Saturday Night Live has had it’s up and downs over the years. Transitioning cast members will do that. But it has always had it’s finger on the pulse of politics throughout the years. In the first show since the election and in the new Donald Trump era it had a whiz-bang host lined up. Dave Chappelle. One of the best comedy sketch shows of all-time was the Chappelle show. So there is little doubt Dave can deliver and I have faith that we will see him take a crack at doing another show sooner rather than later.
Chappelle delivered a powerful monologue (online clips have been edited) after the cold opening featured Kate McKinnon singing a rendition of Hallelujah dress as Clinton. A surreal moment of attempting to heal a nation that has strongly divided by the results of the election. This is especially powerful because a.) it’s on a sketch comedy show and b.) protest are occurring just down the street at Trump Tower.
One thing that SNL shares in common with ‘The Walking Dead’ are its critics. Both shows often have audiences that say “oh that’s it, I’m not watching this anymore” only to come back and revisit the shows at a later date. So it was a brilliant mash-up of Chappelle’s old characters and The Walking Dead that has us all playing “bubble gum, bubble gum.” Y’all got anymore of those dead political parties?
It was McKinnon and Chappelle that stole the show again later in the evening with a re-occurring sketch that SNL runs of two people that have overstayed their welcome at a bar when last call is announced.
Maybe the most telling sketch of the night was a group of Democrats that gathered for an election night watch party. It pointed out how naive we were (pundits and pollsters) when we thought Trump never had a chance. “He’ll never win.” Then he did. Through hate and rhetoric and what already seems to be broken promises he found the niche as a businessman to sell himself rural America – and it worked. I don’t want to lump everyone into the same heaping pile of garbage, because lets face it some democrats are in that pile of garbage too. Probably as a recycled box full of Greek Yogurt containers. They probably could have even pushed this sketch further.
One last thing before I wrap this article up. The country will take a long time to heal after this election, if it does. It will be even harder to do when hate crimes are continuing to pile up nationwide. We can’t ignore it (that goes for both parties.) So protest PEACEFULLY, help your fellow American and let them know we have your back. We hear you and are here for you. But one thing is certain if we ignore the ignorance that is occurring around us it will spread like a virus.
Maybe we can bring this full circle. MAYBE, there is a pink river of slime, from Ghostbusters, under our nation right now riling everyone up! So let’s try to not treat each other like pink slime and stop being mean to each other. This starts with accepting the Ghostbuster remake. SNL cast members past and present unite!
