I've had it with SNL and its ageist Biden jokes. And I wonder if some of the cast

[pnwmom]

might have decided to leave for the same reason.

Bye, SNL!

And it's not just Biden who's the target of ageist jokes.

https://www.thewrap.com/john-mulaney-snl-ageist-jokes/

Mulaney won praise for another previous sketch, “Toilet Death Ejector,” which sent up the humiliating deaths of older people for wanting to live and die with dignity. Netflix proudly described Mulaney and Nick Kroll as playing “two delusional geriatrics” in his stage show “Oh Hello, Broadway.”

Of course, “SNL” has a history of denigrating older people.

(SNIP)

In another viral “SNL” skit, “Amazon Echo Silver,” older people are portrayed as too dumb for new technology — and so unworthy of attention that even a machine gets bored listening to them. That sketch was hailed as “hilarious” by TechCrunch and “brilliant” by CNET. In this and other sketches, “SNL” often puts performers in “grayface” hair and makeup for easy laughs — because when it comes to age, misrepresentation is always funny.

[Wishful-Thinking]

1. I agree....stopped watching them and Bill Maher

For all the same reasons.

[Sympthsical]

23. Bill Maher has been vigorously defending Biden's age

And I do mean vigorously. Just about every week for months Maher has been defending the President.

I think people who hate Maher haven't actually watched the man at any length in ages and so don't have an inkling of just how pro-Democratic and pro-Biden he has been. They just slice up little clips they can use to fuel their hatred of him.

Maher is probably the most prominent figure in late night/comedy to defend Biden on age issues.

[Tree Lady]

26. True few shows back he told some woman

who tried to put Joe down all the things he has accomplished and he went on and on about it.

I think being single and liking to party covid has made him the cranky old man. I think he was just lonely. He is doing better now.

I actually think after what happened before with Gore he is careful now and fully supports the democrat presidents.

[SunSeeker]

51. Glad to hear, but his covid-denying anti-vaxx bullshit really turned me off.

And he has way too many right wing wack jobs on, and does not push back nearly enough, if at all, when they spout their dangerous nonsense.

[OMGWTF]

52. THIS! THIS! THIS!

His BFF is Ann Coultergeist.

[Tree Lady]

69. If he only has dems on when will republicans ever hear

a different message? I think he goes soft on them so others will come. I give him some leeway on that. Personally its nice to stay in our bubble but if we want to reach out we have to be a bit like him.

When I talk to my republican relatives I don't shove my message down their throat, they are just as sure of what they believe as I am.

[SunSeeker]

79. I never said he should only have Dems on. But being "soft" just gives a platform for their hate.

Same with all the reporters who won't ask hard questions of right wingers because they want to maintain their "access." It's selling out our democracy for personal gain.

[Conjuay]

53. snl

has been on for forty years - talk about old and senile! By it’s fifth year it was already tedious.

Now I can’t imagine what anyone could possibly find redeeming in it’s kitsch.

[skylucy]

35. I agree. I don't agree with everything Maher says...but I agree with most of his opinions and yes,

he has been vigorously defending Joe Biden. He went after one of his guests a couple of weeks ago when she was belittling President Biden regarding his age. Re. SNL. I think President Biden can handle a little ribbing from the comedians on SNL. He isn't a whiny little baby like Trump.

[LymphocyteLover]

45. That's great but Maher is terrible for other reasons and I haven't been able to watch him for a

few years now

[Initech]

44. Bill Maher's basically just become Jordan Peterson with a slightly better haircut.

[tritsofme]

2. Parodying presidents is what they do...

I don’t watch the show, but not for that reason.

[pnwmom]

3. Parodying Presidents is fine. A constant theme that an older President is demented is not. n/t

[jimfields33]

9. There's not much else to ping him on.

Can you name any sketch that could be done without age in it for President Biden?

[pnwmom]

11. They could do a sketch about his pot pardons. Don't tell me there's no humor in that.

Or they could do a sketch about his DOGS. He's well known for them, and such a sketch wouldn't be ageist.

