When did SNL jump the shark?

[GigGoo]

SNL's rating have been on steady decline? So have al linear networks and TV shows, other than some live sports.

Why do you think this is? I'll give you a hint. It's the reasons I laid out in my original post about streaming and the internet. More options, less monopolization on talent. Yet you took exception with that post because you're a know-nothing, contrarian clown.

Incremental Youtube ad revenue is not substantial revenue stream for NBC. SNL is dying a slow death. But you will go down with the ship, because you're a talentless, humorless hack like the SNL cast members and writers you adore.

 

[Bloom.]

Why do you think this is? I'll give you a hint. It's the reasons I laid out in my original post about streaming and the internet. More options, less monopolization on talent. Yet you took exception with that post because you're a know-nothing, contrarian clown.

You acted like this is an SNL and political leaning issue. It's not. It's a macro issue, not a micro issue, and you failed consider their traction and audience on social media, which is more and more becoming a delivery system for content.

Incremental Youtube ad revenue is not substantial revenue stream for NBC. SNL is dying a slow death. But you will go down with the ship, because you're a talentless, humorless hack like the SNL cast members and writers you adore.

I like irony.

 

[GigGoo]

You acted like this is an SNL and political leaning issue. It's not. It's a macro issue, not a micro issue, and you failed consider their traction and audience on social media, which is more and more becoming a delivery system for content.


I like irony.

I guess we'll agree to disagree that SNL has and always had had a left wing political bias. I think it's pretty clear to anyone paying attention. But if you want to play semantics and stick your head in the ground have at it.

Edit:

Actually the numbers bear out that SNL has a left wing political bias. You're wrong again. Why are you always so god damn wrong? It's annoying.

 

[Bloom.]

I guess we'll agree to disagree that SNL has and always had had a left wing political bias. I think it's pretty clear to anyone paying attention. But if you want to play semantics and stick your head in the ground have at it.

Edit:

Actually the numbers bear out that SNL has a left wing political bias. You're wrong again. Why are you always so god damn wrong? It's annoying.

A poll published in 2017 that I have to pay $149 to read? Nah.

I signed up for a free account, and I still can't view the results.

I would bet that SNL's TV crowd has always leaned to the left. It's younger, hipper. Also, the live audience is a NYC audience, and it makes some sense to play to that crowd to some extent. It could also mean that old conservative folks, such as yourself have issues staying up that late, or that it doesn't sync up with your late night p*ss break.

And just because the mean of the audience leans left, doesn't mean it's cast members or writers, as a whole, do. That's some pretty lazy logic on your part.

2017 called. They want their poll back. Maybe you go to bed two hours earlier on Saturday night, so when you have pee it's 11:30PM. You can watch the show and report.

 

[UncleMark]

It could also mean that old conservative folks, such as yourself have issues staying up that late, or that it doesn't sync up with your late night p*ss break.

017 called. They want their poll back. Maybe you go to bed two hours earlier on Saturday night, so when you have pee it's 11:30PM. You can watch the show and report.

You're wrong about Farva's age. He might be 30, if that.

 

[zeke4ahs]

You're wrong about Farva's age. He might be 30, if that.

He just likes to cosplay as a grumpy old man.

 

[IUINSB]

He just likes to cosplay as a grumpy old man.

So he's the one who stole my wardrobe.

 

[Bloom.]

You're wrong about Farva's age. He might be 30, if that.

Same reply.

 

[ams66]

Funny because guys with Conservative leanings like Sandler, Schneider, Lovitz, Spade, Colin Quinn and Norm with made the show great in the late 80’s/ 90’s. And now it sucks.

SNL was done when they fired Norm Macdonald. Haven't really ever watched it since.

 

[TommyCracker]

Meh, as Kate McKinnon said to the effect of 'writing and putting on a sketch comedy show for fifty years is difficult'.

I'd say the current iteration is going through a transition but holy jeebus the last twenty years has been incredible in regards to talent and chemistry while navigating through insane technological change in the medium with precision.

When he first debuted Andy Samberg just seemed like the young, floppy haired college frat boy (there's always one) living off dick jokes but he probably will be considered one of the most critical hires in it's history because he was the one who understood how to make viral moments and he made a ton of them which put SNL at the forefront of the Internet age for comedy content.

Anyway from late 90's Will Ferrell to Fallon to Fey, Poehler to mid 00's Hader, Wigg, Sandberg, Sudeikis, Forte, Meyers to McKinnon, Strong, Beck Bennett, Mikey Day....while having Thompson there the whole time is just an unbelievable amount of individual talent that has passed through in the last 20 years.

