You may be wondering how a twenty-something Australian developed an intense interest in a fifty-year-old American sketch-comedy show - the answer is COVID-19. As a self-appointed Saturday Night Live expert, I feel qualified to defend the show from its most popular criticisms - that it's been running for far too long, and simply isn’t funny anymore.

While I do agree that SNL’s quality has been steadily declining the past ten years, I think it's irresponsible and downright false to proclaim they haven’t been funny once. In fact, I have prepared a list of ten specific sketches that have elicited much more than a brief nose exhale from me.

As mentioned, the show is half a century old and attempting to watch episodes from before this millennium makes me want to pull out my hair. So, this list will consist of sketches from 2005 onwards, my personal golden era of SNL.

What could be better than some good old trashy reality TV? Good old trashy reality TV based around the lives of Disney princesses, that is! This sketch would’ve flown under my radar if it weren’t for Taran Killam’s perfect delivery of “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, burn that dress, ahaha.” If you’re into the idea of a wine-drunk Cinderella married to a flamboyant Prince Charming sat next to Lindsay Lohan of all people, this will be right up your alley. Which I know sounds like some weird Tumblr AU but I promise it's good.  

The women of early 2010s SNL struck gold with many musical moments, but none more than this masterpiece featuring Ariana Grande. It satirises the corporate, soullessness ingenuity of the early #MeToo movement where feminism meant showing inspirational close-ups of women looking deep in thought and shouting out Malala just ‘cause. The song swells when the group decides that the meaning of feminism truly is just frolicking on the beach with your fellow females and not questioning the lack of male support, happily setting the movement back a few solid years with smiles on their faces. #FeministSong.

Developing memorable characters is an integral part of SNL’s success, a department that has been lacking in the last five or so years. Ego Nwodim decided to change that with her standout moment from last year, playing Lisa From Temecula, a no-nonsense woman who likes her meat cooked well-well done. If you love actors breaking, then this sketch is perfect for you. It covers all bases - physical comedy, props, character work, and Pedro Pascal. 

Marcello Hernandez has been doing the heavy lifting in his first two years on the show. He’s the clear standout of the new cast, and this recent skit shows exactly why. You don’t need to be Latino to appreciate the absolute ridiculousness of this Sábado Gigante spoof, a parody of the Chilean game show. Some may criticise Hernandez for relying on his heritage for humour so often, but I think it provides a much-needed break from the overwhelming eager-theatre-kid energy of everyone else. Host, Nic Bargatze, also does a wonderful job at playing the role of ‘confused white guy who is still willing to participate.’ It’s wacky and stupid and that is exactly why I find it so funny.

What do you get when you mix pizza rolls and possession? A good old time! Vanessa Bayer is one of my favourite cast members and a master of the ‘no thoughts behind the eyes’ stare. This leads us to think this is an innocent Super Bowl commercial about a game-day snack for her “hungry guys”. This sketch embraces the fact that football fans are kinda culty and leans into something akin to an episode of Supernatural, a notion I can absolutely get behind. Special mention to the other Totino’s sketch with Bayer in which she partakes in a lesbian fantasy with Kristen Stewart, unfortunately not on this list because that is art and shall be treated as such. 

John Mulaney is a controversial figure in the celebrity world but I will say one thing - he can write the hell out of a musical sketch. Although Diner Lobster is the fan favourite, this dramedy musical about Pete Davidson attempting to buy sushi at the airport just tugs at my heartstrings a little more. A beautiful tribute to musical theatre’s biggest hits set in LaGuardia Airport features some surprisingly lovely vocals, devolving into a story travelling all areas of the building, from Auntie Anne’s pretzel stand to a crying baby on a flight.

I don’t have much of a defence for this one because I know it's stupid, but clearly, that’s what I look for. The way this sketch just cartwheels into idiocy never fails to make me chuckle, though maybe it’s the horrifying 2000’s men’s haircuts that help too. It’s a weirdly accurate prediction of the state of food blogging in the 2020s - when you think you can’t add more, you add more—edible overconsumption final boss. At the end of the day, you just can’t go wrong with the Hader-Samberg-Sudeikis trio. 

The sketch that could break even a seasoned sketch professional. This makes the cut on every WatchMojo Top 20 SNL list and I support it completely. Putting Bill Hader in a motorised wheelchair was an unforeseen recipe for disastrous success, as seen by the way he plummets himself into the wall within the first ten seconds. It’s a wonderful example of a sketch going wrong in all the right ways, with every cast member eventually losing it, and for good reason. I won’t spoil too much because this one is an essential. 

If you were on the internet in the 2000s then you’ve most likely come across a song by The Lonely Island. I could make a whole separate list for their SNL tunes but this one takes the absolute cake for me. Andy Samberg plays a man-baby who refuses to ‘be a part of your system’ and retaliates against society’s strict regime by throwing stuff on the ground. You may have heard this song briefly on TikTok but trust me, it’s nothing without its music video. True, stupid genius. 

This one is entirely self-indulgent but TLDR; Stefon was a recurring character on the Weekend Update segment played by Bill Hader, and had a tumultuous “will they, won’t they” flirtation with host Seth Meyers. Upon Hader’s final episode of the show, SNL decided to finally give the fans what they wanted - which was apparently Seth gatecrashing Stefon’s wedding to another man and stealing him away to live happily ever after. As a gigantic fan of Hader’s work on the show, this sketch brings me to tears every single time despite how truly silly it all is, but you can’t blame me. Funny white guys and gay weddings? This was crafted for me. Perfection.

Once you get past the corny stupidity of it all, SNL has some real diamonds in the rough. Here’s to fifty years of being just funny enough to not get thrown off the air. 

Patricia is a third-year Media Arts student who spends too much time customising her posters on Letterboxd. You can find her constructing intricate playlists for her comfort characters and attending every single concert she physically can.