SNL in the Trump era has become more of a recap than parody

Paste Magazine

It's seems like every President Trump sketch is just stating the news, like with last weekend's Robert Mueller report cold open, says Jacob Weindling. He says that Saturday Night Live, which used to have great political humor, has failed viewers in the Trump era. "My biggest issue with SNL’s political 'comedy' isn’t (Alec) Baldwin or the fact that Kate McKinnon plays literally everyone in this administration—but the writing—or the lack thereof," he says. "Every single cold open is basically just a recap of whatever weekly political scandal that bit is about. It’s my job to follow the news. Trust me on this. The basic plot of every single SNL political cold open is no different from the generic writeup you would find on it from NBC News. There is absolutely no original thinking that ever goes into the basic construct of SNL’s political cold opens." He adds: "Plus, Alec Baldwin’s Trump impression sucks. He is the worst SNL president of my lifetime. The facial ticks were funny the first couple of times, but that’s all the bit really is. The character isn’t really Donald Trump—it’s Alec Baldwin doing an impression of Trump doing an impression of Baldwin. The fact that they’re both boorish, rich Manhattan jackasses who think the world is owed to them only helps to reinforce that dynamic."