During a recent “Weekend Update” section of “Saturday Night Live,” the show delivered a humorous critique of Joe Biden, drawing a parallel between him and a recent infrastructure mishap. Comedian Michael Che quipped, “[Joe] Biden mentioned on Friday his plans to inspect the Baltimore bridge collapse site, humorously noting that, akin to the bridge, he’s finding it tough to maintain connections with the Black community.”
The audience’s laughter was followed by a moment where the camera shifted to Che’s co-host, Colin Jost, who expressed his astonishment with a “wow.”
Che continued the jest, hinting at the importance of staying updated with public opinion polls.
This comedic segment comes amidst a backdrop of declining support for President Biden among key voter demographics. A USA Today/Suffolk University survey from January highlighted a drop in Biden’s approval ratings among Black voters to 63%, a significant decrease from the 92% support noted by Pew Research Center during the 2020 elections. His approval among Hispanic voters has also seen a decline.
“Saturday Night Live” has increasingly incorporated jokes targeting President Biden and his administration, reflecting a broader willingness to satirize the current political landscape.
The sketch comedy realm, both domestically and internationally, seems to be taking a more candid approach to political satire. An instance of this is an Italian sketch show that recently aired a segment poking fun at Biden’s mental acuity, featuring comedian Maurizio Crozza in the role of the U.S. President, portraying him in a state of confusion during a press briefing.
These comedic portrayals underscore a growing trend in sketch comedy to engage with and critique political figures and current events, illustrating the power of humor as a lens through which societal and political issues are examined and commented upon.