SNL’s Comeback: A Sign of the Times

Oct 28, 20245 min read

SNL’s recovery from a stretch of poor ratings is symptomatic of something bigger: it’s time for a deeper dive into how media and marketing will change under Gen Z’s influence.

By: Virginia "Ginger" Gilbert

Credit: Will Health/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Let’s talk about it: the downfall of SNL was monumental.

Somewhere after Season 40 in 2014, the once-revered comedy show began to feel–well, distant. Sketches that weren’t an attempt to reuse old punchlines were politically poignant commentary broken up by tense laughter from an uncomfortable audience. A show that could once target every niche of humor in an airing had lost its comedic footing, grasping at current-event straws in jokes that translated as spiteful and angsty. It wasn’t for lack of talent either. Pete Davidson, Keanan Thompson, Kate McKinnon, Mikey Day, Tina Fey and Aidy Bryant–to name a few–were members of the cast during the eight-season stretch of declining ratings and brutal social media reviews which marked these episodes as “the end of SNL.” In hindsight, the issue was clear: writers were simply struggling to adjust to older audiences while still appealing to Gen Z as we aged into their target age-group. The writer’s room couldn’t read the room and attempted to garner the praise of Gen Z through edgy political rants thinly veiled as comedy, effectively alienating their Gen X and Boomer viewers. This risk proved a fatal one as writers had entirely misread the humor of a generation.

It was reflected in the ratings: SNL had lost their chokehold on our parents and couldn’t seem to grasp the humor of Gen Z.

Nonetheless, what might have seemed hopeless may be rectifiable after all. Following a mass departure of writers in 2021, and a slight shuffle in new cast members between seasons 44-49, younger members like Bowen Yang, Marcello Hernandez, Jane Wickline and Sarah Sherman were able to gain traction in the writing room. Recurring sketches like “Please Don’t Destroy” were born from writers who had previously been benched for more experienced cast members. Slowly but surely, there has been a shift in comedic tone as this new cast places emphasis on covert punchlines, observations on the absurdity of current events and “that-one-person” sketches that target the social awareness trademark of Gen Z as well as the silent judgment trademark of Gen X and Boomers.

This new stride has been in full force with the onset of season 50, finding virality in Espresso bridesmaids, “Lisa from Temecula,” TikTok “FYP” parodies and Bowen Yang’s takes on Chappell Roan and Moo Deng. Support from online has poured in, with many viewers deeming season 50 as a shocking, noticeable turnaround in the series’ quality. By simply putting faith in Gen Z, SNL went from boycotted to beloved.

This shift can be observed in measures beyond just a failing comedy series: Gen Z has entered the consumer void, and we want something from marketing and media that defies the precedent.

While some corporations, like SNL, have adjusted to Gen Z’s convergence into the workforce and consumer realms, others are hesitant to admit that Gen Z–once heckled as lazy, obnoxiously progressive and unprofessional–has aged into the consumer void and must now be “won over” by marketing strategies. Ultimately, the tone is beginning to change. Gen Z’ers don’t want statistics, pantsuits or testimonials, they want authenticity, self-awareness and approachability–commonalities that clash with the historical marketing approaches of authority, neutrality and practicality.

For example, a marketing trend found its roots on TikTok where organizations will “allow” their “Gen Z interns” to edit videos of their bosses and managers advertising new products, exhibits and locations. The humor is absurd, with videos often containing so many jump cuts and out-of-context taglines that the viewer can hardly tell what they’re supposed to be buying. The thing about it, though, is that it works: top videos garner millions of views and likes, generating virality for otherwise obsolete and niche organizations. As opposed to the highly strategized campaigns of the past, this new batch of Gen Z employees focus more on the come-and-go trend culture of online media. While “advertisements” are often simple and low-budget, they blend in with media that online users would already be consuming, and provide a sense of humanity to organizations within online communities. Not only does Gen Z understand the principality of the globalized online landscape, they know how to captivate it.

Unfortunately, the fresh take on marketing isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

In terms of longevity, can a good intern compensate for the short attention span of the online market? Is there a way to blend Gen Z marketing into a traditional campaign? And what about seniority, how can a corporation utilize both the experience of long-time advertising professionals and the trend-savviness of the intern?

Sure, short-term campaigns provide a sense of safety under the microscope that is social media. If a TikTok falls flat, the implications are a lot less severe than a multi-million dollar project plastered on the side of the Empire State Building. With that said, the volatility of networking platforms provides a sense of unease in marketing. What worked today will not work tomorrow. Beyond this, the niche humor appreciated by the new generation is not applicable to a wider campaign. Much of the humor which these social media campaigns depend on–references to chamoy pickles, Tanka Jahari and tradwives on TikTok–could not be translated to a commercial or newspaper ad, much less understood by somebody’s grandma.

While taking advantage of the creativity and online sensation of new employees is wise in any context, the flamboyant nature of Gen Z makes the exchange of power between long-time employees and interns more pronounced.

A grander-scheme example of this is the online marketing strategy of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. While her campaign trail has been mostly traditional–talking to Oprah, holding rallies, kissing babies–Harris has a secret weapon beneath the surface: her TikTok account. The account, clearly meant to appeal to young voters, has incorporated fancam edits and trending audios to ordain Harris as a certified “brat” (see “brat summer”) and opposing Republican candidate Donald Trump as…not? The compelling aspect of this marketing attempt is the balance Harris’ team must find between her “real life” and her “chronically online” audiences of voters. Much of the older, general population may not even be aware of the online campaign, and–if they were–might be turned off by it. Even in the online realm, the campaign has received criticism from young voters who see the flippancy of the content as a mockery granted the magnitude of a presidential election. Like SNL, Harris has perceivably taken a leap of faith in trusting her interns.

Now we must beg the question: is SNL’s success with a starting lineup of youngstars foreshadowing the future of media, or is it an exception to the rule? It’s uncertain. While Gen Z can easily appeal to Gen Z within the confines of an online space, SNL’s turnaround is one of the first tangible examples of how media shifts when our generation enters the picture. It’s hard to predict where Gen Z will be willing to compromise down the road, and it’s hard to predict how it will be received. Will the 2048 presidential election take place on TikTok Shop? Probably not. Is Gen Z going to change the way we market? Absolutely.

Virginia “Ginger” Gilbert is a first-year Information Systems major at the University of Florida and is from Jupiter, Florida. She’s an online writer for Rowdy magazine and loves to talk about music and pop culture.