Personally I loved the mid 00's SNL. Probably my favorite era of many great eras (I've been watching since the end of the 70's).

And people have claimed every new iteration has sucked. It supposedly sucked when Ferrell was on it (even though he's considered the greatest SNL cast member), it sucked when Farley/Rock/Sandler was on it, and it sucked when Hartman, Meyers and Carvey led it. Supposedly.

Which is nonsense. Those casts were all incredible.

Doesn't mean there aren't lulls.

I have noticed that a majority of their sketches focus more on viral moments vs news events. I have to keep explaining to my gf the backstory of skits like this one last year that's referencing a quick viral Tik Tok of a Ms Universe pageant.

If you never saw the video passed around on Twitter this sketch probably seems dumb but, if you know the clip, it's pretty good. I was laughing pretty hard while my GF was going WTF thinking it was just a weird sketch.

(If you watch it, you just need to watch the first couple of minutes for the joke to play out. It runs out of steam quickly because they are trying to build a sketch around quick, viral moments. I think it's fair to say viral moments aren't conducive for sketch comedy but, that's what the world is now, short, quick monents. This one comes out hot and then dies).

 

[Bloom.]

SNL was done when they fired Norm Macdonald. Haven't really ever watched it since.

You were done. It wasn't done. It moved along just fine.

 

[Bloom.]

Meh, as Kate McKinnon said to the effect of 'writing and putting on a sketch comedy show for fifty years is difficult'.

I'd say the current iteration is going through a transition but holy jeebus the last twenty years has been incredible in regards to talent and chemistry while navigating through insane technological change in the medium with precision.

When he first debuted Andy Samberg just seemed like the young, floppy haired college frat boy (there's always one) living off dick jokes but he probably will be considered one of the most critical hires in it's history because he was the one who understood how to make viral moments and he made a ton of them which put SNL at the forefront of the Internet age for comedy content.

Anyway from late 90's Will Ferrell to Fallon to Fey, Poehler to mid 00's Hader, Wigg, Sandberg, Sudeikis, Forte, Meyers to McKinnon, Strong, Beck Bennett, Mikey Day....while having Thompson there the whole time is just an unbelievable amount of individual talent that has passed through in the last 20 years.

Personally I loved the mid 00's SNL. Probably my favorite era of many great eras (I've been watching since the end of the 70's).

And people have claimed every new iteration has sucked. It supposedly sucked when Ferrell was on it (even though he's considered the greatest SNL cast member), it sucked when Farley/Rock/Sandler was on it, and it sucked when Hartman, Meyers and Carvey led it. Supposedly.

Which is nonsense. Those casts were all incredible.

Doesn't mean there aren't lulls.

I have noticed that a majority of their sketches focus more on viral moments vs news events. I have to keep explaining to my gf the backstory of skits like this one last year that's referencing a quick viral Tik Tok of a Ms Universe pageant.

If you never saw the video passed around on Twitter this sketch probably seems dumb but, if you know the clip, it's pretty good. I was laughing pretty hard while my GF was going WTF thinking it was just a weird sketch.

(If you watch it, you just need to watch the first couple of minutes for the joke to play out. It runs out of steam quickly because they are trying to build a sketch around quick, viral moments. I think it's fair to say viral moments aren't conducive for sketch comedy but, that's what the world is now, short, quick monents. This one comes out hot and then dies).

View embedded media

Toward @GigGoo's 'points', SNL is deep in the lead among shows in the 11:30PM time slot. On a normal night, they 4M per show. Colbert leads the weeknight shows with an average of 2.9M. Let's give Goo Gutfeld on Fox News. LOL His 1.4M viewers, I'm sure sit there with tin foil hats adorned.

This year, SNL has been pulling in 4.9M viewers and leads in views among broadcast shows' social media presence. (Some of social media is based on total followers) To suggest its ratings are in decline simply because of political leanings is deeply flawed, borderline dumb.

At its peak, SNL had 13.5M viewers. By comparison The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson pulled 9M viewers on average. All of linear TV is in decline, and it started LONG before streaming.

 

[BradStevens]

Meh, as Kate McKinnon said to the effect of 'writing and putting on a sketch comedy show for fifty years is difficult'.

I'd say the current iteration is going through a transition but holy jeebus the last twenty years has been incredible in regards to talent and chemistry while navigating through insane technological change in the medium with precision.

