‘SNL’ Takes Aim at Pro-Palestine Campus Protesters in Cold Open
It wasn’t completely unexpected when Saturday Night Live focused its cold open on the massive wave of student protests sweeping America, but the exact direction it chose was a surprise. Rather than a news report or a sketch involving protester characters themselves, SNL chose to open up with a fake talk show.
Called “Community Affairs,” the talk show focused on a concerned host played by Michael Longfellow and two white, well-off parents played by Heidi Gardner and Mikey Day. At first, the conversation focused on the parents trying to be supportive of their kids, even as the protests have grown increasingly dangerous and volatile.
“I’m all for free speech, but I don’t understand what they think they’re accomplishing, and that’s really putting a strain on me and my daughter’s relationship,” says Gardner’s character. Day’s character adds, “Yeah, I want to let my son make his own choices, but to be honest, it’s a little scary.”