But they just go for the easy, ageist jokes.

[The Grand Illuminist]

70. I hate to say, but.....

They did the same to Reagan.

[pnwmom]

73. His son said he had Alzheimers in office.

So there's that.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jan/17/ronald-reagan-alzheimers-president-son

[GoCubsGo]

43. There was a time when they parodied other things besides politicians.

I'm old enough to remember the original cast. Their skits only occasionally featured politics. The writers were a hell of a lot more creative than this crop. These constant ageist cheap shots are lazy and unfunny. NBC needs to replace them with people with some actual talent, who don't fall back on easy, lame jokes. Maybe they can bring back Al Franken.

[PatSeg]

4. I was going to watch last Saturday's show,

but someone here commented on the ageism joke in the open, so I decided not to. I'm really getting tired of it and comedians are just feeding the right's narrative that Joe is too old and incapacitated to be President.

On the upside, however, Bill Maher has actually come around quite a bit and chastised a guest for 'ageism' when she said he shouldn't run again because he is too old, even though she acknowledged that he was doing a great job! Basically, Maher said why shouldn't he run again if he is so successful. Nipped it in the bud, so to speak.

Then he directed his comments to all the young voters out there who say Joe is too old and said he has accomplished more progressive change than most presidents EVEN Obama. Mind you, he started speaking positively about Biden even before the marijuana pardons, though that seemed to clinch the deal for him.

Maher still pisses me off in so many ways, but he finally is seeing in Biden what we see. Now if we could get more late night comics to quit with the old age jokes, that would be great. Make fun of his aviators and the "Hey Jacks", but lay off of the ageisms. Not funny and most importantly not true.

[FalloutShelter]

5. Ageism is the only acceptable prejudice.

[ruet]

10. Weird Right?

...since we're all in the same boat with regards to aging. It's almost like a form of denial or self-delusion.

[LakeArenal]

15. Oh there's still fat people to make fun of.

[SharonClark]

17. Yep.

[FalloutShelter]

20. I see fat shaming called out a lot more than

OK Boomer.

[IronLionZion]

56. Anyone who looks Indian and can spell IT is H1B

that one will never die around here.

[FalloutShelter]

59. Never heard that one.

[IronLionZion]

63. I'll keep hearing it long after I'm dead

[Cha]

6. They've obviously Forgotten

how Horrified and Incredibly sad so Many were in 2016 when the Fascist got in and Kate McKinnon played the Piano and sang "HALLELUJAH!

[pnwmom]

8. Kate is one I'm wondering about. That is, how she felt about the Biden "jokes." nt

[leftieNanner]

38. Kate and Ady Bryant were my two favorites

Now that they're gone, I don't know if I'll watch.

I don't blame the actors - I blame the writers. They are about as mature and thoughtful as 12 year old boys.

Rarely has there been a sketch that made me laugh out loud (Kate McKinnon's alien abduction ones KILL me!!) - but then I remember the days of Gilda, Dan, John, Jane, Garrett, Bill, and Lorraine.

Sigh....

[DURHAM D]

7. I always record SNL to watch later.

Because of comments here at DU I deleted last Saturday's show instead of watching it.

Retire Loren. Bring in Tina to hire better writers, including talent that can write for women. Bring back the women like Kate and Cicely.

Fixed

[P.C.L.D.]

29. Trust me you didn't miss much

[senseandsensibility]

89. I do the same!

Also deleted the last two before watching.

[lpbk2713]

12. If that's the niche they want to carve out for themselves let them have at it.

But they can do so without me. Buh-bye SNL.

[BlueIdaho]

13. Haven't watched in years

Don’t expect to start anytime soon. The franchise is beyond stale.

[GenThePerservering]

14. Bill Gates

Is what...67? The generation who pioneered PCs and developed the internet is pushing 70, or older.

The whole old folks and tech is just a cheap joke.

