
Comedy sketches on “Saturday Night Live” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” are under scrutiny for their handling, or rather mishandling, of the recent surge in 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 address the issue through a skit inspired by the violent protests at Columbia University. However, critics argue that the sketch missed the mark by focusing on Ivy League presidents and a GOP politician instead of addressing the actual antisemitism and violence occurring on campuses.
In the skit, parents of college students grapple with the protests, but the material largely sidesteps the gravity of the situation engulfing the New York campus. Additionally, during the show’s “Weekend Update” segment, co-anchor Michael Che downplayed the violence at Columbia University, failing to acknowledge the antisemitic nature of the protests.
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 claimed.
Similarly, late-night host Stephen Colbert addressed the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University on his show, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” While he acknowledged the protests, critics argue that Colbert’s response fell short of condemning the antisemitism and violence on college campuses.
Colbert’s sudden interest in free speech on college campuses following the Columbia University riots raised eyebrows among some viewers, especially considering his previous silence on similar incidents involving conservative speakers and students.
Fellow late-night comedian Seth Meyers also faced criticism for his response to the protests. Meyers focused on criticizing law enforcement’s response to 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, both “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 failing to adequately address the rise of antisemitism on college campuses, raising questions about their commitment to confronting important social issues through comedy.