept with which leading lady, is almost unwatchable in light of the MeToo movement’s revelations.
From sketches that made light of pedophilia to gags that incorporated outdated racial, ethnic, and gender stereotypes, plenty ofSaturday Night Livesketcheshave aged badly. For example, 1995’s “Directors On Directing,” where the main gag is that a round table of movie directors are only interested in discussing who slept with which leading lady, is almost unwatchable in light of the MeToo movement’s revelations. The fact that Quentin Tarantino appears in the sketch only makes matters more uncomfortable.
Saturday Night Live’s Resiliency Is Due To Its Flexibility
SNL Changes With The Times
However, while many sketches, like 2013’s “Christmas Past” or 1994’s “Canteen Boy,” are unlikely to air again in 2025, there is a reason thatSaturday Night Livehas been able to survive despite this issue.EachSaturday Night Liveepisode holds a mirror of the cultural era and the zeitgeist of its creation, so the show’s sketches can change with the times. Where a lot of series rely on the same cast of recurring characters,Saturday Night Livenot only replaces its recurring stars but also the actors playing them every few years.
The manycameos ofSaturday Night Live’s 50th anniversaryproved that entire generations of comedians have been part of the series, so it is no surprise that the show’s tone and style have changed over the years. Sketches that would have been seen as comparatively progressive in the ‘80s would be considered shockingly retrograde by the 2010s, just like a lot ofSaturday Night Live’s current output could be viewed as outdated and regrettable in a few short years. This is why the show has lasted, despite Poehler’s accurate assertions about unfortunate older skits.
SNL50 Proved Saturday Night Live Is Still A Cultural Force
Saturday Night Live’s 50th Anniversary Show Was A Huge Ratings Hit
Not only hasSaturday Night Livesurvived, but the show’s ratings prove the series remains a cultural force to be reckoned with.Saturday Night Liveis not as influential as it was during the show’s peak, but the show remains a proving ground for comedic talents who go on to have bigger solo careers after leaving the series. In recent years, Bill Hader, John Mulaney, Chloe Fineman, and Bowen Yang have all used the series as a stepping stone to major leading roles in movies and TV shows of their own.
Meanwhile, the popularity ofSaturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary specialis further evidence that the show is not short of cultural relevance. Thanks to its many viral digital shorts,Saturday Night Livehas been able to bring the medium of sketch comedy to a new generation of viewers online, even if its legacy does also come complete with some regrettable, outdated skits that no longer hold up so well.
