For a joke, 50 years is almost an eternity. A good joke's shelf life is usually limited by time or place. What was once considered funny might be offensive and embarrassing to future generations. "In Memoriam" – that's what "Saturday Night Live" called the segment that compiled some jokes that didn't survive the test of time throughout the show's 50 years. "Even though the characters, the accents... were unquestionably in poor taste, you all laughed at them," actor Tom Hanks clarified to the uncomfortable viewers at home, "so if anyone should be canceled, shouldn't it be you?"
Like a pathetic uncle reminiscing with a chuckle about his wild days before the woke generation changed the rules, "Saturday Night Live" used its 50th-anniversary celebration to remind us how humor can be complex, delicate, and flexible. The edited video collected ethnic stereotypes, sexual harassment, body shaming, homophobia, sexism, pedophilia, and racism. Jokes and sketches that aged very poorly and that would never be broadcast on television today – unless it's a one-time, sarcastic event like, say, SNL's 50th-anniversary celebrations.
Because SNL is an American institution that can get away with anything. It's wild late-night entertainment that has been broadcasting continuously for 50 seasons every Saturday at 11:30 p.m. on NBC. Every comedian dreamed of joining the cast, every celebrity aspired to host it, and every singer, vocalist, and band hoped to be invited to perform there. This week, all of television's who's who gathered in New York to honor this show. They dedicated two and a half hours to remembering, laughing, getting emotional, and mainly – being excited about the number of celebrities who gathered together in that studio to celebrate themselves and the show.
Steve Martin, Robert De Niro, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Alec Baldwin, Steven Spielberg, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Martin Short, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Peyton Manning, Pete Davidson, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Reynolds, Ray Romano, Bill Murray, Cher, Sabrina Carpenter, Keith Richards, Chevy Chase, John Mulaney, Woody Harrelson, Pedro Pascal, Jon Hamm, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, Drew Barrymore, Emma Stone, Andy Samberg, Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Aubrey Plaza – and you know what? I'll stop here because it would take me two and a half hours to go through everyone.
Documentary films produced in collaboration with the show were released simultaneously as part of this historic milestone. They reconstruct SNL's generational history, follow the creative process behind the scenes, analyze iconic sketches, and delve into unforgettable performances. The documentaries document, among other things, how hundreds of jokes and dozens of sketches are metaphorically thrown in the trash each week because they weren't good enough.
Only the best make it to the live broadcast. And not everything works and not everything is funny. And it's not just about political correctness, but mainly the fact that SNL doesn't always manage to be funny. Sometimes there are flashes of brilliance, but relative to a comedy show like this – and considering the talent level of the writers and actors – it ultimately produces too many boring or embarrassing minutes, which makes me think: what a waste of potential. So while SNL is an institution, and it's not nice to mock someone who just turned 50, "Saturday Night Live" is probably the most overrated show on television.
