The White House rarely criticizes *Saturday Night Live*, but they did so this weekend. This came after the show began its new season with a sketch that made fun of President Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
On Saturday Night Live, James Austin Johnson once again impersonated Donald Trump, this time focusing on claims that the White House is trying to control what late-night hosts say. The sketch portrayed Trump as both intimidating and clumsy, suggesting the administration wants to suppress comedians who criticize them. Kenan Thompson played a cheerful figure tasked with carrying out this silencing effort.
The scene finished with this really unsettling, darkly funny moment. Trump leaned right into the camera and said, “Remember… Daddy’s watching.” It just stuck with me – a weirdly creepy line delivered with this… knowingness. It felt really off, and honestly, pretty memorable.
That single statement quickly made news and prompted an unusual, direct reaction from the White House.
“I Have More Entertaining Things to Do — Like Watch Paint Dry”
When contacted by *Entertainment Weekly*, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson was direct and straightforward in her response.
Jackson explained he didn’t want to waste his time watching the show. He added that, like many Americans who’ve stopped watching *Saturday Night Live*, he’d rather do almost anything else – even watch paint dry.
The response was a cutting remark, clearly intended to discredit the show and highlight its declining viewership.
The message was pretty straightforward: *Saturday Night Live* doesn’t pose a threat to how people view the Trump White House, simply because the show isn’t as influential as it once was.
But whether or not that’s true, the timing of the comment couldn’t be more politically charged.
The Broader Context: Late-Night in the Crosshairs
Everyone’s jumping to conclusions that this signals a real battle between the current government and comedians, but honestly, I think it’s much more straightforward – and a little embarrassing for the entertainment industry itself. It’s not about a ‘war on comedy,’ it’s something else entirely.
The cancellation of segments from *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* wasn’t due to political influence. It stemmed from Jimmy Kimmel sharing inaccurate information about a tragic event. Following the shooting of Charlie Kirk, his on-air commentary included details that were quickly proven false, leading to widespread public criticism.
After a serious violation of their standards and ethical guidelines, ABC and Disney had no option but to remove him from broadcast. This wasn’t about limiting free speech; it was a result of his actions.
Stephen Colbert’s *The Late Show* isn’t being canceled due to political pressure. The real reason is financial: the show is losing a significant amount of money. Sources estimate CBS loses around $40 million annually to keep it on the air, as fewer and fewer people are watching. When ratings fall and advertising revenue decreases, even long-running shows are eventually canceled. This is simply a business decision, not a political one.
Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, recently responded to a Saturday Night Live sketch that depicted him as someone who restricts free speech. He firmly denied accusations that he’s pressured broadcasters, stating that his work actually aims to *increase* freedom of expression both online and in traditional media.
Simply put, this isn’t about the Trump administration suppressing opposing viewpoints. It’s about the entertainment industry becoming less important and looking for someone else to blame for its struggles.
The recent Saturday Night Live sketch wasn’t a courageous stand, but rather an attempt by Hollywood to minimize its own mistakes.
The Power of Dismissal
For many years, *Saturday Night Live* has been known for making fun of politics – think of classic impressions like Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford, Dana Carvey as George H.W. Bush, Will Ferrell as George W. Bush, and Alec Baldwin’s famous portrayal of Donald Trump. Normally, politicians don’t mind these jokes. However, the current White House handled it differently, and some would say, more successfully.
Instead of responding to the criticism, the administration dismissed *Saturday Night Live* as losing relevance. They didn’t just criticize the show – calling it boring and a waste of time – they completely changed the conversation, shifting focus away from the original issue.
The White House chose not to respond directly to *Saturday Night Live*, effectively denying the show the attention it craved from Trump. This approach is a new media tactic – it views public outrage as the only trick comedy has left to get noticed.
It’s difficult to disagree with that reasoning, considering *Saturday Night Live’s* viewership and cultural impact have significantly declined. These days, the show gets more attention for *losing* viewers than for actually being funny.
A Show in Decline
You know, everyone talks about how important *SNL* is to our culture, but when you actually look at the numbers, it’s a bit of a different story. NBC keeps mentioning how people are watching online and on social media, but honestly, that doesn’t really translate to revenue. The truth is, TV ratings are what *really* matter, and *Saturday Night Live*’s numbers are just…not great. They’re barely holding on, if you want to be honest about it.
Most episodes of *Saturday Night Live* in spring 2025 averaged a little over 4 million viewers on NBC. However, the episode from March 29th, featuring host Mikey Madison and musical guest Morgan Wallen, only attracted 4.26 million viewers, including 692,000 people aged 18-49. This was one of the show’s lowest ratings in that key demographic since the early 1990s.
The episode of Saturday Night Live from April 12th, featuring Jon Hamm and Lizzo, drew 4.29 million viewers. Of those, 777,000 were adults aged 18–49.
Ouch, those ratings are really rough. It’s hard to believe this show used to pull in 7 to 9 million viewers *live* back when its political jokes were really hitting their stride. When viewership drops this much, advertisers start to pull back, which is never a good sign. It seems like the network is now really focusing on how many people are streaming it, probably to downplay just how much the show’s audience has shrunk on regular TV.
The White House’s claim that “millions have stopped watching” wasn’t just rhetoric—the numbers back it up. *Saturday Night Live* is losing viewers and its impact, and now gets more attention from the press covering it than from the audience actually watching it.
At this point, the real satire may be NBC pretending this is still appointment television.
When Comedy Meets Consequences
It’s ironic that *Saturday Night Live* did a sketch about censorship when the real issues facing late-night comedy are actually caused by the shows themselves.
Late-night shows such as Kimmel, Colbert, and Saturday Night Live have increasingly focused on delivering messages rather than providing entertainment. This approach has led to fewer viewers, declining advertising income, and a growing gap between Hollywood and everyday people.
While Saturday Night Live’s influence has waned, conservative and independent comedians on platforms like YouTube and Rumble are finding success by satirizing all sides of the political spectrum – something SNL was once known for.
The White House’s brief response to the *Saturday Night Live* sketch wasn’t an attempt to silence criticism, but rather a way to express their frustration. Many Americans who no longer watch traditional late-night television probably shared that feeling – they’ve simply lost interest in that type of show.
Conclusion
Comedy used to punch up. Now it just punches in one direction and wonders why the audience left.
The White House and Donald Trump didn’t directly criticize *Saturday Night Live*. Instead, they simply ignored it, and that silence could be the most powerful reaction they could have had.
A show that relies on current events to be funny faces its biggest problem when people stop paying attention. And based on how viewers and the White House are responding, it seems like *Saturday Night Live* might be losing its impact – something every satirical show dreads.
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2025-10-06 19:59