SNL101

S51 E12: Alex Skarsgård

We discuss cognitive dissonance, political reconciliation, and forgiveness, face-saving in “Mom’s Confession” and themes of belonging, friendship, power dynamics, and psychosocial needs in “Viking Raid.”
S51 E11: Teyana Taylor

We talk about the corporate synergy with NFL on ESPN, linguistics and cultural appropriation in Weekend Update: Marcello Hernández Translates Gen Z Terms, white guilt in turbulent times with Beyond the Headlines, and the strategic deployment of innocence in Toy Commercial.
S51 E10: Finn Wolfhard

We talk about the clever genre blending and figurative language, as well as slash fiction and fan creativity in “Heated Wizardry” and expand into how reboots, remakes, and fan-inspired storytelling function in corporate media with “Stranger Things Promo.”
S51 E09: Ariana Grande

We discuss “Black Santa” and race, sentimentality, white guilt, and humor’s role in social critique, as well as the linguistic power of impressions.
S51 E08 Josh O’Connor

We discuss how “Bachelorette Party Strippers” plays on the “soft boy” aesthetic as well as the complexity of masculinity and how desire, gender norms, and emotional authenticity are negotiated in popular culture. We also talk about how “Uber Eats Wrapped” can be used for a deep dive into memory, shame, data privacy, and self-perception.
S51 E07 Melissa McCarthy

We discuss Pentagon Press Conference Cold Open and Jost’s growing confidence as a performer, A Helping Hand and McCarthy’s dramatic range, and closely analyze Free Sample as a way to discuss fat humor, embodiment, loneliness, and attachment theory.
S51 E06 Glen Powell

Luvell explores how “AI Photos” taps into concerns about AI ethics, memory, and “enshittification,” Charisse praises “Norwegian Movie” for illustrating cultivation theory and how media shapes perceptions of entire cultures, and Chuck highlights “Bob Army” for its choreography, queer slang, and playful stereotypes.
S51 E05: Nikki Glaser

Glaser’s Stand-Up Monologue —filled with taboo humor about rape, trafficking, and pedophilia—was a masterclass in “gross-out” comedy where Glaser targets herself rather than others.
S51 E04: Miles Teller

We discuss how we could use “Missing Wives” in class to discuss the true crime genre, strategic use of archetypes in comedy, and using gendered dynamics in screenwriting
S51 E03: Sabrina Carpenter

This iteration may have hit its stride, but may have underutilized Sabrina’s talents. We discuss Boys Podcast as well as Jost’s joke about Trump and Argentina.