When he first debuted Andy Samberg just seemed like the young, floppy haired college frat boy (there's always one) living off dick jokes but he probably will be considered one of the most critical hires in it's history because he was the one who understood how to make viral moments and he made a ton of them which put SNL at the forefront of the Internet age for comedy content.

Anyway from late 90's Will Ferrell to Fallon to Fey, Poehler to mid 00's Hader, Wigg, Sandberg, Sudeikis, Forte, Meyers to McKinnon, Strong, Beck Bennett, Mikey Day....while having Thompson there the whole time is just an unbelievable amount of individual talent that has passed through in the last 20 years.

Personally I loved the mid 00's SNL. Probably my favorite era of many great eras (I've been watching since the end of the 70's).

And people have claimed every new iteration has sucked. It supposedly sucked when Ferrell was on it (even though he's considered the greatest SNL cast member), it sucked when Farley/Rock/Sandler was on it, and it sucked when Hartman, Meyers and Carvey led it. Supposedly.

Which is nonsense. Those casts were all incredible.

Doesn't mean there aren't lulls.

I have noticed that a majority of their sketches focus more on viral moments vs news events. I have to keep explaining to my gf the backstory of skits like this one last year that's referencing a quick viral Tik Tok of a Ms Universe pageant.

If you never saw the video passed around on Twitter this sketch probably seems dumb but, if you know the clip, it's pretty good. I was laughing pretty hard while my GF was going WTF thinking it was just a weird sketch.

(If you watch it, you just need to watch the first couple of minutes for the joke to play out. It runs out of steam quickly because they are trying to build a sketch around quick, viral moments. I think it's fair to say viral moments aren't conducive for sketch comedy but, that's what the world is now, short, quick monents. This one comes out hot and then dies).

View embedded media

I don't find that clip funny.

SNL has always done political comedy. They used to do it very well:





I can't find my favorite: the '92 Dem candidates visit the Star Trek convention. Farrell with the ball of yarn was also good.

At least w/r/t presidents, I think they atrophied for the 8 years of Obama. He was a tough guy to satirize--he was too handsome, too cool, and everyone liked him. That he was a black man must have been tough, too.

 

[TommyCracker]

I don't find that clip funny.

SNL has always done political comedy. They used to do it very well:

View embedded media

View embedded media

I can't find my favorite: the '92 Dem candidates visit the Star Trek convention. Farrell with the ball of yarn was also good.

At least w/r/t presidents, I think they atrophied for the 8 years of Obama. He was a tough guy to satirize--he was too handsome, too cool, and everyone liked him. That he was a black man must have been tough, too.

This was just an example of them making a sketch off a viral clip, which they seem to be doing more of.

Are you familiar with the viral video they were mocking? Here it is if you aren't.



Problem is a viral moment is typically a one note, quick hitter (like an episode of Family Guy stuffed with quick bits) which doesn't make for good sketch material, especially if you're not familiar with the viral moment.

They should be doing more skits like Levi's Woke, which is political/social commentary, than riffing on viral moments imo.

I'm a lib and I thought this was an incredibly well put together sketch making light of the woke movement in particular gen z (for those who say they never go after the left).

There's so much more material to work with here and they knock it out of the park on this one imo.

 

[GigGoo]

This was just an example of them making a sketch off a viral clip, which they seem to be doing more of.

Are you familiar with the viral video they were mocking? Here it is if you aren't.

View embedded media

Problem is a viral moment is typically a one note, quick hitter (like an episode of Family Guy stuffed with quick bits) which doesn't make for good sketch material, especially if you're not familiar with the viral moment.

They should be doing more skits like Levi's Woke, which is political/social commentary, than riffing on viral moments imo.

I'm a lib and I thought this was an incredibly well put together sketch making light of the woke movement in particular gen z (for those who say they never go after the left).

There's so much more material to work with here and they knock it out of the park on this one imo.

View embedded media

The problem is they’ve steered more political at a time when the politics is as alienating as it’s been in SNL’s history. They have 100% more political sketches than they had in 1993.

They’re trying to capture a select, obedient audience. Like that pathetic loser Bloom. Colbert, Fallon, and Kimmel aren’t inherently bad comedians. They’ve just left half the country for dead

 

[outside shooter]

Fallon is just brutal with his every night "Biden is a helpless senile fool" jokes. Funny though (not a Biden fanboy).

 

[hoosboot]

This was just an example of them making a sketch off a viral clip, which they seem to be doing more of.

