Althouse: The world gave "SNL" some great material and "SNL" did not squander the opportunity. Enjoy the near perfection of "The White POTUS."

April 13, 2025

The world gave "SNL" some great material and "SNL" did not squander the opportunity. Enjoy the near perfection of "The White POTUS."

Why it's not complete perfection: 1. You need to have watched Season 3 of "The White Lotus" to get most of the jokes, 2. The joke about the watch is bad. It was like the old "moron" jokes of the 1960s — e.g., why did the moron throw his watch across the room?/He wanted to see time fly — and the idea that Eric Trump is a moron isn't worth spending time on.

57 comments:

Aggie said...: I guess that must be the magic of White Lotus - without the experience, all the jokes looked really lame, over-obvious, and unfunny, but at least the impressions were poor. Glad I don't watch TV.; 4/13/25, 8:41 AM
Dave Begley said...: Stupid. Not funny. What is wrong with those New Yorkers?

And Putin? Please? Tired, old and dumb jokes.; 4/13/25, 8:45 AM
Mark said...: Humorless Trump sycophants refuse to engage. Yawn.

Given Begley couldn't find anything worthwhile about a Dylan show recently, why he pretends to understand and appteciate culture is a mystery.; 4/13/25, 8:53 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Pushing the current party line: Tump economic policies are causing the economy to crash. Trump Administration dumb, Putin is their friend. The idea is to take Lotus III and use it for old tired anti-Trump jokes. Funny how the Entertainment Industry, the MSM, and the DNC all push the same message at the same time.; 4/13/25, 8:54 AM
Wince said...: SNL also did a “Trump is like Jesus” sketch last night.

The show’s repetitious political theme was recession and inflation. You know, now, after Biden has left office.; 4/13/25, 8:54 AM
Dave Begley said...: Did SNL ever mock Blinken? You know that guy. He’s Fredo and he would never talk to President Xi like that.

The reason SNL is so unfunny is because of TDS. That’s tge only joke they have.; 4/13/25, 8:56 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Amazing how dumbed down Entertainment Industry output has become in the last 10 years. Is it that smart people don't write their movies/TV shows, or is it smart people are lazy and know they can get away with 2nd rate slop?; 4/13/25, 8:57 AM
Dave Begley said...: Mark:

People were walking out during the Dylan show.; 4/13/25, 8:58 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: SNL isn't unfunny because of TDS. Its a failure of talent. They weren't funnny in 2014 either. You can only compare it to SNL circa 1995 or 1987 or 1977 to see the massive decline.; 4/13/25, 8:59 AM
Jaq said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/13/25, 9:00 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: The world gave "SNL" some great material . . .

An active voice the sense of a passive voice.; 4/13/25, 9:00 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Shakespeare is culture. SNL is commercial, industrialized entertainment for profit. And to push the NBC exec politics. Culture? LOL!; 4/13/25, 9:01 AM
Kakistocracy said...: “It’s me, Tiger Woods!” 🤣🤣🤣
And the Masters ... Only on CBS ⛳️; 4/13/25, 9:06 AM
Paddy O said...: "What is wrong with those New Yorkers?"

No one is chatty at the bars anymore; 4/13/25, 9:07 AM
Iman said...: This makes Carrot Top look and sound like a comedic genius in comparison.; 4/13/25, 9:11 AM
Jaq said...: You know, as the numbers are revised, we have been sliding into a recession since before Trump took office. Most of the jobs in 2024 were new hires to the government using $4 trillion borrowed dollars, and even then, the only "job growth" was in foreign born labor, a.k.a. "willing to work cheap" labor. US born workers dropped in number, as far as holding actual. paying jobs.

But first lie wins, and if they can tag Trump with Biden's second, BTW, recession, his first recession was ruled "not a recession due to faked up and later revised away job numbers and a change by his appointees to the definition of a recession.

Pure propaganda, and if the Democrats had to pay for it, it would be extremely expensive.; 4/13/25, 9:12 AM
Iman said...: Just think of the fun SNL could’ve had with 0bama and “The Jeffersons”!

“Moochie!”; 4/13/25, 9:16 AM
Wince said...: I counted two or three egg price jokes across multiple sketches last night.

