Recent comedic sketches on “Saturday Night Live” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” have drawn criticism for their handling of the escalating antisemitism on college campuses.
đ¨#BREAKING: Protesters have just stormed and overtook the Hamilton Hall at Columbia University Sparking Riot as They Barricade Inside and Break Windowsâ°â°đ#Manhattan | #NewYorkâ°â°At this very moment, hundreds of students and pro-Palestine protesters have just forcefully⌠pic.twitter.com/PbU04sHSI9
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 30, 2024
“Saturday Night Live” attempted to tackle the issue through a skit inspired by the protests at Columbia University. However, critics argue that the sketch missed the mark by focusing more on humor than on the serious issue of antisemitism and violence on campuses.
In the skit, parents of college students grapple with the protests, but the material largely glosses over the severity of the situation at Columbia University. Additionally, during the show’s “Weekend Update” segment, co-anchor Michael Che made light of the violence at Columbia University, failing to address the underlying antisemitism.
âOfficials at Columbia University complained that protesters broke windows and destroyed property âŚBut, so what? College kids also do that when they win the Final Four ⌠Also, if you donât want students to freak out, stop telling them the truth,â he said.
Late-night host Stephen Colbert also addressed the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University on his show, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” While he acknowledged the protests, some viewers felt that Colbert’s response lacked a strong condemnation of the antisemitism and violence exhibited by the protesters.
Similarly, comedian Seth Meyers faced criticism for his response to the protests. Meyers focused on criticizing law enforcement’s handling of the riots rather than condemning the violence and antisemitism displayed by the protesters.
âAs a New Yorker, I just want to say I really appreciate knowing that this is where my tax dollars are going: using drones to round up co-eds rather than, say, keeping libraries open or building affordable housing or making sure the F train isnât a total piece of sâ,â he said during his show.
Overall, the comedic sketches on “Saturday Night Live” and late-night talk shows like “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” have been accused of downplaying the seriousness of antisemitism on college campuses, sparking debate about the role of comedy in addressing social issues.
