SNL’ Is Quietly Erasing the Messiest Parts of Its Show and Losing Something Big

There’s an old saying that art is never finished, only abandoned. Saturday Night Live apparently didn’t get the memo, as fans are realizing that some of the online videos are entirely different from the sketches that air on television. A key example is last week’s sketch, in which Mikey Day played a man trying to infiltrate a sorority while wearing a literally paper-thin mask. When he’s asked to take a vape pen, Day sticks it in his mouth…and nothing happens. The online version features a different scene, where smoke pours out of the holes in his mask. Fans were quick to point out that this footage came from the dress rehearsal of the sketch, which is usually filmed before the show goes live.

SNL actually has a history of splicing in footage from the dress rehearsals during episodes. A key moment features the infamous “Debbie Downer” sketch, with a disclaimer that the footage being aired is from the dress rehearsal “because it was funnier.” Indeed, the video is hilarious, but it works because the SNL producers leaned into the behind-the-scenes moment. In contrast, the online edits feel extremely manufactured, and take away the spontaneous factor of comedy.By removing that factor, SNL is robbing its performers and its audience of genuinely funny moments.

‘SNL’s Online Edits Take Away Its Spontaneous Factor

The best SNL sketches will either have a performer who completely commits to the bit or a premise that’s ripe with comedic material, but every so often, it’s the spontaneous moments that stand out. A great example is “Massive Head Wound Harry,” starring Dana Carvey as the titular Harry. Harry, as you might have guessed, shows up to a party after suffering severe head trauma; a dog literally leaps on him and starts gnawing at the wound. It’s a hilarious bit, but it was completely unscripted as the dog was only meant to lick Carvey’s head. Carvey later unpacked the moment on Rachel Dratch‘s Fly on the Wall podcast, saying that the reason his canine co-star went off-script is due to the massive amounts of baby food smeared on his head wound prosthetic.

“Massive Head Wound Harry” is considered to be one of the best SNL sketches, with Timothée Chalamet even mentioning that his mother was one of the background performers when he took up hosting duties in 2020. But would it have been as memorable if the SNL producers had the technology to edit in footage from Carvey’s dress rehearsal? That’s the issue that lies in being able to change footage online. If you remove the mistakes, you risk altering what could be a classic sketch.

The ‘SNL’ Edits Are In Line With A Certain Blockbuster Franchise

Image via Lucasfilm

The news that SNL was doing online edits might sound familiar to Star Wars fans, as a similar fate befell the original films. George Lucas infamously made extensive edits to the “special editions” of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Some of these changes, like featuring a version of Emperor Palpatine in Empire Strikes Back that’s more in line with his Return of the Jedi appearance, work for the best. Others are jarring, especially the CGI aliens that stick out like a sore thumb in the background. Even more infamous are some of the changes to classic scenes, as Lucas’ edit of the confrontation between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Greedo led to the infamous “Han Shot First” debate.

Lucas’ changes are looked upon with scorn to this day, to the point where fans are hoping that the original edits will be shown for A New Hope‘s 50th anniversary. It’s a lesson that SNL head honcho Lorne Michaels should take to heart. SNL has already taken a hit due to some of its long-running cast members departing during Season 51, and losing their creative spark that fuels its sketches could send audiences packing, as well.

Release Date

October 11, 1975

Showrunner

Lorne Michaels

Directors

Dave Wilson, Don Roy King, Liz Patrick, Andy Warhol, Linda Lee Cadwell, Matthew Meshekoff, Paul Miller, Robert Altman, Robert Smigel

Writers

Will Forte, Bill Hader, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Chris Parnell, Asa Taccone, John Lutz, Tom Schiller, Simon Rich, Michael Patrick O’Brien, Nicki Minaj, Herbert Sargent, Matt Piedmont, John Solomon, Chris Kelly, Alan Zweibel, Kent Sublette, Ari Katcher, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schnedier, Scott Jung, Justin Franks, Jerrod Bettis, Rhiannon Bryan