This weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” roasted MSNBC in a skit ridiculing the left-wing cable news network about everything from its hysteria-prone coverage of President-elect Trump to its anchors’ personalities and appearances.
The segment featured Sarah Sherman as Rachel Maddow — complete with the host’s signature close-cropped hairstyle and thick-rimmed glasses — who introduced herself warning that dads watching at home “better hide their older, bookish-looking lesbian daughters.”
Sherman then introduced the panel, who she described as “basically like ‘The Avengers’ for your aunt” and which included cast members mimicking network regulars including Ari Melber, Joy Reid, Stephanie Ruhle and Chris Hayes.
The skit’s Joy Reid — portrayed by Ego Nwodim — said the network was turning over a new leaf when it comes to covering Trump.
“This time around, we’re not gonna get sucked in by every new shiny, crazy statement from Trump. We need to focus on what he does, not what he says.”
At that moment, Sherman’s Maddow cuts in to announce some breaking news that Trump wants to “trade Connecticut for Italy.”
The segment bounced between anchors — lampooning their peccadilloes, including Melber’s penchant for hip-hop and portraying Ruhle as flighty and flirtatious.
It interrupted the panelists with mock-breaking news a few more times throughout, including a made-up story that the incoming 47th president had told a group of LA wildfire victims that “Arnold Palmer had some of the longest balls in American history.”
The most stinging barb of the skit came at the expense of Hayes and Maddow.
Nwodim’s Reid at one point throws a question to Maddow, but the camera fixes on Hayes — who is being played by Andrew Dismukes.
The audience awkwardly guffaws in realization as Dismukes stammers, “oh, I’m not Rachel, I’m Chris Hayes,” a riff on a longstanding internet meme that the hosts share a resemblance.
Trump is a frequent source of material for the long-running NBC series, despite hosting the show twice, in 2004 and again in 2015.
During the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the program, sparking backlash and prompting NBC to file an Equal Time notice with the Federal Communications Commission a day after the episode aired.
The network ran a Trump campaign ad during the broadcast of NASCAR’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway and the NFL’s coverage of the Minnesota Vikings-Indianapolis Colts game on Sunday night.
“SNL” Roasts MSNBC’s Trump Obsession in Scathing Takedown of Rachel Maddow
In a recent episode of “Saturday Night Live,” the sketch comedy show took aim at MSNBC and host Rachel Maddow for their relentless coverage of all things Trump. The segment, titled “MSNBC’s Trump Obsession,” featured Kate McKinnon as Maddow and showcased the host’s over-the-top reactions to every tweet, scandal, and controversy involving the former president.
From Maddow’s dramatic monologues to her frantic attempts to connect the dots between Trump and various conspiracy theories, the parody highlighted the absurdity of the network’s fixation on the ex-president. McKinnon’s portrayal of Maddow as a hyper-caffeinated, conspiracy-obsessed news anchor was spot-on and had audiences in stitches.
The sketch didn’t hold back in its criticism of MSNBC’s coverage, pointing out the network’s ratings-driven approach to journalism and its seeming inability to move on from the Trump era. It was a fiery takedown that didn’t pull any punches, and it left viewers wondering just how accurate the portrayal really was.
Overall, “SNL’s” skewering of MSNBC and Rachel Maddow was a hilarious and timely reminder of the dangers of media obsession and sensationalism. It was a reminder that sometimes, it’s important to take a step back and remember that there are other things happening in the world besides Donald Trump.
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SNL, Saturday Night Live, MSNBC, Trump obsession, Rachel Maddow, sketch, comedy, parody, political satire, takedown, sketch comedy, television, entertainment, social commentary, current events.
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