A leading indicator that the SNL writers really are that behind the curve when it comes to economic satire.; 4/13/25, 9:18 AM
Peachy said...: Live, from New York, NBC(D) presents - SATURDAY NIGHT TRUMP BASHING.; 4/13/25, 9:19 AM
Peachy said...: NBC and all of NBC's affiliates =democrat party soviet promotion; 4/13/25, 9:20 AM
john mosby said...: They did have a really funny and insightful sketch where Bowen Yang and Jon Hamm played a gay couple who suddenly show up with a baby and get OTT defensive when their friends ask simple questions. Poking fun at all the LGBTQRSTUVWXYZ pieties, with at least two gay cast members in the sketch. Reminded me of 70s SNL doing racial and sexist stuff.

JSM; 4/13/25, 9:21 AM
Kakistocracy said...: Jaq writes: "You know, as the numbers are revised, we have been sliding into a recession since before Trump took office."

We’ve just witnessed the most unequivocal "thumbs down“ of any policy proposal in modern history.

Trillions wiped off 401k plans
Bond yields up
Collapse of the dollar

Are these validators of successful policy?

There’s a pretty big contradiction in the idea that we can solve America’s trade deficit just by bringing back the industries we lost decades ago. That kind of thinking treats two very different goals—shrinking the trade gap and reviving old manufacturing—as if they’re the same. But they’re not, and pretending they are only leads to bad assumptions.

We’re either forcing consumers and businesses to pay more for the same goods, or we’re quietly shifting the cost of keeping these industries alive onto taxpayers. That’s not restoring free-market strength—it’s redistribution, not pure capitalism, dressed up in patriotic language.; 4/13/25, 9:56 AM
Jupiter said...: You should get out more.; 4/13/25, 10:09 AM
Temujin said...: Tedious. I tried.; 4/13/25, 10:16 AM
cf said...: I am not even gonna try.; 4/13/25, 10:24 AM
gilbar said...: unrelated (but, actually closely related) serious question:
didn't there Used To BE a war (or something) in The Ukraine (or someplace?)
what ever happened to that? when was the last "news" from there?
(where ever 'there' was?)

heck.. wasn't there Another war (or something?) someplace else?
(giza or such?)
what ever happened to THAT? (what ever That was?)

it's Weird that wars just evaporate.. like dreams (or nightmares); 4/13/25, 10:25 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Let’s compare First Children. Chelsea is married to a guy worth maybe $50 million, while personally being worth maybe $90 million, despite her only real jobs since college being to help run her own and her family’s NGOs. Most of that money appears to have come from the types of USAID grants recently shut down by Trump and DOGE. In short, she’s a grifter, the only (known) child of her master grifter parents. She’s rich because her father was the President, and her mother would have been too if she hadn’t been so horrible, and hadn’t drunk so much wine.

Hunter Biden is recognizable by hist first name. This Harvard trained attorney claims to be broke from too much cocaine and too many whores. Had to be sued to pay child support for the illegitimate kid (verified by court ordered paternity test) he had with a crack whore. Made his money the more traditional way - through graft, bribery, and extortion being the family bagman for the family business of selling influence and using control of US foreign policy to make money. Arguably instrumental, thanks to this, in killing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians as a result of his deals with the Ukrainian President.

The two Obama girls seem fairly well behaved, in comparison to the Biden kids. Overshadowed by their parents, and esp their mother. Living well off the grift, but not flaunting it, like the Clinton and Biden kids have done.