Are you familiar with the viral video they were mocking? Here it is if you aren't.

View embedded media

Problem is a viral moment is typically a one note, quick hitter (like an episode of Family Guy stuffed with quick bits) which doesn't make for good sketch material, especially if you're not familiar with the viral moment.

They should be doing more skits like Levi's Woke, which is political/social commentary, than riffing on viral moments imo.

I'm a lib and I thought this was an incredibly well put together sketch making light of the woke movement in particular gen z (for those who say they never go after the left).

There's so much more material to work with here and they knock it out of the park on this one imo.

View embedded media

That was a great bit.

Towards the point you've been making, one of the things that's hard right now is that those kind of really invested, smart and committed sketches aren't nearly as viral because there isn't one big moment to point to and they aren't click-bait.

A lot of people look back at earlier SNL eras and forget how much crap there was amidst legendary bits. No one remembers Steven Segal hosting or Commie Hunting Season or Farley, Norm, Tim Meadows, and Sandler at the Central Park Zoo. People think it was all "living in a van down by the river", "Jane, you ignorant slut", and "Buckwheat is dead."

 

[hookyIU1990]

That was a great bit.

Towards the point you've been making, one of the things that's hard right now is that those kind of really invested, smart and committed sketches aren't nearly as viral because there isn't one big moment to point to and they aren't click-bait.

A lot of people look back at earlier SNL eras and forget how much crap there was amidst legendary bits. No one remembers Steven Segal hosting or Commie Hunting Season or Farley, Norm, Tim Meadows, and Sandler at the Central Park Zoo. People think it was all "living in a van down by the river", "Jane, you ignorant slut", and "Buckwheat is dead."

To this day, whenever I see my best friend from HS.

"You look maahvelous"
"Remember, it is better to look marvelous, than to feel maahvelous"

 

[BradStevens]

That was a great bit.

Towards the point you've been making, one of the things that's hard right now is that those kind of really invested, smart and committed sketches aren't nearly as viral because there isn't one big moment to point to and they aren't click-bait.

A lot of people look back at earlier SNL eras and forget how much crap there was amidst legendary bits. No one remembers Steven Segal hosting or Commie Hunting Season or Farley, Norm, Tim Meadows, and Sandler at the Central Park Zoo. People think it was all "living in a van down by the river", "Jane, you ignorant slut", and "Buckwheat is dead."

"Jane, you ignorant slut" and Ackroyd's whole screed there might still be the funniest moment on the show.

 

[mcmurtry66]

That was a great bit.

Towards the point you've been making, one of the things that's hard right now is that those kind of really invested, smart and committed sketches aren't nearly as viral because there isn't one big moment to point to and they aren't click-bait.

A lot of people look back at earlier SNL eras and forget how much crap there was amidst legendary bits. No one remembers Steven Segal hosting or Commie Hunting Season or Farley, Norm, Tim Meadows, and Sandler at the Central Park Zoo. People think it was all "living in a van down by the river", "Jane, you ignorant slut", and "Buckwheat is dead."

wow Segal is a treasure. his show where we traveled with him while he was a deputy sheriff with x-ray vision in a parish in new orleans was as fine as anything ever produced on television

 

[GigGoo]

Except conservatives aren’t creatives…

Everybody Loves Raymond is probably my favorite sitcom of all time. A show that never gets its due imo.

Patricia Heaton and Ray Romano. Both registered Republicans.

 

[Bloom.]

The problem is they’ve steered more political at a time when the politics is as alienating as it’s been in SNL’s history. They have 100% more political sketches than they had in 1993.

They’re trying to capture a select, obedient audience. Like that pathetic loser Bloom. Colbert, Fallon, and Kimmel aren’t inherently bad comedians. They’ve just left half the country for dead

You're just upset I dusted your view on ratings, and that you had zero awareness of their audience on social media.

 

[GigGoo]

You're just upset I dusted your view on ratings, and that you had zero awareness of their audience on social media.

lol! You “dusted my view” on rating by affirming my original post.

Nice dusting you moron.

 

[Bloom.]

lol! You “dusted my view” on rating by affirming my original post.

Nice dusting you moron.

Your act that SNL was losing ratings due to politics was alarmingly ignorant.

 

[GigGoo]

Your act that SNL was losing ratings due to politics was alarmingly ignorant.

It is though. When most republicans hold a negative view of SNL they’re not going to watch.

 

[Bloom.]

It is though. When most republicans hold a negative view of SNL they’re not going to watch.

