CRISTIANA VLADESCU / CONTRIBUTOR

With the start of Season 50 of Saturday Night Live (SNL), a new wave of comedy has hit the masses and it’s making an impact on audiences. The SNL episode that aired on Sept. 28 attracted 5.3 million viewers, making it the most viewers for an SNL season premiere since 2020. People are wondering if this has to do with a new audience tuning in: Generation Z. 

This generation has become known for being a “digitally-savvy generation,” and the effects of this are becoming more apparent with shows like SNL. The exponential growth has become most evident on social media platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram and other programs that have algorithms that are pushing these trends to the top. 

“For me, after a show happens, my ‘For You Page’ on  TikTok is  full  of clips and different  memes  that  have come out of SNL, like the previous episode that had aired,” Quezada  said. “Basically, I  think   with TikTok  especially, it is  so helpful in enhancing the social media aspect of SNL, especially since so many of us Gen Z-ers, we use TikTok. I think that with all of the soundbites and the memes that definitely reciprocates a lot on TikTok, and has definitely helped it grow within our generation, and other people.”

This new season has a fresh pairing of hosts and musical guests with big names coming on the show, including Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan. These celebrities have large Gen Z followings, drawing in younger audiences to SNL. 

“I  always  watch SNL each week to   see  which celebrity  might  be  on,” USD sophomore Emily Kielty said. “I do  feel that sometimes if there’s a celebrity that I don’t know that well, then I’m not as into it and might not watch it versus if it’s somebody that I do know. Then I definitely want to watch. But I also love the cast themselves, like I love Colin Jost’s news skits that he always  does. I feel  like the SNL  cast itself   is  so  good  that they don’t  even need the celebrities to be funny.”

Marcello Hernandez has become the voice of Generation Z on SNL. Photo courtesy of @marcellohdz/Instagram

Celebrities’ presence on SNL is a factor Gen Z viewers take into consideration when deciding whether or not to tune in, but it is clear that this  isn’t the deciding factor when it comes to watching the  show. Many students tune in with the intention of enjoying the comedic reputation SNL has.

“I think SNL is really funny,” USD first-year Adriana Quezada said. “I just got into it a couple years ago, so I’m not like an expert on it, but I think that it’s really funny, and honestly, since I want to be an actress, I think that you’ve really made it when you’re a host on Saturday Night Live. It’s kind of like a dream of mine to be a host for SNL one day. I think  overall  that the cast is really good by themselves, even if it’s just a show with the cast, I think that it would still be a really good show.” 

Along with these celebrities, there are cast members such as Marcello Hernandez, Michael Longfellow and  Devon  Walker,  all  of whom have recently been promoted  to the  main  SNL  cast  after first joining the sketch comedy show in 2022. One name in particular stands out from this list: Marcello Hernandez.  The notable cast member has been appearing more frequently on trending TikTok’s and other platforms. He joined the  cast of Saturday Night Live in 2022, becoming the show’s  first cast  member from Generation Z. While he  joined over two  years  ago, he has been rapidly garnering fame and attention among all audiences, especially relating to those of Gen Z. For  many students, Hernandez  was among the first names that came to mind  when discussing SNL. 

“I love [Hernandez],” Quezada said. “I think that he’s really funny, and  I  think  he’s my  fave, to  be honest, out of them all. He’s really funny and he is Latino, and I really relate to that, as do a lot of his  sketches and things he makes. I feel like he’d be a good friend. Most recently, especially with the whole ‘Domingo’ sketch, people have tuned in.” 

The sketch that Quezada mentioned has been trending on social media. It features Ariana Grande and Hernandez singing an off-key take on Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Espresso,” where a group of bridesmaids recall what happened during a bachelorette party. Things escalate between the bride and Domingo. As more details are unearthed, more chaos ensues. Domingo is played by Hernandez, who shows up and crashes the wedding with the now infamous message  “Direct from  Domingo.” He insists that he and the bride are just friends, but proclaims that they had hooked up in the past. This sketch soared to popularity, being featured in thousands of TikToks, gaining millions of views, with viewers finding this  raunchy,  albeit  off-pitch song, getting stuck in their heads. 

“Because he’s so young and because as Gen Z-ers we can kind of relate to him, I definitely think he’s made it more popular for us,” Kielty said. “I think Marcello has helped so much. I feel like since he’s from our generation, he’s helping bring in a lot of the younger viewers in. I just think that he’s so funny too, he kills all his skits. Honestly, he’s my favorite cast member.” 

Many comedic influences, such as Hernandez’s impact with the “Domingo” sketch, have Gen Z fans focusing their attention towards the comedy scene, finding the content of SNL to be funnier and more relatable than ever. 

These fresh faces have supported  SNL’s comeback and have resulted in an increase in viewership, with millions more joining in for a laugh. Overall, Saturday Night Live seems to be making a comeback in the media, and many think that the show is at its peak as the comedy has been gearing more towards its new audience’s humor. SNL remains a place where only the best of the best celebrities have a chance to engage with a more comedic side of their brand and the growing viewership among younger audiences who excitedly tune in to see them. 

Hernandez with famous SNL comedian Colin Jost. Photo courtesy of @marcellohdz/Instagram