Zucker Attributes “Babylon Bee” Success to SNL’s Decline

David Zucker, known for directing “Naked Gun,” recently shared his thoughts on the rise of the satirical news site “The Babylon Bee,” attributing it to the decline of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” In an interview on Mike Rowe’s podcast, “How I Heard It,” Zucker explained that “Saturday Night Live” has shifted from humor to ideology, making it less funny.

Zucker expressed his fondness for “Babylon Bee,” saying, “I think it had a lot to do with what happened on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ They were more into ideology than jokes. That’s why ‘Babylon Bee’ is so much funnier… They make me laugh.” It seems he appreciates their comedic approach, which he feels better targets the current political climate.

In his critique, Zucker highlighted the challenge of defending political figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Chuck Schumer, pointing out that there’s not much comedic potential when one is busy protecting them. He recalled a notable moment from the show when Kate McKinnon performed Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” without any punchline after the 2016 election, asking, “Where’s the joke? I’m not kidding.”

Moreover, Zucker mentioned feeling somewhat estranged from his family due to differing political views, noting that his perspective changed significantly after the 9/11 attacks. He emphasized that as politics have become more divisive, so too has the content coming from shows like “Saturday Night Live.” He mused on the absurdity of the political landscape, wondering how anyone could entertain the idea of supporting current leaders without a sense of humor.

In previous discussions, Zucker has acknowledged his support for Donald Trump, describing him as “crazy,” but also pointing to the layers that often go unnoticed beneath the chaos. It’s clear that he has strong feelings about both the state of comedy and the political environment.