In a world where laughter has been held hostage by political correctness, an unexpected hero emerged over the weekend: Saturday Night Live. In what may be their first genuinely amusing episode in over two decades, the venerable sketch show brought back controversial comedian Shane Gillis. Yes, the same Shane Gillis who was ousted faster than a Kardashian’s marriage due to old jokes that the woke police deemed offensive. It seems the SNL crew, or rather NBC, decided it was time to jar us awake from our never-ending snoozefest of sanitized drivel.
In a segment that dared to poke fun at the oh-so-taboo topic of race, SNL resurrected a brand of comedy many thought extinct. Headline news anchors described criminals with a level of defensiveness usually reserved for politicians caught in lies. Their sweet relief at declaring the suspects white was as palpable as the awkwardness in a vegan steakhouse. Finally, the show brought us a humorous nod to some hard truths, delivering jokes like they used to back in the ’90s, when humor didn’t come with a trigger warning.
The entertainment sphere, particularly comedy, is haunted by the ghosts of its glorious past. Comedians like Chris Rock once held the mantle high, daring to joke about society’s ills with the precision of a surgeon – back when such discussions weren’t labeled as hate speech. But today, even Rock has reportedly distanced himself from his own razor-sharp commentaries. Gone are the quips and jabs that made everyone squirm a little but laugh a lot, as even the boldest satirists retreat from the cultural battlefield.
Meanwhile, the left-leaning lunatics of Hollywood still can’t seem to channel their inner Johnny Carson. They think being funny is their secret weapon against the MAGA juggernaut. They huddle in their echo chambers, smugly reassuring themselves that their satire – or whatever passes for it – is the kryptonite to Donald Trump’s Superman. Yet, their attempts at comedy are about as successful as a fish attempting to ride a bicycle. Case in point: the Oscars, where an award-winning movie about a stripper was hailed as groundbreaking cinema. Hollywood clearly aims to elevate “Pretty Woman” scenarios to new depths.
But fear not, comedy aficionados, for there is hope beyond the Hollywood horizon! Real comedians, those unafraid to ruffle feathers, are thriving on digital platforms. They bring us skits about spouses packing on pounds post-pandemic and cheeky jabs at societal hypocrisy. These humorists remind us that comedy, at its best, acknowledges the absurd while skewering the self-righteous. As the saying goes, the best satire punches up, and in this age of caution and conformity, we could use a black belt in comedic karate now more than ever.
