By William Coffman, Opinions & Editorals Editor

Live from New York—SNL is 50.

 In a star-studded ceremony last Sunda full of Hollywood royalty that included Tom Hanks, Stephen Spielberg, Robert De Niro and more, NBC paid tribute to the show that has defined late night comedy in the United States. The special began with a rendition of “Homeward Bound” sung by Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter. The opening monologue belonged to Steve Martin, who was joined onstage by John Mulaney and Martin Short, before commencing the skits.

Few shows are such a fixture in pop culture the way SNL is. The show has been a launching point for comedy stars, many of whom were present or performed at Sunday’s ceremony. Names like Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray, Billy Crystal, Phil Hartman, Chevy Chase, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell and Eddy Murphy are just some of Hollywood’s biggest names who have SNL to thank for getting their name out there. It was Ferrell who took on the challenge of running the first skit of the night and part of which included a live Q&A hosted by Poehler and Fey.

Over its 50 years, SNL has satirized almost everything. In fact, it is this constant coverage that has earned creator Lorne Michael’s show not just the name or Saturday night, but the attention reminiscent of the way Americans give their attention to football on Sunday night. SNL has ingrained itself into the American way of life, rarely missing a chance to make a joke about a piece of news. 

Nowhere is this clearer than in the show’s coverage of politics from the Ford administration to President Trump’s second—that’s 10 administrations. The Commander in Chief has commonly been imitated on SNL. From Bill Clinton’s relationship with fast food to George W. Bush’s Bushisms to modern-day presidential debates, these skits and more have poked fun at serious news, always managing to find a bit of levity. 

The magic of SNL is not solely found in its skits, though. Perhaps the most iconic part of the show is its hosts. The list of stars who have taken the SNL stage contain some of Hollywood’s greatest actors and actresses, sports stars, politicians and businessmen. 

Since George Carlin became the first person to host SNL, those in the hosting role have defined episodes even more than the skits. Currently, Alec Baldwin holds the record for times hosted with 17, followed closely by Steve Martin at 16 and John Goodman at 13. Some monologues have even outshined the succeeding skits, such as Eddie Murphy’s return to SNL in 2019 after 35 years.

The history of SNL isn’t entirely defined by comedy however. After 9/11, when New York City and the country was still in shock and Lower Manhattan still burned from the rubble of the Twin Towers, SNL opened its show with then-mayor of New York Rudy Guiliani flanked by firefighters of the NYFD, portraying a powerful image to the American public that the country could come back from the terrorist attacks. 

SNL and its 50 years of making skits and parodying news through comedy has created an American pastime, and the celebration last Sunday showed just that. While not every sketch is a hit, and not every joke generates a laugh, SNL continues to do something truly special, leaving audiences in anticipation for what the next 50 years will bring.