Saturday Night Live has had an wild 50th season filled with big laughs, and it's not over yet. Fast forward past Morgan Wallen getting to "Gods Country" and the White Potus discourse and even Ego Nwodim’s surprise expletive bit (for now). This last tidbit is a bit sillier, as Bowen Yang is comically making a case for SNL to curse on air, a little.
Outside of being a regular face on the 2025 TV guide and the 2025 movie schedule, he co-hosts a popular podcast, Las Culturistas. He and partner Matt Rogers end each episode with a staple segment where they each critique something for one minute. The Wicked: For Good actor opted for a close-to-home subject following castmate Ego Nwodim’s accidental viral Weekend Update blunder. He specifically proposed that two particular curse words be usable a few times per episode for the cast:
We should be able to say at least five shits and five fucks on SNL per season. Because after this whole Ego Nwodim, Miss Eggy [Weekend Update character], ‘Cuz these men ain't what? Shit,’ moment. First of all, favorite moment in televised history ever, incredible. Second of all, we are so hampered in [in] our comedy at SNL by not being able to say shit and fuck.
The moment Yang referenced happened during the Jon Hamm/Lizzo episode, though a particular FCC rule saved SNL from fines. While the show is broadcast live across US time zones, I’m with the Fire Island alum and his defense of the viral Nwodim Update moment. The candid response from the crowd showcased a fun layer of interactive humor.
The 34-year-old's rant then expanded into the last few big network comedies standing, and that the late-night show should be able to stand apart. Along with it, he referenced Donald Trump and DOGE’s systematic stripping of programs. Therefore, according to Yang's argument, a few curse words on air could be a fine consolation prize. He continued:
Let us say shit and fuck. Like, it's us, it's Abbott, it's Ghosts–[we're the] last network comedies. It's like, can you give SNL an exception, an exemption? Like if we're dismantling the FCC because of Trump, like, can we at least, can one boon, [can one] can one silver lining be that we get to say shit and fuck?
I see Yang’s point here, because while ABC's Abbott Elementary and CBS' Ghosts can hold their own with lighter fare that doesn't involve serious swearing, SNL’s content suffers from having to avoid it. By no means do they have to go overboard with swearing, I'd say, but not being allowed at all is hurting them more as times change.
Finally, the Awkwafina is Nora From Queens actor relayed he’s fine with a cap. The allotment would help viewers, in his opinion, connect more with the material if it reflected our current existence. He finished by noting that "shit" and "fuck" hold a lot of comedic power:
And I'm even keeping it to an allotment, to an allotted five and five. Five shits, five fucks. It would make–it would bring a sketch to the next level. It would make it so that you would be able to know, ‘Oh this is the real world. It's not a heightened sketch reality.’ Shit and fuck are so comedically powerful as words, I really think it would help us.
Yang’s statement is humorous, but his point has serious roots. His pitch makes sense to me, and while I don’t want the show to be Succession, I do think SNL could be more real with a bit of light profanity.
Whether or not the NBC show will turn a corner on its use of explicit adult language remains to be seen. Stream old episodes of Yang and Co. with a Peacock subscription and tune in on the titular night at 11:30 pm EST if you’re hoping for another FCC-worthy surprise.
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