Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E_WeuKkJ2s
During the dark times that the US is currently going through, SNL has once again not failed to make everyone laugh. I personally think that comedy/parodies are incredible ways to make social statements- and this skit only proved that thought.
Ever since I came to the U.S, it has been hard to disregard just how ridiculous most televised political moments are (especially those from Trump rallies, which usually leave me incredibly confused as to how people can take Donald Trump seriously enough to go through all that trouble voting for him when two days ago he was enacting sexual acts with his microphone)- which is very different from Turkey as politicians in Turkey take themselves very seriously and try to upkeep their images. This skit by SNL kind of symbolized perfectly how I saw/ interpreted the VP debate- in a way where it perfectly encapsulates how I would describe the debate to anyone who hasn’t seen it.
One thing that I have realized about SNL is that their use of sarcasm is a very foolproof way of theirs to make their political stances and views on political/social issues very clear while up keeping their image as a comedy show. This is not only very effective as through this they do not lose the audience they would if they were to make a serious segment about all of these issues, but it is also effective in the way of highlighting a lot of the ridiculousness that goes on in U.S politics- some that may not seem as bad while you’re actually watching the debate but look absolutely horrible once highlighted like this.
Sarcasm and comedy have always been powerful tools for making social commentary because of how they allow creators to critique serious issues in an approachable and often more digestible way. Humor provides a means to highlight absurdities, hypocrisies, and inconsistencies in politics or society without directly alienating the audience making them defensive about whatever candidate they support. A well-crafted parody, like this SNL skit, can provoke a lot of thought and reflection, which is very needed during these times. It gives people an outlet to process the frustrations and complexities of current events, offering a moment of levity without undermining the gravity of the issues being discussed. By balancing humor with critique, these performances not only entertain but also unite both sides of the political spectrum in a classroom with the assignment being reflection.
P.S: If I still haven’t convinced you, Bowen Yang as JD Vance should be enough of a reason to watch this.
Note for Professor Zinman: I had a lot of trouble uploading images, so if it doesn’t work when I post the blog I just wanted to let you know, here are the links to the images I was trying to upload.
Image 1: https://www.nbc.com/sites/nbcblog/files/2024/10/snl-5001-dana-carvey-maya-rudolph-jim-gaffigan.jpg
