Genre Criticism of Saturday Night Live Opening Monologues

Type of Genre: 

​​SNL monologues appear substantive and stylistic in the rhetorical genre. The reason is that monologues are performed by the host of the particular episode of SNL that can vary from artists, singers, comedians, and other types of celebrities. The host may open the show and discuss their current work or life as a celebrity. The host may also address current events in a comedic, entertaining manner. SNL monologues tend to have organizing elements, too, because the overall goal is to open up the episode and discuss something the audience may be familiar with in the context of the host or current events.

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Characteristics of Genre and its Rhetorical Use of Characteristics:​

Generally, the monologues are written by SNL's writers' team in collaboration with the episode's host so they can adequately write about the celebrity and current events that interest the host. Professional comedians, however, tend to write their monologues since this is usually in their own skill set. 

 

The monologues are performed in front of a real-life audience, so reactions tend to be in real time and can determine how successfully the host was for the monologue. Also, the host speaks directly to the audience, whether live or in-person, so it feels almost conversational. Monologues are also unique to the rest of the SNL show because the rest of the episode is performances of comedic skits where the audience is not addressed as an element of the show.

 

• Monologues often can reflect the career and lifestyle of the host. Either poke fun at themselves or highlight a recent project they may be promoting (Jones, 2022).

  • For example: 

    • Kim Kardashian poked fun at her celebrity family and how they became famous.

    • Steve Carroll talked about his career and time on The Office.

    • Lizzo sang her song Truth Hurts with the audience. 

• The opener may also talk about current events in politics and pop culture (Hoffman, 2016). 

  • Bill Bur hosted during the Covid-19 Pandemic and discussed masks. 

  • John Mulaney spoke about the 2020 Presidential Elections. 

• Monologues are often discussed afterward by the public, and controversy is not ignored (Hoffman, 2016). 

  • Dave Chappell was thankful for Covid as it minimized mass shootings from "murderous whites."

  • Louis C. K mocking child molestation.

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SNL monologues highlight the exciting dynamic of celebrity and audience. People often want to tune into an SNL episode with someone they admire, and the monologue can affirm their likeness or break their image. Hosts should be aware of public opinion on topics like Covid and elections to avoid alienating SNL's fanbase. However, they should still be authentic to themselves. In the era of "cancel culture," monologues can not be performed without considering current moral values, which begs to question how performative some hosts are in their activism. Overall, the monologue intends to state the show's energy and showcase the talent of that episode's host.

My Opinion on Generic Criticism:

​Genre Criticism helps understand the purpose of certain communication types and the why behind the method. However, the genre's success is not always easy to analyze because it varies throughout the reiterations. SNL monologues are unique to the episode's host and the week's current events. Thus, there are a few shared criteria to analyze. The rhetor's delivery and success are not inherently ensured in the genre and must be earned. Monologues often do not reach the exact audience weekly, making it harder to study and understand in their full context. Genre criticism does not allow for deep analysis because one must look specifically for the patterns and the effect of those patterns, which prevents one from understanding the full potential of what they are studying, like SNL monologues.