Every Saturday night, the events of the week are turned into political and social satire. SNL begins each week with a cold open. This week’s cold open dove into the Ukraine-Russia crisis with jokes directed toward Generation Z’s participation in the spreading of misinformation through TikTok, Facebook and memes. The cold opens vary every week and are attuned to popular culture. SNL also has a recurring segment called “Weekend Update.” Similar to the cold opens, the Weekend Updates report on the news of the week in a more “formal” setting. Michael Che and Colin Jost follow actual news with their deadpan jokes. One of my favorite guests on the Weekend Update is Stefon. Stefon, played by Bill Hader, is a young flamboyant man living in New York who supposedly has all the details on social life in the city. If you have not watched this segment, I suggest you do before the end of the day. Not only is it extremely entertaining and hilarious, but you cannot help but laugh when Bill Hader inevitably loses character. He loses character so much throughout the Stefon skits that covering his laugh becomes a usual Stefon mannerism. Another SNL favorite for me is “The Californians.” A soap opera parody, The Californians’ characters are Stuart, Devin, and Karina, played by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, respectively. If that is a trio you have not seen together, you are missing out. Not only do the plots of each segment have me laughing on their own, but watching as Fred, Bill, and Kristen hold back their snickers makes me cackle.
Unlike SNL and its ability to create comedy from real life events, watching Carpool Karaoke is a great way to get a laugh in. In his late-night show, The Late Late Show with James Corden, James Corden rewatches clips from his “carpools” to work with various famous singers. His carpool guests range from Stevie Wonder, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elton John, and Sir Paul McCartney, to newer names like Billie Eilish and BTS. He even rode along with Michelle Obama. Corden asks his famous friends to help beat the LA traffic by carpooling to work with them. This bit turns into a full-fledged concert. They sing along to the carpool guest’s songs and go into some fast food places like he did with Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande. He even “helps” celebrities face their fears like he tried to do with Niall Horan and his fear of pigeons. In his ride with Sir Paul McCartney, James Corden actually goes to Liverpool, England to rehash Paul McCartney’s childhood and his early experiences with the Beatles. Carpool Karaoke is a lighthearted segment on the Late Late Show that reminds everyone of their bucket list adventure – to sing along and have genuine fun with their favorite artists.