Saturday Night Live (NBC)
common sense media says
Legendary late-night show funny for teens and up.
parents & educators say
- 40% say sexual content is an issue
- 30% say language is an issue
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that much of this sketch show's sexual, political, and racial humor may be too mature for some kids -- but it could also fly right over their head. Stereotypes abound, from ditzy girls to angry black men, and they're treated with differing levels of social critique -- some shallow, some deeper. Due to the show's live nature, occasional curse words or other unplanned activity occurs (such as when Sinead O'Connor ripped up a photograph of the Pope on air). Many parents may remember their own experiences with SNL growing up and should know that, if anything, the show is tamer now than it was in its early years.
Positive role models:
Role models are mercilessly mocked, and some sexual and racial stereotypes appear, which may offend some viewers (though the goal is always laughs).
Violence:
No major violence. Occasional pretend hitting or kicking, but only in an exaggerated, funny way.
Sex:
Some obviously simulated sex, provocative outfits, lots of sexual banter and innuendo.
Language:
Lots of sexual language and humor. Plenty of mild cursing ("bitch," "hell," "damn," etc.). Lots of plays on words with sexual/racial themes.
Consumerism:
Hosts promote their movies, TV shows, or albums; musical guests promote their albums.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Discussion of and simulated use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco within comedy sketches. Not a major part of the show.
More on Saturday Night Live
Review It
Based on 10 parent & educator reviews:
- 40% say sexual content is an issue
- 30% say language is an issue
Most useful reviews by all members
nikki.colts
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Ooooh my gosh I am laughing SO HARD from the review that ProudMotherOf6 posted!! Ma'am, if you're currently reading this review, please know that the requests that your 17 year-old has are perfectly reasonable!! 2$ a month?? I get 15! Disney Channel only for your teens? I watch Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network on a daily basis! I go over to friend's houses nearly every other weekend! The "only thirty minutes of TV a day" part kinda scares me....! If it makes any difference to you, I knew a girl in my elementary school that everyone made fun of, because her mom wouldn't let her go to bed after 7:30, she couldn't watch Nickelodeon, and she had to hold her mom's hand when she walked across the street. This girl was constantly made fun of, and she never had any friends. She actually switched schools because of a mental break-down. You want this to happen to your kids? Then let your kids live a little. And please get rid of the hidden cameras, so that the next person who reads it doesn't die from laughing. By the way, if you've watched iCarly, you might relate with Freddie's mom...
Anyway, now for my review! I think SNL is appropriate for kids 13 and older, because of some sexual references and swearing. I started watching it when I was eleven, and I LOVE IT! It's really funny!! Teens my age get the jokes, and why they are funny. They don't go out thinking "I'm gonna go make fun of black people because I saw it on SNL!" I highly doubt anyone above the age of 5 does that. I think you should lets teens watch this. 11-12 year old's can watch it too, if you ask me, but with adult supervision. I recommend recording it if you are gonna let kids that age watch it, so if you come across something inappropriate, you can simply fast-forward!
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Shinigami1994
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
Just a rant. Boy, was it fun to write this.
Ok, I don't regularly watch this show. I'm mainly writing this review to rant on the user ProudMotherOf6. I read your review for this show, and I laughed so hard, I decided to read the rest of your reviews. Wow. I feel sorry for your kids. I know I'm not a parent or anything, but I do know that there is a time to let go. Your 17 year old will be moving away soon. You can't follow them around all the time and smash their TVs and put them in "time-out" forever. Your 17 year old is way too old for that. It's both funny and disturbing, how protective you are. No Internet? Why? How does this make sense? Plus, if Internet is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN, then how did you write this review? Oooh, I think that somebody has to get their rules straight, or else your children will stop listening to you and transform your household into an Anarchy. In short, stop being a Communist. It's not cool. Peace!
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rose56967
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
Funny, but watch out
This show is really funnny, there are some skits that can be innnapropriate, but it's all comedy based. If your a parent, I would watch out for some of the skits, but otherwise, let you child watch it. It's all just plain fun, so what do you expect?