[leftieNanner]

39. My Late Dad was born in 1913

He was as tech savvy as they come. He had a computer right away - even took Basic programming classes.

So I agree with you that the old folks and tech jokes are neither accurate nor funny.

[LakeArenal]

16. Also don't care to watch.

Skits last way too long as well.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

18. Playing on prejudices is the lowest form of "humor."

Really, the treatment of Biden is grotesque.

It shows no comedic genius. Although I have the greatest esteem for our president (love him), I have no issue with clever parody or the spoofing of politicians who I respect.

The agism, on the other hand, reflects very badly on SNL. And it has been a constant. They have nothing else.

*Sigh*

[PCIntern]

19. This week it was incredibly stupid and unfunny

And I’m easily humored….

[iemanja]

21. I seriously doubt cast members left over Biden jokes

They are far more likely to have left for career reasons. The point of the show is to get laughs, not promote one party over another. They always parody the current president. That hasn't changed over the generations. Now it's quite possible that their current comedy isn't really funny. Critics seem to be saying as much.

Why people expect the media--whether comedy shows or cable news-- to serve their interests escapes me.

[pnwmom]

22. Like I said, it's fine to parody. They could have mocked him and his dogs, for example.

They could have made jokes about his pot pardons.

But instead, they fell back on the easy ageist jokes they're been leaning on ever since he was VP.

And I don't have to "expect" anything from the media to say: I'm done with what this outlet is selling.

[Effete Snob]

65. But Chevy Chase as a stumbling Gerald Ford was funny, right?

[intheflow]

84. Right?

This whole thread reads as Boomers who have forgotten that SNL originally parodied everyone for everything. "Hey you kids! Get off my tv show!"

I say this as a Boomer. SNL lost me when they hired that unfunny Repuke Victoria Jackson back in the '80s ('90's?), then I returned on and off until now when I just streamed Kate MCKinnon's sketches, mostly. The point is: the show has been on for over 40 years. Some years are good, some are bad, and all of them roast presidents.

[Sympthsical]

85. I will fight you over the Love Toilet though

I'm too young to remember Jackson's time on the show, but I came across that Love Toilet commercial and thought, "I know couples who would probably buy this."

Perfection.

[Effete Snob]

86. I don't think we knew how crazy Victoria Jackson was

It was horrifying to learn that, like Andy Kauffman, it wasn't an act.

[pstokely]

88. but they remember walking butt-naked to school in 40 miles of snow

&ab_channel=Xaverri

[nini]

100. We weren't on the brink of fascism then

And the ‘jokes’ they are writing play into right wing lies about Biden. That’s a huge difference.

[BannonsLiver]

71. +1000

One of the most ridiculous OPs I’ve read in a while.

[Tetrachloride]

24. all of the parents of the SNL writers must

not be comedians.

[MadMike47]

25. SNL needs some new writers. Not funny.

And they need to get rid of Keenan Thompson for good measure. He never was funny.

[jayschool2013]

49. Wow

Keenan NOT funny!?!?!?

Wow.

[USALiberal]

87. LOL, ok! Nt

[world wide wally]

27. SNL hasn't really been funny in a long time... Maybe 25 years (or more)

The best thing they have going is when Keenan Thompson plays a game show host.

[dchill]

28. I haven't watched SNL on purpose for YEARS.

Not funny. It's annoying and insulting.

[BlackSkimmer]

30. Amazing to me that people watch this still. Especially those in the DU demographic.

But watch they do, and then come the posts about how awful it is.

SNL has made fun of every single president ever. Why so thin-skinned?

I simply don't watch shows I don't like. Works for me.

[pnwmom]

32. Because the constant joke is about dementia. It feeds into the R narrative; and isn't funny,

it's just ageist.

And it is promoting the idea among its millions of viewers that Biden has dementia.

[BlackSkimmer]

40. Don't watch.

Do you really think MAGA types watch SNL? I can't imagine.

