Why Saturday Night Live Sucks Now

I started watching Saturday Night Live (SNL) back in the late seventies. It was amazing. John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and so on. Pure gold. Soon after you got Eddie Murphy, Phil Hartman, Tim Meadows, Martin Short, Molly Shannon, and Cheri Oteri. You know who else was great? Will Ferell, Mike Meyers, Chris Kattan, Dana Carvey, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and so on.

The writing was also so much better years ago. You had amazing writers including Larry David, Bob Odenkirk, Conan O'Brien, Seth Myers, Al Franken, Dennis Miller, and so on. The skits were so original. The timing was great. The cast members had this special kind of chemistry like they fed off each other.

I still watch SNL but it's a struggle to get through to Weekend Update which is still very good. It shouldn't have to be this way. I have some insights that might have something to do with the decline in SNL's comedic value. And, sure, it might have something to do with my age and my demographic. I'm a 57 year old Jew. Not a ton of us around. But it's not just me I'm hearing this from. I have plenty of friends from different age groups and ethnicity. I've asked them their opinion. Most of them say, "Adam, I don't even watch it anymore." So sad.

So, first off, I feel like SNL is just catering to how best they can monetize the show now. How can they appeal to all the key demographics via targeted skit themes and cast member choices. I truly try not to discriminate against anyone unless they are just an asshole. I can't tolerate assholes no matter what race or sexual preference they have. But I also get irritated when SNL keeps on a cast member who might be black or chinese and just isn't funny. Michele Che is funny! Leslie Jones just wasn't. Kenan Thompson is funny! Bowen Yang sucks.

Then you have Pete Davidson. I like him. I'm rooting for him. I love his honesty. He has a heart-warming smile. But he isn't funny. At best he's entertaining...until he starts laughing in the middle of the skit. I did like his King of Staten Island movie with Bill Burr. Bill Burr is funny! I like the movie because it was entertaining and had a good message. The characters were likable. I really do like Pete Davidson. I've smiled to some things that he says. But Pete doesn't really get me laughing like Phil Hartman, Eddie Murphy, or Dana Carvey used to. I feel like Lorne Michaels liked Pete so much that he kept him on for the value of de-stigmatizing mental illness and bringing more awareness and acceptance to it. I personally love that as I have issues with anxiety and depression. But it doesn't mean it belongs on SNL comedy skits.

This brings me to my next point. I cringe when Bowan Yang does a skit. It has nothing to do with him being Chinese or gay. It only has to do with my opinion that he just isn't funny. So is Lorne exploiting Bowan Yang to get more Chinese and gay people to watch SNL versus getting a funnier cast member? If so, that sucks! I'd be happy if Lorne got another Chinese and gay person to be on the show as long as he, or she, is funny. That's all I'm asking for.

Some of the skits just never have a chance. It really doesn't matter who's in them unless they go rogue and just improv it. Debbie Downer skits were great! But these dumb music rap comedy bits just suck. It could be my age, but I don't think so in this case. Everyone loved the classic Blue Oyster Cult bit with "I need more cowbell" starring Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken. But what latest musical comedy bit has gone viral lately? I don't think any of them. I usually just say, "God, this is stupid," and have to fast forward through them...even if I like the cast members in it. Can I do better? I'm going to be so bold as to say, "Hell yeah!" And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

It gives me absolutely no pleasure in trashing today's SNL. I still tune in just hoping it will have a few good sketches. I still love Weekend Update. I grew up with this show and I just want it to be good again. And the answers are so easy. Just hire the funniest people and the funniest writers. And when they start to suck, hire new ones. Lorne, please, just concentrate on that. Don't try to be everything to everyone because that was never what made the old SNL so damn funny. We need funny right now. Bring back the funny, Lorne!