Now the Trump kids. Don, Jr and Eric run the Trump Organizations. Jr is more the spokesman, while Eric is the hands on guy. While his full siblings come by their hotel in Las Vegas every month or two, Eric is there every couple weeks, spending a day or two every time, talking to everyone, both staff and guests. If you want something fixed, he’s the guy to talk to. Both boys used to be more inconspicuous, around the hotel, until they picked up USSS details again. After living there a couple years, it’s fairly easy to pick them out. Jr seems to have his father’s wandering eyes. Eric though is married to Lara, RNC Cochair, and the one who put the anti-fraud organization together that probably won all the swing states last year, after losing them to election fraud in 2020. Then there is Ivanka. Owns successful fashion and jewelry lines. Married to Jared, who was instrumental in winning the 2016 election through microtargeting and put together the Abrahamic accords during Trump’s first term, among other foreign policy triumphs. Next girl is newly married and graduated from law school, and Baron is a freshman in college, noticeable by his height, and his often over height USSS detail. None are known as heavy drinkers or drug takers.; 4/13/25, 10:49 AM
Michael Fitzgerald said...: Pathetic, lame, and shitty In every way. Worst was whatever that idiot pretending to impersonate Melania was doing.; 4/13/25, 10:50 AM
Ampersand said...: I admire the cleverness of using a program obsessed with the spiritual emptiness and corruption of wealthy Americans as the template for the Trump family. Odd that it didn't occur to them when the Biden crime family was in charge.; 4/13/25, 11:00 AM
Wilbur said...: The writers' goals are - in conspicuous order - 1. to further Leftist narratives and memes, and 2. produce quality mqterial, i.e., to be funny.

The second is, of course, the most important and the most difficult. These reversals of priorities are not limited to SNL. They are rampant, if not universal, throughout show biz.; 4/13/25, 11:06 AM
TeaBagHag said...: Damn. Some real grumpy critics in here.
Michelle Obama is actually a man!
Boom, there’s some some evergreen humor that seems to get tons of giggles from the willfully ignorant, shit human persuasion.
You’re welcome.; 4/13/25, 11:23 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: “Amazing how dumbed down Entertainment Industry output has become in the last 10 years.”

Impossible to overstate. My wife has been watching the 1923 series from the vomitous Yellowstone franchise. Without question the laziest, most moronic, and utterly predictable writing I’ve ever seen in a television show. That might sound hyperbolic but I don’t think so. Any episode of Gilligan’s Island is brilliant by comparison. Any episode of All In The Family a stratospheric creative achievement by comparison.

We’re in an era of 3% great television and 97% dogshit.; 4/13/25, 11:45 AM
JAORE said...: "... isn't worth spending time on. " Apply that to much more than that final sentence. I only got through the first few minutes. But I guess I could admire SNL for employing 8th graders as writers.; 4/13/25, 11:48 AM
Iman said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/13/25, 11:48 AM
victoria said...: I didn't watch any White Lotus and i thought it was funny. Right wing jealous because they do not have a sense of humor, at all. Case in point, Marjorie Taylor Greene, RFK Jr jokes on 2 legs. No sane person can believe either one of them is in a position of responsibility. Not to mention the biggest joke of all, The "war hero" who never saw a day of combat, Pete Hegseth, DUI in chief.; 4/13/25, 12:08 PM
Marcus Bressler said...: All you Dems that dare to question the war service of anyone since you fellated Bill Clinton can go FO. He not only dodged the draft, he put those intentions in writing. And before your tiny lib brain begins to think of a "Left Can't Meme" bone spurs comment, go ahead and check what that actually is and how the Armed Forces feels about that condition.; 4/13/25, 12:30 PM
Tina Trent said...: I much preferred Bill Maher's accountt of his visit to the White House and dinner with Trump.

Being permanently stoned seems to have worked out well for Maher.; 4/13/25, 12:33 PM
Aggie said...: See, if you don't like our brand of humor, if you don't find it delicious and funny, then you're humorless. And be careful comrade, if you don't laugh we'll call you a fascist, and have our minions in social media cancel your accounts, or at least ghost-ban you. And if you continue to be bothersome, fascist, our associates in the telecommunications industry just might forward your records to us for review, and potential further action for our associates in the banking industry. Because we're funny, and don't you forget it !; 4/13/25, 12:39 PM
The Genius Savant said...: The Putin stuff is soooo stupid. The Left just can't get over that illusion.; 4/13/25, 12:50 PM
john mosby said...: Victoria: "The "war hero" who never saw a day of combat, Pete Hegseth"

Hegseth has a Combat Infantry Badge, two awards of the Bronze Star, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Medals. The modern CIB is only given if you personally fought (before 2001, you could get it just for being in an infantry unit in a combat zone, even if nobody shot at you or vice versa). Leaving aside any other faults of his, Hegseth has seen the elephant.