Back in the day, we watched it stoned. usually drinking, and had a blast. Loved the political commentary, no matter at whom it was aimed. We were all Dems then and the friends I still have from that period are still Dems. None of us watch it anymore though.

I'm amazed it's still on the air actually. But I doubt that show changes anyone's mind about candidates.

[Sympthsical]

37. I'm wondering what the older reaction to the Try Guys was

Because that was a sketch where I was all in on relating to the CNN anchor over the Gen Z representations.

Most of the cast is 25-45, and that's who they write for. If anything, it's more diverse than ever.

I still watch. Sketches are always hit or miss. But every week there's something in there.

[Celerity]

96. +10000

[Sympthsical]

31. You're basically going to have to stop watching late night comedy

Because they all make these comments. The Daily Show is pretty rough on the President in this regard. John Oliver opened with it last night.

Like or not, the President misspeaks fairly often. Sorry, but that's going to be made fun of. How often did we wonder what Trump was saying? I still see random references to covfefe. To suddenly be offended is just . . . partisan, I guess? I can flick open YouTube at any time and find old Reagan stuff that discussed his age at great length. It was pretty much the entire joke with the guy. Old, rambling, jelly beans. That's about it.

It has always been a comedic vein easily mined.

You can either laugh along with it or go full offended. When Bowen Yang and Julio Torres started writing a ton of gay-themed skits, I saw some people getting all mad about it - even though they were written by gay men. I thought they were completely hilarious. Sara Lee, Wells For Boys, Daddy Long Legs, Titanic Iceberg, The Actress, etc. I was like, "They are pretty much just writing about me and my friends." They mock gay male culture relentlessly, and it's fantastic.

I severely doubt any of the cast left because of this. Most of them were completely participant in all the skits being criticized. They probably helped write them. If you think Kate McKinnon was against jokes about old people, that just tells me you don't know much about her tenure on the show. That was a healthy portion of her schtick.

[pnwmom]

33. They weren't doing jokes suggesting Trump had Alzheimers. n/t

[Sympthsical]

41. Oh yes they were

Trump having dementia has been running commentary for going on six years now.

This isn't serious.

[Treefrog]

57. Hell yes they were!

And Reagan too!

Surprised you somehow missed that.

[pnwmom]

62. Reagan probably did have Alzheimers. A couple years after he left office, they announced

the diagnosis and claimed that he had a very quickly accelerating form of the disease.

In truth he had probably had it for years.

[Treefrog]

64. I agree!

But I bet you didn't mind the jokes!

Fair play to all in comedy.

[ThoughtCriminal]

34. But I still love Phil Hartman's Reagan Mastermind sketch

[John1956PA]

48. Great sketch. I also like the 1986 sketch with Randy Quaid

In that sketch, which was a spoof of "Back to the Future," Randy portrays RR, Terry Sweeny portrays Nancy, and RR Jr. portrays himself .

[Shermann]

36. It's all good...hear me out.

He took some minor damage for the "Made in America" gaffe. It's par for the course.

Republicans are just easier to lampoon than Democrats. It's like shooting fish in a barrel. Look at the lasting damage that Melissa McCarthy did to Sean Spicer, Alec Baldwin to Trump. These satirical videos go viral not because of media bias, but because of how much they resonate. The Biden sketches just don't get much traction. I think this contrast is very telling actually, so let SNL keep at it. They test power, and all parties should be put to test.

[arlyellowdog]

42. I agree it was lame stuff

I adore Joe and maybe he will be more careful. They don’t even have a good Biden impersonator. I just find watching awkward because they are trying so hard and everything seems derivative.

[former9thward]

46. SNL is not meant for the typical DU age range of 70+

It airs when most of those in that range are asleep.

[BumRushDaShow]

68. The original cast is currently in that 70s+ age group

And the co-creator Lorne Michaels will be 78 next month and is still involved with the show.

And there are a whole bunch of night owls out there and when people are up and active is not age-related. So no, "most in that range" are not "asleep".

