Rob Schneider on ‘Saturday Night Live’ – ‘It’s Over’
Show alum shreds NBC sketch show for its most embarrassing cold open ... ever
The list of comedians who owe their careers to “Saturday Night Live” is almost too long to count.
The NBC sketch series catapulted the likes of Bill Murray, Chris Farley, David Spade, Gilda Radner, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Will Ferrell and Chris Rock into the comic stratosphere. And, as a result, most “SNL” alums refuse to critique the show that forged their fame.
Ex-“SNL” star Dennis Miller, whose politics clash dramatically with the current show’s DNA, is one of many alums refusing to smite the series. This reporter tried, gently, to coax a critique out of Miller. He politely refused to speak ill of his old stomping grounds.
Rob Schneider falls into that camp, too. Fell, to be more accurate.
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The “Deuce Bigalow” star previously suggested Alec Baldwin’s President Donald Trump impression proved more mean than satirical.
“I know the way his politics lean and it spoils any surprise. There’s no possible surprise. He so clearly hates the man he’s playing,” he told The New York Daily News.
The comments came in defense of the long-running show, recalling how fellow “SNL” alum Dana Carvey delivered a nuanced takedown of President George H.W. Bush brimming with both biting humor and empathy.
Now, he’s attacking “SNL” with both guns a-blazing. And it’s hard to blame him.
Comedy legend @RobSchneider tells me the moment he knew Saturday Night Live was “OVER”: “I literally prayed, PLEASE have a joke at the end…” pic.twitter.com/Eyqh3GFnUG
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) August 29, 2022
Schneider, 58, recently spoke with radio superstar Glenn Beck about embracing the Republican Party, the folly of vaccine mandates and other hot-button topics. The chat eventually turned to “SNL,” and Schneider lamented the current, hard-Left version with a heavy heart.
He still couldn’t hold back.
“I hate to crap on my old show,” Schneider said, burying his head in his hands. He then recalled the first “SNL” episode following Donald Trump’s presidential victory over Hillary Clinton in November 2016.
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Kate McKinnon, who previously played the former First Lady, opened the show with a haunting rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
McKinnon’s flawless interpretation honored the song, but it seemed an odd choice coming from a comedy showcase. Was Team “SNL” in mourning? And, if so, why would a comedy showcase abandon its purpose in such a bald fashion?
Schneider watched the moment in horror.
“I literally prayed, ‘please have a joke at the end,'” the comic recalls. “Don’t do this. Please don’t go down there. And there was no joke at the end, and I went, ‘It’s over. It’s over. [‘SNL’] is not gonna come back.'”
Schneider used that anecdote as a prism to view the equally far-Left late-night landscape. Yes, the new kid on the block Greg Gutfeld often tops the competition in the ratings, but every other late-night showcase leans aggressively to the Left.
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“You can take the comedic indoctrination process happening with each of the late night hosts, and you could exchange them with each other. That’s how you know it’s not interesting anymore … there’s not an independent voice anymore,” he said.
“It’s all indoctrination by comedic imposition.”
SNL could be so much better under its own weight. There’s less thought then ever put into skits. Little effort on genuinely funny materials. You would think they would try harder to do SOMEthing!. Doesn’t stop me from stunning in on new ones unfortunately. I support Kennan and a few Genuinely good cast member’s that SNL still has but its Time, its glory days are long past. PC comedy has limited ICONIC outlandish comedy for who knows how long,. And lets face it that “was”. The cream of the crop when it came not only SNL but the comic world back some Decades ago across the board.
Are we all watching the same SNL skit comedy? It’s always poked politically since season one. I read a comment that Will Ferrell never skits politics. He’s busted on Bush for years on SNL. Sorry but Trump’s antics make it too easy to bust his chops. Fan or no fan, the guy is a clown.
Your funny.
SNL has always been political from its very first episode, to be stupid and go no it hasn’t because it had non-politic sketches along with the political sketches is pretty dumb. Especially when today’s SNL also still has the those same non-political stances.
