The Impact of SNL

Maya Benson|April 28, 2015

..And live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
Many of us have heard this infamous quote followed by a stream of jazzy music, famous faces and names being shown on our TVs. For some, Saturday Night Live is just a pastime TV show to fall asleep to; for others, it’s a show to watch religiously with the family, but for our society as a whole, SNL is an influential show that has impacted much of modern USA.
“Saturday Night Live” was created by Lorne Michaels in 1975. Because of the late night humor and the inexperienced nature of the show, a late night time slot with a low amount of watchers was given to the cast. From the beginning, SNL was an underdog story.
If someone tried to explain a TV show where people dress up as random characters just to be funny, it might sound a bit ridiculous. But somehow, SNL makes it work, and this year, the show celebrated its forty year anniversary.
SNL’s most significant impact has been in the field of comedy. While giving birth to some of the greatest comedians known today, including as Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Mike Meyers, Tina Fey and many more, SNL has also altered the history of comedy throughout the years.
SNL has created a bridge between comedy and everything els
e considered taboo. Over its forty year run, SNL has not shied away from joking about any topic, whether it be terrorists, gay rights, racism, or anything in between. SNL has broken barriers in a satirical way.

Specifically when the “Weekend Update” was introduced, a new form of satire relating to current events came into place. Suddenly smart humor relied on being well informed and up-to-date on global issues.

But, let us not forget the impact SNL also plays in politics. Take the 2008 presidential electionfor instance, where a new wave of social networking became apparent in the campaigns of John McCain and Barrack Obama. McCain and Obama both came on
SNL in 2008 to be featured in some jokes and raise awareness for their campaigns. But even more famous than the presidential candidate appearances were the Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton impersonations done by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, respectively. Political candidates began to use these impersonations and publicity as campaign strategies.
Throughout its forty years, SNL has created some of our favorite comedians, movies, skits and digital shorts. The show has impacted our society through comedy and politics and will continue to influence our society in years to come. It has gone through many different writers and cast members over the years, but there is one thing we can count on: SNL is here to stay.