For Curtis Sittenfeld, watching “Saturday Night Live” is more than just a guilty pleasure – it’s an escape from reality. When she was a kid, her siblings introduced her to classic sketches like Jan Hooks and Nora Dunn’s Sweeney Sisters singing a Christmas medley. In 2020, as the pandemic dragged on, Curtis and her family discovered “SNL” together, watching episodes in reverse order of their airing. This shared experience brought them closer as they laughed at the show’s silly humor.
As she grew older, Curtis began to appreciate “SNL”‘s impact beyond its jokes. The show embodies an idea of New York for those who’ve never lived there, a sense of having hilarious friends or co-workers, and being able to metabolize political instability into biting jokes. It’s also a way for outsiders like herself to feel connected to beauty, fame, humor, and the city she’d always dreamed of experiencing.
Curtis’s experience watching “SNL” live was a surreal one. She saw familiar faces from TV on stage, but without her family by her side to share in the laughter and opinions. In that moment, she felt a pang of nostalgia for their shared viewing experiences at home.
This love letter to “Saturday Night Live” is more than just a nostalgic tribute – it’s an ode to the show’s ability to bring people together, even when they’re watching alone.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/15/opinion/snl-comedy-50th-anniversary.html