Reflecting on SNL’s 50 Years: The Urgent Need to Prioritize Humor Over Woke Culture

With the celebration of its 50th anniversary, Saturday Night Live and I share a significant milestone. Both have navigated through five decades: SNL through comedy and culture, and I through the landscape of journalism. This weekend, the iconic show will host a live birthday party from New York, aiming to honor its legacy.

Reaching this half-century mark compels us to evaluate the past. For SNL, as well as the broader scope of late-night television, introspection reveals a shift in comedic values. What has notably faltered in recent years is the show’s adherence to a trend many deem excessive—wokeness.

Wokeness and Comedy: A Deteriorating Relationship

The seeds of this dilemma sprouted in the early 2000s, coinciding with the metamorphosis of political correctness into a rigid framework of wokeness. This evolution ushered forth a culture where the phrase