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Alex Dieringer
Mrs. Davis
ENGL 2
February 20, 2015
Saturday Night Live
For forty years the words, Live from New York, its Saturday Night! have welcomed
late night television viewers into a world that, for a short time, entertains them with jokes and
comedy sketches that often tackle major stories in the news, as well as providing a mini concert
from a popular band or singer. SNL has been a major pillar in the world of American pop culture.
Recently, SNL aired a seemingly epic 40th anniversary celebration. Everyone who has had a hand
in this television phenomenon, as well as todays top celebrities and comedians came out to play
on this special night. It has been breaking down barriers and making people feel uncomfortable
with their jokes on national television for decades. Even if they dont know it, most everyone has
at the very least seen the recap of a sketch done by the cast of SNL. Saturday Night Live has not
only targeted pop culture, it has become pop culture.
A great example of a well-known catchphrase that originated on the set of SNL with a
simple skit on April 8th 2000 is more cowbell. To this day, people of all ages, even those who
were four years old when the skit originally aired, are familiar with the request for more
cowbell. This was an essential moment for the popularity of the show. The phrase is still
relevant on internet blogs, it is the theme of t-shirt, coffee mugs, posters, and other novelty items.
This skit, unlike many others was not based off of a current event, political scandal, news story,
or celebrity mishap, simply just a recording studio set. It was written by Will Ferrell who still to
this day has an occasional appearance on the show, just like many other previous cast members.

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Five years after airing, the Washington Post produced an article on how a recent live
performance of the song (Dont Fear) The Reaper, which more cowbell is based on, was
missing something, Then, after a long guitar preamble, it snapped into its set-closer, "(Don't
Fear) The Reaper." The familiar sweet notes swooped and soared, drawing the mostly middleaged crowd back to its headbanging youth. Of course, it could have used . . . well, you know
(Farhi, 1). During the 40th anniversary show, Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake brought the
skit back by playing a cowbell to commemorate the sentiment that the cowbell has for so many
people. SNL greatly shaped pop culture and the fate of one song, through one five-minute skit on
late-night television.
SNL has always faced harsh criticism, but that comes with the territory when trying to
make seriously real-life situations into a comedic sketch. More recently, it has faced criticism for
its in cast diversity, or lack-there-of. During the shows first thirty-eight years, there was only
four non-white female cast members, and the ratio of performers that have hit the stage during its
forty years is 83 men to 46 women, the men who are hired also stay longer (Scovell, 1). The
show has produced major male stars throughout its history. These past cast members gone
celebrity include David Spade, Tracy Morgan, Rob Schneider, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, and
Will Ferrell, to name a few. Whereas the show has only turned two women into major icons, and
both within the same timeframe, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Fey recently made strong statements
about the large number of men who become highly successful from the show, and the number of
women who dont, such as Jane Curtin, who was an inspiration for Tina from the beginning of
her career as a struggling comedian. Fey believed her career should have been much bigger than
it was and stated, At the very least, I want Curtin to know that shes appreciated and admired.
And for all the female SNL vets, I hope the people in powerproducers, directors, agents and

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managershave a fire lit under them now before we are forced to light a candle later (Scovell,
1). Some critics have even blamed SNL for the inequality that essentially anyone who is a nonwhite male may face in the show business; At any given time, SNL's cast is generally made-up
of gifted impressionists, fearless stage performers, multi-talented humorists and, if they're lucky,
more than one black guy (OBrien, 1). Being one of the longest running shows in the history of
American television it understandable to see how some may view it this way, but it is also
impractical. The Price Is Right, Sports Center, and Good Morning America are other contenders
for the longest running show (Dobro, 1), and they do not scream diversity to anyone. The funny
people get punished first, and putting the blame on them for the diversity issues that are still
relevant, no matter how influential the show is, proves just that.
Constantly mocking current celebrities (sometimes the star even does themselves as a
guest), politicians (from all eras), and major news stories is what really clicks in peoples mind
when those seven words are said, Live from New York, its Saturday Night!. SNL has made
the best out of terrible situations by exploiting the humor within it, sometimes trying to make a
joke of serious situations too soon. There are people who use SNL as a legitimate source of news
information. It opens up minds and gives new outlooks on current events and scandals. It makes
loud statements that often times need to be made and would otherwise go unnoticed; Sinead
O'Connor tearing apart a picture of the Pope to protest sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, they
were generally making important statements (OBrien, 1), because without the brave cast of
SNL, who would make these points? Its hard to see Sara Palin and not think of Tina Fey
imitating her, Justin Timberlake without thinking of one of his many skits that have captured the
attention of many join alongside Jimmy Fallon. SNL has greatly shaped pop culture, and society
as a whole. People of all ages get their messages and laugh at their sometimes poorly timed

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jokes. It has turned into something that could be described as an epitome of pop culture,
everything it embodies. It is the ideas, attitudes, and perspectives of some, and has shaped the
views of many.
For forty years the cast, writers, directors, and producers of Saturday Night Live have
provided their television viewers with a more lighthearted outlook on tough subjects, provided
new characters that leave you wanting more, and made bold statements about what is happening
in the world. It has built the careers of actors and actresses; it has boosted the careers of up and
coming musicians, and brought back the classics. Books, movies, and other television specials
have been based around or somehow shaped by the show. A perfect example of pop culture that
has lasted longer than most television stars careers, without it todays popular trends, stories,
and shows would potentially be much different, and much less imaginative. The show has spent
four decades of television touching people, and making SNL nothing short of iconic.

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Work Cited
Dobrow, Larry. "10 Longest-Running TV Shows." Woman's Day. Woman's Day, n.d. Web. 15
Feb. 2015.
Farhi, Paul. "Blue Oyster Cult, Playing Along With 'More Cowbell'" Washington Post. The
Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2005. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.
Scovell, Nell. "Why We Need to Celebrate the Many Great Women of SNL." TIME. Tme
Magazine, 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.
"Saturday Night Live." Cracked.com. Ed. Jack O'Brien. Cracked: America's Only Humor Site,
2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.