“Dad, are you watching Saturday Night Live tonight?”
“Yes.”
“What time is it on?”
“11:30.”
“Can I watch it with you?”
“Yes.”
That was a conversation I had with my 13-year-old son at the beginning of SNL’s 50th season. My 18-year-old daughter and I have been watching SNL together for a couple of years and my 13-year-old had recently begun watching it with me. I have been watching Saturday Night Live as long as I can remember and growing up; it was a dream to be on the show. That never happened, but I’ve consistently watched the show longer than I probably should have been watching.
At a young age, I knew something funny was happening in the living room. I am as old as Saturday Night Life, beating it by a couple of months. I could hear my dad laughing in front of our TV as the antenna reached towards the ceiling. I used to sneak out of my bedroom to watch from the hallway. Occasionally, I would run to my bedroom and jump under the covers if my dad would adjust in his chair or stand up to go to the kitchen or the bathroom. I would wait until I would hear his ashtray slide along a table to return to my hiding spot. From that spot, I watched Bill Murray and Gilda Radner ham it up.
Once that season was over, my hallway hiding was discovered and I felt like a big boy when my dad allowed me to sit in the living room while Eddie Murphy lit up our home with laughter. I remember clearly one night during a Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood sketch, my dad looked over, and me and said, “Go to bed.” Apparently something was said that was a little too adult for my ears. Still, I returned to my old hallway hiding spot where I could get a clear view of the television.
Growing up in the 80s, we talked about two things on the playground; Saturday Night Live and pro-wrestling. My friends and I reenacted various skits and did our best to imitate the voice and mannerisms of our favorites. When Martin Short aired his character Ed Grimley on SNL, a year of hiking up our pants and dancing around followed.
When Wayne’s World showed up in 1989, it changed the way we talked. We also yelled things like, “Touch my monkey, pump you up, well, isn’t that special?” and many other quotes. We also got interested in politics after watching reenactments of the Busk/Dukakis debates.
Then came Farley and Sandler.
1990 was a magical year for my SNL fandom. The great Chris Farley adorned my TV set and, for the first time, even my mom became a fan of Saturday Night Live. It wasn’t uncommon for me to want to get home early on a Saturday night because I wanted to see what Farley, Sandler, Spade, and the rest were up to. My car would speed away from dates or a friend’s house and pull into my driveway at 11:25 PM because every SNL fan knows, sometimes, SNL will come on at 11:28 PM.
In college, my friends and I continued to watch SNL and rent old VHS tapes that included the past greats. I turned many friends onto old Eddie Murphy sketches and we quoted Velvet Jones, Gumby, and copied his James Brown hot tub sketch. We also continued to love on Farley and Sandler and watched their movies and often yelled, “You’re going to live in a van down by the river!”
I didn’t stop watching after college and while many other fans would come and go; I stayed consistent with each new group of Not Ready for Primetime Players. Even though I felt some casts were not as strong as others, I still enjoyed each new group and understood that I may be phasing out of their target audience. I also enjoyed meeting new bands and seeing electric performance from some of my favorite bands.
Then, many years into being a fan of SNL, I told my daughter about Stefon, a frequent guest on Weekend Update. Bill Hader was no longer on SNL, but his character popped into my head one day and then we went down an SNL rabbit hole on YouTube. After that, my daughter would join me for my Saturday night viewing.
Having my son show up on the couch this year was special as well. And there are moments I need to censor what’s going on and return to the broadcast after a sketch. Those are late nights in front of a TV, but they’re special. We might be a little drowsy Sunday morning, but laughing with my kids in front of the TV is a bonding moment that can’t be duplicated.
During my early years, Saturday Night Live brought my dad and me together for 90 minutes, while laughter filled my house. In my teen years, my mom and I bonded over watching Farley dance and fall. My friends and I laughed inside our college dorms and would annoy others with our constant quotes. And now, my kids and I convulse in laughter by the current cast of characters.
Before the 50th anniversary, SNL aired the various first SNL episode. I was a baby when it first aired, but I’ve seen it many times. My son asked if he could join me to watch it, and it just so happened, my mom was visiting. I told him I didn’t think he would get the humor, but I let him stay up and watch it with us. As the show went on, I couldn’t help myself in giving him an SNL history lesson. I told him all about Chevy Chase and what a jerk he could be, but without him, there probably wouldn’t have been an SNL. I gave a rundown on the genius and tragedy of John Belushi and how nobody in the history of sketch comedy was funnier than Gilda Radner. He laughed at sketches I didn’t think he would find funny, and it thrilled me he laughed at George Carlin’s standup. He got it and it proved that good comedy transcends generations.
Watching SNL is not only about what is on the screen. It has always been more. It’s watching with those you love and laughing with the live audience. It’s about talking about the skits and characters over the water cooler are on the playground. The show has brought us together in front of a New York City backdrop and I hope it continues for another 50 years.
Thank you Lorne Michels and the hundreds of SNL cast members, writers, and staff for bringing my family together for all these years.
I’m A 71 year old fan who still DVR every Saturday night. You were blessed to share it with your parents.