SNL101

Ariana Grande already looks like a 5-timer in her second time hosting on October 12, 2024. We discuss the struggle for unionization with Monica: A Happy Amazon Employee and magnifying the absurdities of history in Castrati, as well learning and to lose and the relationship between competition and cooperation in Charades with Mom. Readings include novels and documentaries on labor rights, as well as the psychology of gaming and the philosophy of sport.

Nate Bargatze returns to host the second episode of the 50th season with his trademark generous use of social space. We talk about masculinity in the Opening Monologue, the desires of the dead in Water Park, grotesque bodies and food in Sushi Glory Hole and Mile High Burger, and asymmetrical bilingualism in Sabado Gigante. Readings address the constructions of masculinity and femininity, philosophical investigations of death, and Linguistic Justice by Phillippe Van Parijs.

The premiere of the 50th season is finally here! In Jean Smart's first appearance as host after nearly 40 years on television, we talk about repurposing and sustainability in the parody commercial, Spirit Halloween, Black on Black humor in Devon Walker's Eric Adams, and the privacy of public figures in Bowen Yang's Moo Deng. We also fan over Maya Rudolph's Kamala Harris, Jim Gaffigan's Tim Walz, Andy Samberg's Doug Emoff, and Dana Carvey's Joe Biden in the Cold Open. Readings cover the art of architectural grafting by Jeanne Gang, the phenomenon of parasocial interactions and fandom, and disrupting token characters in comedy.

In the season finale hosted by Jake Gyllenhaal on May 18, 2024, we discuss Mulvey's Male Gaze and Kracauer's Mass Ornament in Beautiful Girls, unfair labor practices and genocide in Fast Fashion Ad, and humans as props in Weekend Update Joke Swap. Readings include the philosophy of consumer responsibility and the role of American influencers in Chinese propaganda.

Maya Rudolph returns to host the Mother's Day episode on May 13, 2024. We talk about anti-queer discrimination and communities of practice with the Opening Monologue, the intersection of occupation, gender, and ethnicity in Nurse Appreciation, and the unruly woman in Hot Ones with Beyoncé. Readings include sociological investigations of a Queer community in Mexico City, structural racism in the healthcare industry, and the social power of unruly women across cultures.

Dua Lipa's first gig as SNL host on May 4, 2024 was generally enjoyable, but a few moments really stood out. We talk about algorithms and the loss of water cooler conversations in Jerry Seinfeld's appearance on Weekend Update as The Man Who Did Too Much Press, virtue signaling and slacktivism in Teeny Tiny Statement Pin, and the cognitive correlates of blackface and culture vultures in Good Morning Greenville. Readings include opinion pieces from The New York Times, The New Statesman, Newsweek, and The Spectator, as well as historical and current investigations into blackface by Eric Lott and Lauren Michele Jackson.

Ryan Gosling's third appearance hosting on April 13, 2024 was one of the best episodes of the season. We talk about emotional contagion and breaking with Beavis and Butt-Head, and the complexity of sexist jokes with the Weekend Update Guest Appearances from SNL's Resident Boyfriend, Michael Longfellow, and Caitlin Clark. Readings include the philosophy and psychology of collective laughter, sexism and parenting, and a throwback to the tumblr account: Feminist Ryan Gosling.

Kristin Wiig returns to Studio 8H to host for the fifth time and did not disappoint. We discuss resolving gender pay gaps in sports with the TBS March Madness Cold Open, the overlap of fitness and identity with the horror trailer Pilates, and the double edged sword of gamifying reality with Jumanji. Readings include resources on gender pay gap, history of fitness culture, and how games promote individual agency.

Ramy Youssef's first time hosting SNL was unapologetically intersectional. We talk about how the comedic style of marginalized honesty is received in Youssef's Opening Monologue, normalizing Islam in Ozempic for Ramadan, inter generational narratives with Immigrant Dad Talk Show, and gallows humor in Murder Detective. Readings include the psychology of gallows humor and holiday imagery, recent books on the intersection of comedy resistance and activism, and an autocritography from Charisse on Margaret Cho's All American Girl.

Josh Brolin returns to host for the third time in an unabashedly silly episode. We discuss Scarlett Johansson's horror-humor takedown of Katie Britt in the State of the Union Cold Open, the history of tabloid talk shows in Shonda Talk Show, and the structure of insult comedy in Weekend Update. Readings include selections from the Journal of Aesthetics and Art and the Journal of Popular Film and Television.