SNL is a Complete Shitshow

Last time I watched it someone put it on thinking it would be something funny everyone could watch and laugh at. Group of 8 people. Not one laugh for 20 minutes. It was awkward and terrible. I kept thinking maybe that but was just a slow one and they were all just terrible.

I know it’s bad because the last few SNL threads have barely cracked a page or 2.

People are tuning out and the posters who are tuning in aren’t really seeing anything standout as funny enough to be shared/postworthy

ETA: I know it’s still getting viewers and great numbers, but it’s clearly being driven by a certain demographic

I caught one of the anchors of the weekend update on the radio when he was in Nashville last summer.

He was pretty candid about how lopsided they were and gave an example of a joke they made him cut after HRC had hilariously listed the four things that cost her the election.

The joke was (paraphrasing) Russia, Comey, Misongyny, and having to use my real name and personality.

that was too hardcore.

I’ve tuned out SNL too. And I was a hardcore Daily Show fan, from Kilborn til the day Stewart retired. I liked Colbert Report too. But as liberals become more unhinged, their comedy suffers. It’s become too personal.

It's extremely host dependent now because the writing room is God awful.

When SNL was at its peak the writers were world class comedic writers. Look at some of the people it produced. Especially ones that went on to write other movies and TV shows. Some of these people are in contention for the Mount Rushmore of comedy:

Forget about the casts. Let's just look at the credited writers room.

From 1975-2005 one or multiple of these people were on the writing staff:

Conan
Bob Odenkirk
Larry David
Christopher Guest
Billy Crystal
Dan Aykroyd
Chevy Chase
Bill Murray is
Gamnill and Pross
Martin Short
Fey (head writer)
Mullaney
Mike Meyers
Eddie Murphy
Adam Sandler
David Spade
Norm McDonald
Dave Attell
Kevin Nealon
Adam McKay (head writer)
Stephen Colbert
Robert Smigel
Joe Kelly
John Lutz
JB Smoove
Jason Sudeikis

In 2006/2007 Tina Fey leaves the show and Seth Meyers and Colin Jost show up and take over the writing room. The talent plummets in the writing room, as does the shows quality.

They don't even know how to end a skit anymore. Every skit seems to just ramble until it fades to black and most of them are disjointed with less wit and subtlety and more just political views and social commentary.

But if you go watch an episode from the last couple years with a great established writer like Dave Chapelle, Louis CK, Tina Fey, Will Ferrel, etc... The show is great. They actually have a pretty good cast the problem is the writing room is a fricking mess. Go watch the 40th anniversary episode. It was fantastic.

And weekend update is a fricking insult to what that segment used to be. frick Jost and Che. They are horrendous.

Seth Meyers as head writer and now Colin Jost as head writer are to blame for all this shite. They suck. It's evident when you watch Seth Meyers Late Night show or Jost on the update desk. They're just not funny.

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I know it’s still getting viewers and great numbers, but it’s clearly being driven by a certain demographic

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since they've gone all in on being the comedic leader of the resistance I wonder what that will mean for their ratings when Trump is no longer president? The people they alienated won't watch and perhaps less of the "resistance" will tune in b/c the resistance will be effectively over.

SNL should’ve been cancelled 5 years ago.

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It's extremely host dependent now because the writing room is God awful.

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It's a shame because the material should almost write itself these days... 45 is a walking/talking punchline..

Good idea, nobody is doing Trump-based humor these days.