New York City – In a recent episode of “Saturday Night Live,” cast members took on a pressing issue from the past week involving protests at New York City colleges. Hosted by Dua Lipa, the show featured a skit where concerned parents of college students engaged in demonstrations were portrayed by Michael Longfellow, Heidi Gardner, Mikey Day, and Kenan Thompson.
The sketch delved into the contrasting reactions of the parents towards their children’s involvement in protests against Israel’s war on Hamas. While some characters expressed worries, Thompson’s character showed support for the students’ activism efforts. However, when asked specifically about his daughter’s involvement in the protests, he comically expressed reluctance, highlighting the disconnect between supporting protests in general and his own daughter’s participation.
Throughout the episode, Thompson’s character comically emphasized the financial struggles of paying for his daughter’s education at Columbia University, humorously contrasting the high tuition fees with his various side jobs to make ends meet. The skit cleverly touched on the tensions surrounding student activism, parental attitudes, and the financial burdens of higher education.
Meanwhile, in a real-world development at Columbia University, dozens of protesters were arrested after barricading themselves inside Hamilton Hall. The protests, which also took place at The City College of New York, resulted in a total of 282 arrests, with a significant percentage of those arrested not being affiliated with the respective institutions.
As tensions rise on college campuses due to student activism and protests, the contrasting perspectives portrayed in the “Saturday Night Live” sketch resonated with the ongoing discussions around social justice, parental expectations, and the cost of education. The intersection of humor and social commentary in the skit highlighted the complexities of navigating activism, family dynamics, and societal pressures in today’s world.