martes, 4 de marzo de 2025

SNL: US Political & Cultural Satire

Saturday Night Live is an NBC sketch comedy and variety show that has been on air for almost 50 years, it is the longest-running network TV programme in the United States, and a most popular export of American culture around the world. The show has received 84 Grammy Awards among other major recognitions. Each episode opens with "a monologue by a celebrity guest [...], who also performs in sketcthes with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that is usually based on current events, and the sketch ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming 'Live from New York, it is Saturday night', properly beginning the show" (Wikipedia: Saturday Night Live). 

Here you can read a article from TV Insider by Dan Clarendon, titled "SNL Highlights: Mike Myers Returns to Play a Glitchy Elon Musk & More (Video)", where C1 students can find interesting words like: glitchy, deluge, a cameo, cast, to take on [a role], a contentious [meeting], to crash [a party], to kid, a riffcrass [personality], a sequel, an installment, an anchor, meth,a ring, mayhem, damn, [to keep a] straight face, opinionated, an usher.

Below you can watch the cold open sketch of last Saturday's show about Ukranian President Zelensky's visit to the White House (07':45"), and here you can find a Lesson Plan with reading, listening and speaking tasks & their Key for C2 students and Experts because the sketch contains many references to American politics and culture and because humour and irony are always more difficult than serious language. This is a list of the most interesting expressions in the sketch: to host, [to feel] at ease, CEO, an [incredible] trap, claw, casual, to boss around, with all due respect, to jump in, to yell [at somebody], to sweep [away], [to look] hot, [to be] all over you, to dissociate, a hedge, to freefall, to skip, to reverse, Charmeleon, Anora, The Brutalist, to dare, an outburst, disrespectful, Willy Wonka, an outfit, a chainsaw, to kid, awesome, Doge, a glitch, to fire, in your lap, to report [for duty], Real Housewives of Potomac, to cap off.