[former9thward]

75. The original cast is not there anymore.

And I doubt LM does much writing for the show. As in none. Which proves my point.

So because you say "a whole bunch of night owls are out there" that means most people that age are awake at that time. Ok, got it....

[BumRushDaShow]

76. You don't have a point

You blurted out with this -

It airs when most of those in that range are asleep.

with zero to back that up.

What you SHOULD have argued was that for Nielsen purposes, these networks (Nielsen or Arbitron, now owned by Nielsen, for radio) are trying to target certain demographics to maximize ad revenue. Morning Consult did an interesting demographic analysis of SNL from 1975 - 2019 - https://morningconsult.com/saturday-night-live/

The show has a key demographic target of of 18 - 49 and managed to take top honors for its genre of programming for the 2020 - 2021 season. In general, that age group is coveted, impressionable, and tends to spend...

Fast forward to last season (2021 - 2022) where the thrill was gone...

SNL has always touched on politics and as others posted in this thread, Democrats are harder to mock and parody in a msnner that can poke fun in a meaningful way. Some of the best writing captures the attention of all (adult) age groups.

[BannonsLiver]

72. +1

It’s never been meant for the 70+ set which is the core demo here now.

[BumRushDaShow]

47. I know all this started with Chevy Chase

and his running gag skits doing Gerald Ford as a stumbling and bumbling ditz, and at the time, Ford was almost 20 years younger than Biden is now.

I haven't watched SNL live in decades (can't stay up that late and I think the last one I did stay up for and tape was Shatner's appearance in '86) although I have looked at the clips that get posted on DU.

[Effete Snob]

66. Yup

[AngryOldDem]

91. They've gone after every president.

Thing is, back in the day it was funny.

They also had a running gag with Ford and a stuffed golden retriever.

[Rebl2]

50. A lot of

their sketches have been dumb for years. I usually like the opening, but this last one was not funny. I did not watch the show, just saw it on DU. Why are they attacking Biden? Do they think they have to give equal time because they attacked tfg.?

[IronLionZion]

54. I have no interest in paying for Peacock

so I don't bother watching it unless somebody posts good Youtube clips here.

They used to have full episodes on Hulu but no longer.

[pstokely]

82. do you have any interest in paying for any streaming service

or do you get by with OTA TV only?

[IronLionZion]

83. I have several streaming services

Currently: Netflix, Youtube premium, Amazon Prime, Hulu, plus OTA with a good antenna. I live on the 13th floor of a downtown high rise so I get great OTA reception. I think that's enough for me.

I stopped Apple TV and HBO when promotions ended and prices were raised. I might stop Netflix temporarily. I looked through Peacock and didn't see anything I wanted to watch.

I got rid of cable in 2015 and cut the cord literally in 2019 by switching to Starry 5G internet, which is running a $30 a month promotion in my area.

[ZonkerHarris]

55. SNL, Fallon and especially Seth Meyers are always taking cheap shots at old folks and/or potsmokers.

It's lazy writing

[John1956PA]

60. On WU, Oct. 3 2013, Fey cracked a lame remark about the homeless.

Fallon was the "co-anchor.* At the time, I felt the remark was insensitive. I still do.

Tina Fey's Remark:

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, the least hospitable cities for the homeless are New York, Atlanta and San Francisco. While the most hospitable city for the homeless is Caldwell, Idaho. Got that, homeless people? You want to start making your way to Caldwell, Idaho!

[bucolic_frolic]

58. Old folks have the spending power in the aggregate, but youth spends more money

So this is money and advertising driven.

[pstokely]

81. research says young whippersnappers aren't as brand loyal as geezers

and geezers don't spend impulsively, ironically that research is over 50 years old

[Baggies]

61. I don't believe it's that.

A bunch of these shows are having problems.

