Leslie Jones is ready to make a few alterations to Saturday Night Live next season. In a new interview, the SNL superstar revealed she is ready for a change of pace when it comes to content for the show's 44th season. And it may include less screen time for Alec Baldwin. The comedienne is ready to focus on the funny in a different way next season, saying:
I hope next year we can do more funnier stuff instead of a lot of political stuff this year, which we had to. There was so much stuff that was happening, there was no way that our show, with the responsibility that we have, would not to cover that stuff. It was just too important. But I do hope that next year will be a lot more funny-funny based stuff, more comedy based stuff instead of a lot of political stuff.
There is certainly a lot to make people laugh outside of politics, and Leslie Jones hoping the show focuses on that makes all the sense in the world. Jones offered her insight in an interview with The Wrap. The actress joined Saturday Night Live back in 2014, two years before the 2016 presidential election. In the years since, the show has enjoyed a healthy dose of political humor.
In fact, political satire has been pretty huge for Saturday Night Live over the years, but so have the iconic characters the show has created. If the sketch-comedy show spends most of its time on politics, it takes away the opportunity for actors on the cast to create characters that are all their own. A chance they do not get doing political impressions.
As her earlier statement indicated, Leslie Jones does not want to do away with the show's political satire altogether. She just wants to spread the love a little. Explaining her hopes for the next season of Saturday Night Live, Jones said:
There should be a stream of comics that come and do that type of comedy, because we do need that. And I love looking at that type of comedy that explains what's going on and make it funny so you can really realize this is ridiculous. But there should be more than that as far as funny comics that come and really make you laugh. Like so gut laugh. Comedy is a release just like art and music. All of that is the same thing. You need that release. It can't always be serious. You need The Three Stooges just as much as you need John Oliver.
Leslie Jones' desire to get to the bottom of whatever is funny and explore it is one of her many assets as a comedian. Not only has Jones found success in films and television; she is also well-known for her enthusiastic Olympic commentary.
Further in her interview, Leslie Jones talks about the repetitive nature of every comic attempting a "Trump joke." As Jones points out, it is an attempt at humor that will not exactly help you stand out among the sea of aspiring comedians. Has Saturday Night Live itself gotten too comfortable in relying on political satire to nourish its material? Fans may have different responses. And without a rival sketch comedy show that focuses on it less, there is no way to know for certain.
It will be interesting to see how much of a reduction in political humor there will be when the long-running sketch comedy series returns. Based on Leslie Jones' comments, it sounds like a chance for the show to recalibrate with regard to the frequency of its politics, not do away with them entirely. It is a move that would be good news for those who enjoy that facet of the show, and good news for those who do not.
Saturday Night Live will return for its forty-fourth season this fall. In the meantime, you have a lot to look forward to! For new upcoming and returning television shows you can anticipate watching in the coming months, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's summer premieres.
