Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) latest episode made a pointed commentary on voter exhaustion and the repetitive rhetoric of high-stakes politics during its final pre-election show. The segment, “What’s That Name?”, aimed to satirize contestants’ ability to remember minor celebrities’ names but not those of everyday people.
In this election edition, host John Mulaney played a news junkie who was quizzed about lesser-known 2024 general-election players, including Special Counsel Jack Smith. The contestant demonstrated an in-depth knowledge and took pride in it. However, when Senator Tim Kaine was introduced, the contestant struggled to recall his name, prompting the game-show host to share a photo of Kaine with his doppelganger Tim Walz.
Kaine responded by saying that despite not being as memorable, “My name is still Tim. I exist.” This exchange landed the segment a biting tone about the wearying stakes of deciding the nation’s leadership, and SNL appears to have taken a more nuanced approach compared to its 2016 episode featuring Trump.
By contrasting the cold open’s levity with this sharper commentary, SNL seems to be staking a larger claim than in the past. While some may argue that the show crossed the equal-time rule by having Kamala Harris but not Trump appear, the “What’s That Name?” segment landed a more significant point about voter exhaustion and the repetition of high-stakes rhetoric.
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/11/saturday-night-live-kamala-harris-election-exhaustion-tim-kaine/680513