Saturday Night Live (SNL) recently poked fun at parents’ conflicted responses to their children’s involvement in college protests. In the cold open sketch, three parents were interviewed on an NY1 radio broadcast, expressing concern about their student’s participation.
While they supported free speech, they were worried about the protests’ increasingly aggressive nature. However, when one parent, played by Kenan Thompson, discovered his daughter might be participating, his tone quickly shifted.
SNL” cold open tackles parents’ response to college protests (Credits: Salon.com)
He became protective and disapproving, referencing the steep cost of tuition at Columbia University and questioning the value of his daughter’s African American studies major.
Thompson’s character humorously highlighted the contradictions in his support for the protests, emphasizing that his support only extended to other people’s children, not his own.
He joked about working multiple jobs to pay for his daughter’s tuition and questioned the practicality of her major. The sketch cleverly captured the complication of parental opinions on student protests, showcasing the tension between supporting free speech and worrying about one’s own child’s involvement.
SNL’ Cold Open Jokes About College Protests (Credits: Newsweek)
The sketch aired despite the escalating college protests against the war in Gaza, with some universities struggling to control demonstrators and even involving police. SNL’s humorous take on the situation offered a relatable and entertaining perspective on parents’ challenges when changing their children’s political activism.