Jimmy Kimmel had 2.2M viewers in 2016. Now he's at 1.5M, down a thrid.
James Corden is also down a third in the same time frame.
Seth Meyers is down half from 2016.
John Oliver is down 60%.
Trevor Noah, cancelled. Samantha Bee, cancelled.
Jimmy Fallon and Steven Colbert have falling ratings.

What do they all have in common?

Someone should have stuck to the Johnny Carson and early SNL formula.

But they didn't.

[Baggies]

67. I just watched a YouTube video of the skit

It was mild to say the least.

They poked fun of the "two words: made in America" thing (which you have to expect) and the reporter/doctors questions. I'm pretty sure he can handle it.

[Sympthsical]

74. Has nothing to do with that

It has to do with more options being available. With the proliferation of internet streaming, YouTube and Tik Tok, and cord-cutting, common culture is shrinking over time. During the heyday of late night (and news) Americans simply had fewer options. Why would anyone stay up until 11:30 to watch a late night show with commercials when they can catch the highlights on YouTube the next day?

Americans just don't watch the same things nearly as much as they did, and they're not watching them in the same ways. The late night shows are all very samey, and no one's staying up to watch a celebrity interview when they can see that same celebrity giving their spinach dip recipe on Instagram.

SNL is probably largely viewed the next day on YouTube. I usually read a review the next morning and then pick out some skits to watch based on that. They post all the skits within two hours after they air. They have 13 million subscribers. They're probably fine.

(Note: Trevor Noah wasn't cancelled - he quit. Quite unexpectedly, it seems. John Oliver is fine. His segments get millions of views online).

[pstokely]

80. would that formula work in the streaming age?

?

[budkin]

77. SNL hasn't been funny in at least a decade

Not worth getting upset over.

[AngryOldDem]

90. Hell, not since Eddie Murphy left.

The sell-by date for SNL came and went decades ago.

It’s damn near unwatchable.

[ForgedCrank]

78. It's comedy, and

I take it for what it is. They do the same thing to every President.
My issue with SNL is, well, they just aren't really all that funny anymore, and haven't been for a very long time.

[Bonx]

92. Reminds me I need to re-up my 'Robot attack' insurance with 'Old Glory'

[pinkstarburst]

93. They go after every president

Dems feel like the Biden jokes are mean-spirited just like Republicans thought the Trump jokes were WAY too mean. Not like they pulled any punches with him.

[pnwmom]

94. I'm not offended by "mean-spirited" jokes. But ageist jokes shouldn't be more acceptable

than sexist or racist jokes.

For some reason they are.

[pinkstarburst]

95. I mean, they're making fun

of Trump because essentially, he's stupid. Which, everyone on this board would kind of agree with. But probably everyone on a republican board would say is mean spirited.

And if it were flipped and they were making fun of someone with a low IQ who is also not bright I think a lot of people here would have a problem with it. But if it's Herschel Walker, it's fine with people here. If it's Trump, it's fine. People cracking jokes about Biden... we don't like.

For the record, I cringe at the jokes too. But they make fun of all the presidents and presidential candidates. It's just par for the course. I'm sure no president has enjoyed their portrayal just like I'm sure the British royal family is not wild about how they're being portrayed in "The Crown." They're going to do what they can to make it funny/dramatic and bring in viewers.

[pnwmom]

97. Being stupid isn't a disease. The ageist jokes are suggesting

Biden has the disease of dementia.

[gulliver]

98. They're just "easy" laughs and the writing has been very bad

Neither of the last two shows had more than 10 minutes of funny it seems to me. They're just really thin on writing. Not sure what's going on.

[nini]

99. We turned it off during that first skit and said the same thing

Screw them.

[egduj]

101. Another thing ruined by trump.

The good-natured parodying of world leader. A tradition that is just a week younger than the invention of the television is now considered a personal attack on half the country.

[pnwmom]

102. If they'd been mocking President Obama on the basis of race, wouldn't that have

been an inexcusable attack?

Ageist jokes should be as out of bounds as racist or sexist jokes.