I think Rob is wron and SNL is lnt too Polticil l, just like every other late night show. All of theyhate Trump and they love trashing him! It Bidan is good predisent. and done grood thing. . And HEY MAN, I very edcated so I no what I talki about to, Go bidan – and dont argu with. Me. I now im right. Bidan
SNL has always used politics to have fun with. It all changed when Obama became President. They handled him with kid gloves. I read that Obama was really polarized. And the far left media was onboard . Also Included, SNL, and all the regulars on late night. After all the endless praises , came the endless criticism of Trump. This was when I noticed SNL really changed. They bought all the lies of the liberal media and became so mean that it wasn’t even funny anymore. And I might add, I enjoyed the show before this shift.
Your funny.
Amazing…a balanced, non-TDS, non-partisan observation. Kudos to you.
SNL F***ing sucks. Schneider is right. Regardless of your political stance, this is supposed to be entertaining comedy – it no longer is. Sad, but true.
Rob is 100% on point. I watched that cold opening when it first aired and I had the same reaction as Rob. I was stunned that SNL did this and in conversation I’ve mentioned this to friends and others multiple times over the last few years. Happy to see someone like Rob fells the same as me.
IMO Trump’s greatest achievement was being able to place three Supreme Court justices. That legacy will live on for decades. As a registered Independent voter, I am pro-abortion and pro-2nd Amendment. Two very important issues for me. I believe the Supreme Court was right by ruling the Constitution does not address abortion and ruled to allow the people of each state to decide. If you disagree with me, please point out in our Constitution where it is addressed. I was also glad to see a Right restored in the Bruen case (gun rights were restored, not “expanded” as many have reported). 25 states currently have “Constitutional carry”, no permit required. NYC has denied citizens their Right for over 100 years but it has finally been restored. Hawaii has recently issued its First carry permit ever. Legacy.
This article is complete and total BS. Not for nothing, Leonard Cohen is a damn NATIONAL TREASURE. He wrote the “Halelujah” that Kate McKinnon so beautifully sang, and he died about 3 days before that show. She was in tears most of the time, and I wept because for a moment I was not alone in my loss. Rob Schneider is merely pissed off that he NEVER made an imprint on that show that Kate did. Grow up, Robbie.
Last funny bit was in 1993 I think when Charlton Hesston hosted. My liberal lawyer girlfriend thought the “five-day laoner” ad was hilarious. Also the Infiniti toilet seat ad series. So it hasn’t been funny for 29 years at least.
Incidently, Punch Magazine, who published from 1841 to 1991, received its first letter saying “Punch isn’t as funny as it used to be” in 1871 supposedly.
But SNL is so unfunny I no longer watch TV and don’t have one.
SNL hit its stride after the 60s when everybody with daddy issues decided how funny it was to stick it to the man. I think it’s hilarious they have no idea how cringey they look to millennials.
How can you trump worshippers simply ignore the insanity that he shovels? How do you just ignore the fact that, even if you think he wasn’t responsible for Jan 6, you can’t argue that the pos did absolutely nothing while police were being brutalized? The capital being ransacked and he says , “they ain’t here to hurt me, let em in”? How ? He called the governor of Georgia and extorted him to find him 11000 votes. That doesn’t bother you ? The SCOTUS is now filled with illegitimate posers who lied to the people while being confirmed. Now girls who’ve been raped have to carry that evil shit to term in most states? Precedent meant absolutely nothing to those fake justices. Especially kavanaugh that liar. Devil’s triangle a drinking game? Liar. Boffed means farting ? Liar. Never blacked out drinking ? Liar. Yet he was confirmed. Trump used the office to .and himself rich. Something that is clearly against the rules. I don’t have to list all the ways he did that do I? How are you ok with this shit? I know . 3 things you’re either pretty rich , pretty racist, itr pretty stupid. No other reason t
ReEverything you say in your comment is a lie
At this point comedy is the only other option aside from weeping, since American society is basically a satire of itself anyway. An absurdist representation of a spectacle. So Rob Schneider doesn’t like jokes about the Right. Ok. Great article. Thing is, if this s*** wasn’t parodied, there’d be no way for actual sane ppl to know that that s*** ain’t normal. It provides a much-needed barometer.
Any article that identifies Rob Schneider as a “comedy legend” is immediately suspect.
NBC, like every network and streaming service, newspaper and podcast, is a business whose primary function is to make money, not be fair or please everyone’s tastes. SNL has always had a political edge, and if it wasn’t making a profit, it would be off the air.