JSM; 4/13/25, 1:00 PM
Peachy said...: Again but with gusto:

Victoria said: "The "war hero" who never saw a day of combat, Pete Hegseth"

Hegseth has a Combat Infantry Badge, two awards of the Bronze Star, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Medals. The modern CIB is only given if you personally fought (before 2001, you could get it just for being in an infantry unit in a combat zone, even if nobody shot at you or vice versa). Leaving aside any other faults of his, Hegseth has seen the elephant."
-JSM

Victoria drinks the lie juice - squeezed fresh daily from Adam Schitt's sphincter .; 4/13/25, 1:32 PM
Randomizer said...: "The White Potus" seemed like a summer camp skit, where campers impersonate the staff. The actors have to announce their character, because the impersonations are so bad. Like, "It's your wife, Melania."

The campers laugh, because they know who Melania is. Then they laugh because Trump takes a vitamin McD, because he like McDonald's. Get it?

It's a shame that the SNL writers have TDS and only get news from corporate media. With so much going on with Trump and his cabinet, SNL could find the humor, but they are just going for ridicule.; 4/13/25, 2:07 PM
Lazarus said...: Some people are only news because Breitbart picks up stupid things they say and publicize them. That may or may not be true of Howard Stern or Chelsea Handler or Bill Maher, but it's definitely true of Mark Hamill or Ellen Barkin or Bette Midler. Every drunken, late-night tweet somehow becomes a big story. At this point SNL is like that. The only people they are entertaining are themselves. No need to give them a megaphone.; 4/13/25, 3:01 PM
narciso said...: what is this snl you speak of,; 4/13/25, 3:02 PM
Rabel said...: For the third time I watched a few minutes of Lotus last night.

I just don't get it. Soap operas are supposed to come on in the afternoon.; 4/13/25, 3:18 PM
Iman said...: “Victoria drinks the lie juice - squeezed fresh daily from Adam Schitt's sphincter.”

It’s not apple and it taint orange. But vicki from pasadena believes the juice to be worth teh squeeze.; 4/13/25, 3:24 PM
tcrosse said...: Trump offers plenty of material for a satirist, and Althouse does an excellent job of satirizing his diction. But as Randomizer pointed out at 2:07, the SNL writers choose sophomoric ridicule. I suppose they know their audience.; 4/13/25, 3:33 PM
Jim at said...: Humorless Trump sycophants refuse to engage. Yawn.

Your president is/was a demented moron. Please provide me some SNL skits about him, and I'll see if there's any humor in those.; 4/13/25, 3:42 PM
Jim at said...: The "war hero" who never saw a day of combat, Pete Hegseth, DUI in chief.

He served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, while receiving the Bronze Star you lying piece of shit.; 4/13/25, 3:53 PM
Joe Bar said...: I thought it amusing.
As a side note, I tried watching S01E01 of The White Lotus. I gave up after 20 minutes. It is clearly not meant for me.; 4/13/25, 4:24 PM
tcrosse said...: Victoria said: "The "war hero" who never saw a day of combat, Pete Hegseth"

She had him mixed up with Tim Walz.; 4/13/25, 5:54 PM
gilbar said...: just got off the phone with my 93 year old mom
(a REGULAR SNL opening watcher)
she said the opening was Trump a Jesus, or such?
she's a life long card carrying Democrat, and She said it was disrespectful)

Comment about the opening last night?; 4/13/25, 7:07 PM
Iman said...: Very tired writing, sub-HeeHaw level humor.; 4/13/25, 7:26 PM
Bunkypotatohead said...: Sarah Sherman wearing Aimee Lou Wood's buck teeth was the best part.; 4/13/25, 8:42 PM
AZ Bob said...: Not funny, even with a phony laugh track.; 4/13/25, 11:30 PM
Howard (not that Howard) said...: Unfunny, obvious jokes are now perfection? Please.; 4/14/25, 8:45 AM
Tom said...: It’s well produced but the main issue is that the recession lasted a whole two days. Twoooooo Days, Piper, Nooooooooo!; 4/14/25, 9:01 AM