Legendary "Saturday Night Live" cast members Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon, and Siobhan Fallon Hogan are reflecting on how comedy has changed since they started in the business, stating that it is more popular than ever — and has more snark than it once did.
Ahead of SNL’s 50th anniversary special, Sunday, the three spoke to Fox News Digital about how the comedy landscape, particularly the stand-up comedy scene, has evolved in the era of social media and divisive politics — marveling at how comedians have exploded in popularity in recent years and developed a freer form and more biting style.
"When I started comedy, it was totally different. And it was a totally different time and generation, and it was not as much short attention span. I can look back at some of the sketches on SNL, and they're a lot longer than they are now because of the short attention span," Nealon told Fox, adding, "I think also comedy may have gotten a little more snarkier."
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Nealon, whose stint on "SNL" from 1986 through 1995 made him one of the longest performing cast members in the show’s history, chalked this change up to the influence of social media. He said it has made comedy "much more accessible to people."
"And people want little snippets. People want more and more and more, as quickly as possible. It's like a buffet," he said.
The standup comic also noted how social media has propelled comics’ careers. "I think without social media, these comics wouldn't be known. They wouldn't be selling out arenas."
Modern day standup comics like Shane Gillis and Nate Bargatze have been smashing records on their recent global tours.
Gillis’ 2024 arena tour broke multiple industry records, setting a record for most tickets ever sold for a live event at Toronto’s famous Scotiabank Arena, as well as becoming the most well attended comedy event in the history of Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center.
Bargatze had the highest grossing standup comedy tour in the world in 2024, during which he broke the all-time attendance record at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena that had been previously set by country singer Morgan Wallen.
"And so, I think social media has been a big part of the growing numbers of comedians and people enjoying comedy and having that accessibility to it," Nealon declared.
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Lovitz echoed Nealon's sentiments, telling Fox News Digital he believes "standup comedy is bigger than ever."
"Steve Martin was the first guy to play, like, arenas and stadiums, and then years later, it was Andrew Dice Clay. And then years after that, it was Dane Cook. There's only one guy," he said.
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Lovitz, who started his standup career some time after being an "SNL" cast member from 1985 to 1990, added, "But now there's like ten comics doing that or 12 – like more than ever – not just one. And you have Jo Koy. Jo Koy used to open for me. Now he's playing arenas all over the world."
The actor and comedian also pointed out how late-night comedy has changed since he first got started, noting that classic late-night hosts like David Letterman or Johnny Carson were never as political as the current network hosts.
"They’ve become, you know, way more political than they used to be, with Jimmy Kimmel and with Seth Meyers, and with Stephen Colbert. You know, I know those guys. They’re all extremely nice, and they're all very talented and very funny, but they're focusing on [politics]," he said.
NBC's long-running sketch comedy show — on which Meyers once had a prominent role as SNL's "Weekend Update" segment co-anchor — has long been at the center of the cultural zeitgeist, satirizing the news of the day and poking fun at the most powerful politicians while also serving as a launching pad for prominent comedians' careers. But its viewership had taken a hit late last year, especially compared to the 2016 and 2020 elections.
For example, the post-election installment of "SNL" averaged just 4.4 million total viewers, losing more than half of the 9.2 million viewers it's post-election show received in 2020, according to data from Nielsen Research.
"For me, it's like, [I] just miss the shows – it was just more comedy," Lovitz said of the late-night programs back when he was younger. "They were comedy shows. They weren't comedy shows for a year. They were comedy shows for 30 years."
Siobhan Fallon Hogan, who was a cast member from 1991 to 1992 and went on to star in popular films such as Forrest Gump and Men in Black, remarked on how the internet and social media have given people so much comedic content that a show like "SNL" has perhaps become less culturally relevant.
"I think part of it is because there are so many options. You know, it's like there's so much content. If you do watch, you just watch little clips. Do you watch the whole show like it used to be? You know, the show would come out, and you discussed the show for the whole week."
Still, she praised the 50-year-old show’s longevity: "That said, for Lorne Michaels to run the show for 50 years and do what he's done is unbelievable. It's phenomenal. Really, he's a genius. It's never been done. I mean, the longevity is so far beyond any long-running show. It's really a fantastic feat that he's accomplished."
Fox News' Joey Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