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bluecanoe1221
parent of 13 year old
parent of 13 year old
Amazing show for people 12+
HILARIOUS!!!! This show is extremely funny. Sometimes there are jokes that are very inappropriate for kids. I think that the funniest things on the show is the Roger Brush shows, but they're really inappropriate. This show is good for anyone 12+
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♪♫music♪♫
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
great show could be for kids 10 or 11 up (depending)
i love love love love this show. my parents watched it and used to let me stay up once and a while to watch it when i was little. i didnt understand anything except some of the ads and the news..... while the show isnt appropriate for most elementary school kids, you cant stop middle schoolers and high schoolers from hearing about this stuff..... its live acting and amazing to see what these comedians come up with in 5 days!! if your kids are mature enough to handle it without repeating stuff, r if they dont understand everything they hear then some skits are fine to watch (if they can stay up late enough haha)
(also seth meyers is awesome <3) (so is kristin wiig and bill hader too)
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deihpos
parent of 10 year old
parent of 10 year old
i really love this show. It is often quite inapropiate, but kids under 10 probably wouldn't understand but older kids would probably lov it and get all the jokes.Hilarius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
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The_Beatles_Ar ...
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
I adore the show, but I must say, it is a little inappropriate.
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whovianmother
parent of and 5 , 6 , 8 , 10 year old
parent of and 5 , 6 , 8 , 10 year old
Young Kids dont get it, so there is really no harm
My ten year old has seen it and most time she fall a sleep or gets bored and walks away because she doesnt get it it is fine for 12+ just be sure to watch it with them
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Vivian_L
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
Great show~
Besides an occasional inappropriate episode or plain boring one, this is a really great show. It's usually very funny and not too explicit for the average 13 year old. I don't usually like the musical performances though... I've enjoyed watching it every Saturday night since I was twelve. ^_^ The season finale for 2009 was an especially funny episode, my favorite part being the Jeopardy parody. They usually get great hosts and make great fake commercials. My favorite part will always be the weekend update, but I miss Amy. ;_; They take current events and poke some fun at them, it's quite enjoyable. ^_^
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cheeseandham
parent of 10 year old
parent of 10 year old
perfect for toddlers
tehe
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Safemancam001
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
Funny late night T.V. for Teens--Adults
My friend and I love to talk about skits on the most previous one. The show can be awsome, or total crap. I just depends.
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whyamiusingthi ...
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
Okay for teenagers.
Kids seven and under probably can only watch the opening bit and monolouge, then need to change the channel.
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Beachgurl
kid, 11 years old
kid, 11 years old
Hilarious
Hilarious!! I was 9 and my parents wanted me to watch the one with Taylor Swift! It was hilarious the commercials were a crack up too ( one was about the swine flu ) They did have to edit some stuff. I'm sure I would find it more funny than I dud when I was 9.
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chalbridge zupe
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
Live From New York, It's A Great Show!!!!!
I love this show. From the hysterical castings every year to their strong phillosophy on the week's news, this show is clever and precise for comedic shows! Questionable scenarios, though, include sexual references and light nudity, alchohol distribution, and coarse langauge used liberally just for the pleasure of it. Otherwise, if it's a Saturday night and you're indecisive about an occupational TV show, this will soon be an anticipated TV show week after week.
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LilLill
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
Okay show
This show is occasionaly funny, it really depends on who is hosting. One example is when I was watching the second Jon Hamm one, it was so inappropriate, I has to change it, and that was my decision. On the other hand, when Betty White was on, it was really funny and I understood alll of the jokes. The more classic episodes are hilarious!
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ryan@atlantis
teen, 18 years old
teen, 18 years old
Funny show not for younger teens or kids
To be honest, my parents would probably freak out if they new I was watching SNL in the first place, but I think it's usually a hilarious show that's worth watch. Can be very inappropriate sometimes, but with one sometimes comes the other (take the 01/29/11 episode with Jesse Eisenberg as host; probably one of the dirtiest eps for months, but easily the funniest). I'll second what another user posted, the opening political sketch and monologue are probably appropriate for kids, but I can't see kids being able to grasp the humor in those skits anyway, so it's best to just have them wait until they're a little older to be able to handle all the crudity on SNL.
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JayRight
parent of 15 year old
parent of 15 year old
No Hope for SNL
This show went downhill beginning in the mid-80s but had brief reprieves. But now over the past 10 years, it's HORRIBLE! We can't even turn it on now without seeing two men kissing or pro-drug humor (from a show and producer that claims they are upset by Belushi and Farely's deaths, yeah right!). They have become overly sensational with more than half the skits. It's too bad. It's a format that could work forever, but not in my house anymore with the direction they have taken. Hope it gets yanked off the air.
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Cityofbonesfan019
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Ok for older teens
This is some of the funniest stuff on television!!! I admit nowadays, it isn't as funny as the 2000's were, but a way to spend your Saturday night.
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DarkSoul1997
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
A good show for teenagers
I really liked the show when I saw an episode of it (my favorite part of the episode was with the "WORD UP!"). I would recommend this show to teenagers.
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homegirl13
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
funny but sometimes offensive
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