Americans SNL?

[Banrockmystation]

Does anyone else not get the humour AT ALL in Saturday Night Live?
Im English so maybe it’s just a real culture difference but I do not find any of the skits funny at all?! Not necessarily even offensive, just completely boring and I don’t get them!
The audience seems to find it hilarious, am I missing something??

No, wouldn't waste my time on it. Huge cultural gap in humour.

Yea, its a cultural thing. I've never even giggled and I love comedy

My partner loves it ; my eyeballs roll if I'm ever unfortunate to see a clip.

I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it, but whenever I've seen clips or skits people have shared on social media I've found them quite funny. Maybe they are just the best bits though.

Generally no but I have seen some stuff that does make me laugh such as Tina Feys impersonation of Sarah Palin.

I'm Irish. I just don't get it. I can't understand how it's been running so long. It's not remotely funny. It must be a cultural difference.

Thank you for posting this. I feel validated.

It's just...not funny. At all. In general I don't really find American comedy funny though. It's all so juvenile, old fashioned, or just shouty slapstick.

IMO of course

I’ve watched my fair share of US comedy tv programmes but don’t get SNL at all. There’s the odd song that’s made social media and they are mildly funny but I assume it’s a cultural thing with the audience watching the actors for years so watching it to support them.

I find it a bit hit and miss but have you ever seen either the Pete Davidson skit on the "I'm just Ken" song or the Beyonce single ladies skit?

I don't either and I'd say I have quite a good sense of humour. I've only ever found 2 of clips I've seen funny. One is a mash-up take off of the Sopranos and the Carrie Diaries, showing 3 main Sopranos characters as high schoolers. That was funny and made sense if you liked the Sopranos, which I do. The other is Nic Cage doing the week in review along side Andy Samberg impersonating Nic Cage. Very on brand and a good send up. Again, helps that I'm a fan.

I've seen plenty of the "cast" be funny or act well in other roles and some of them are great impressionists, I just don't find the stuff on SNL funny, probably due to the culture gap. That said the Blues Brothers started life on SNL and I adore that film - but it took on a life of its own and they performed as musicians on SNL- no "comedy" so no cultural knowledge really needed to enjoy the musical performances.

I'm old and I used to like SNL 40 odd years ago when you had the likes of Chevy Chase, Dan Ackroyd and Mike Myers in it but haven't watched the newer ones.

I'm American and SNL was awesome in the 70s and 80s, but now it's just predictable and boring. I stopped watching years ago.

It's definitely a cultural thing! When I moved to the UK 15 years ago I did NOT get British humour either! I never got the grasp of the sarcasm, and found it totally unfunny.... it has changed now over time

Where are you watching it? I’d like to give it a go, the only sketch I think I’ve seen was the ‘meet your future wife’ one.

But generally, the US is a completely foreign country with very little crossover humour wise. Very little.

But generally, the US is a completely foreign country with very little crossover humour wise. Very little.

Wow. I love some American comedians, films and sitcoms. Frasier, Seinfeld, Schitts Creek, The Big Lebowski, Always Sunny, Anchorman...

Yes me too and I wouldn't have said I don't understand US humour.

But I don't get SNL. I guess there will always be formats/shows that elude us. I can't imagine Little Britain travelling particularly well, for all that British humour is popular around the world.

I don't think SNL is particularly funny anymore although they've had some great comedians over the years. I particularly like Kate McKinnon and Melissa McCarthy was brilliant as Sean Spicer.

Am I missing something - audience cue cards.

It still has absolute gems - the recent “Washington’s dream” sketches are up there with the best of them

also “almost pizza” and their take on Pandora bracelets are classics

I love the SNL highlights I see and it really makes me miss proper extended sketches on British shows, and performers that get a chance to really develop themselves. Most comedy series have a high proportion of 'misses' per show imo.

I don't think it's culturally that different from modern British humour tbh, we all watch the same movies.

It's often clever-funny, rather than hysterical-laugh-out-loud funny, but I like it. A lot of the political humour probably needs US contextual understanding to appreciate properly but the Melaniade skit was brilliant (and Bronx Beat, Girlfriends Talk Show, most of the songs, etc...)

I used to really like it but it has always been hit and miss. I like seeing big stars throw themselves into doing something really daft. Daniel Craig for example always seems up for anything. The past couple of years have been a bit rubbish though.

The White Lotus parody, the Christmas Candle and a couple of others have had me a puddle on the floor, but that's because they were super niche and specific. As others have said, they are so hit and mostly miss .

American here.

The humour is largely American-centric and often includes subtle nods to certain types of people/ stereotypes that exist in American culture or shared American type experiences.

One that had me rolling recently was the Ariana Grande game night sketch. They have really captured some motifs that are popular in older American cinema and culture, as well as a certain mom / personality type.

Another one had Nate Bergatze winning a competition making soul food which was hilarious due to the way it reflected certain race issues and stereotypes in America.

Not sure that either of these makes sense to an English viewer.

It might be similar to my experience watching Gavin and Stacey. It's amusing, but I am very certain I am missing some cultural context that makes British people love it so much.

Absolutely agree with the racial element - there's this one taking the piss out of Tyler Perry type film but for white people - it was hilarious but I doubt many outside the US would properly understand the references.