SNL's 'Murder Show' Sketch Feels Like A Personal Attack
‘SNL’ nails it again with this week’s spoof on ‘murder shows’ and the ladies who love them
If you watched Saturday Night Live last night and happened to catch the “Murder Show” skit, you may have felt like they were singing right to you. In the sketch, the ladies of SNL sing about how their favorite form of self-care is staying home and watching true crime documentaries about serial killers. You know, just calming, relaxing viewing material. But it’s not our fault that murder shows are so intriguing and aplenty!
From Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel to Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer to every single Dateline on ID featuring the smooth, smooth voices of Lester Holt and Keith Morrison, you likely watched the SNL skit and finally felt seen.
During this week’s episode, Kate McKinnon, Melissa Villaseñor, Ego Nwodim, and Chloe Fineman teamed up for a musical number about the desire to binge true-crime shows as soon as we have five minutes to ourselves. After Fineman says goodbye to her boyfriend, she’s finally alone to watch murder for hours.
While these shows are endlessly hypnotic, they are often enjoyed in the background while we take care of other chores. “A body builder chopped an old lady,” McKinnon sings. “I watch while I text my sister about her baby.”
Fineman chimes in: “Last night I saw a new one where they found a cheerleader’s head in an old coal mine. I watch it while I pay my taxes online.”
Of course, once you’re in, you’re in. “And as soon as I’m done I listen to a podcast about the same guy as the show I just watched because now I’m fully down the rabbit hole,” they sing in unison. Hello, Making a Murderer.
I used to think it was only my husband and I who were obsessed. Every night, we’d lay down to sleep and I’d whisper in his ear, “Can you turn on murder?” And that’s how we fall asleep. Every single night. Fortunately, we’re not alone. It seems many people are obsessed with the latest murder documentaries on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Discovery+, Showtime…the list goes on and on. There is no shortage of documentaries, movies, and series dedicated to the subject because, it seems, we just can’t get enough…of murder.
When Fineman’s boyfriend returns home (played by host Nick Jonas), he shared his obsession with his girlfriend. “You do realize there’s a type of show that’s better than murder shows,” he says. “Have you heard of cult shows?” (Cut to a scene of him playing volleyball as the ponytailed, creepy NXIVM leader Keith Raniere.)
Villaseñor tries to steer the conversation in a somewhat lighter direction by bringing up her favorite binge-watch: baking shows. Baking is pretty entertaining, but not as much so as a good old fashioned murder. What can we say? It’s been a long year.