OK...but, Goo, SNL has always been political, and they take shots at Biden too. So does that say more about SNL or the sensitive nature of people like you?

Linear TV ratings down across the board, and your big take on SNL was....uhhh...political sketches. Meanwhile, it's still the highest rated show on TV in its time slot on any night, short of NFL.

 

[GigGoo]

OK...but, Goo, SNL has always been political, and they take shots at Biden too. So does that say more about SNL or the sensitive nature of people like you?

Linear TV ratings down across the board, and your big take on SNL was....uhhh...political sketches.

It’s decidedly more political since the turn of the century and especially since Trump. There has been a massive uptick in the number of politically focused sketches.

That is alienating. And the shots at Biden or Obama or any Democrat are decidedly different in tenor and viciousness than the ones they take at Republicans.

The sketch that started this thread was fertile comedic ground. You have three university heads defending calls for genocide when they sanction speech for a living.

But SNL decides to make Stefanik the butt of the joke. That’s why the sketch flopped. That tells you all you need to know about their politics.

 

[Bloom.]

It’s decidedly more political since the turn of the century and especially since Trump. There has been a massive uptick in the number of politically focused sketches.

That is alienating. And the shots at Biden or Obama or any Democrat are decidedly different in tenor and viciousness than the ones they take at Republicans.

Trump provides a lot of material, and since he spent a good portion of his time as pResident firing back at SNL and Alec Baldwin, of course they're going to keep taking shots at him.

The sketch that started this thread was fertile comedic ground. You have three university heads defending calls for genocide when they sanction speech for a living.

But SNL decides to make Stefanik the butt of the joke. That’s why the sketch flopped. That tells you all you need to know about their politics.

They took shots at all of them. it just wasn't a good sketch. It has zero to do with its political leaning.


It tells us all we need to know about your politics.

 

[GigGoo]

Trump provides a lot of material, and since he spent a good portion of his time as pResident firing back at SNL and Alec Baldwin, of course they're going to keep taking shots at him.


They took shots at all of them. it just wasn't a good sketch. It has zero to do with its political leaning.


It tells us all we need to know about your politics.

You’re either delusional or more likely dishonest. You know exactly the politics of the majority of current SNL writers and cast members but you’re pretending otherwise to play out a semantics political argument.

If I put a gun to your head and asked did 90%+ of the SNL staff vote for Biden/ Obama or not? Would you answer correctly? Or allow yourself to die?

 

[VanPastorMan]

Except conservatives aren’t creatives…

On SNL? The Babylon Bee is very funny.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

On SNL? The Babylon Bee is very funny.

It used to be a lot funnier.

 

[VanPastorMan]

It used to be a lot funnier.

I didn't pay attention to TBB in it's earlier days. But you are probably right.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

I didn't pay attention to TBB in it's earlier days. But you are probably right.

The original owner created a very good product, but he sold it after a few years, and the new owners slowly made it more politically partisan. Not that the writing isn't still good, because it is. But they pull too many punches (on the right) or reach too often (on the left) now.

 

[hoosboot]

"Jane, you ignorant slut" and Ackroyd's whole screed there might still be the funniest moment on the show.

View embedded media

It's a good rant. I cried laughing when I saw this recent sketch this season.

 

[BradStevens]

It's a good rant. I cried laughing when I saw this recent sketch this season.

View embedded media

Who is that playing Washington?

 

[hoosboot]

Who is that playing Washington?

Comedian Nate Bargatze. He hosted that night. If you don't know him, you should definitely check him out.

 

[zeke4ahs]

Everybody Loves Raymond is probably my favorite sitcom of all time. A show that never gets its due imo.

Patricia Heaton and Ray Romano. Both registered Republicans.

Oh hey great. You found a show that’s only been off the air for 18 years. Kind of proves my point, wouldn’t you say?

 

[zeke4ahs]

On SNL? The Babylon Bee is very funny.

Period.

 

[Bloom.]

You’re either delusional or more likely dishonest. You know exactly the politics of the majority of current SNL writers and cast members but you’re pretending otherwise to play out a semantics political argument.

We do? Let me know.

If I put a gun to your head and asked did 90%+ of the SNL staff vote for Biden/ Obama or not? Would you answer correctly? Or allow yourself to die?

You wouldn't get a gun to my head, not without a couple of friends.

 

[GigGoo]

Oh hey great. You found a show that’s only been off the air for 18 years. Kind of proves my point, wouldn’t you say?

Have you seen what passes for good television now days?