Have you tried getting in line for a COVID vaccine yet? Did you notice how difficult it is to navigate a labyrinthine online process that’s hard to keep up with even for people who were raised on the internet?
Well, you’re not alone. The latest Saturday Night Live reimagined vaccine lines as a full-on game show, hosted by Anthony Fauci (Kate McKinnon) and featuring three notable state governors as judges: California’s Gavin Newsom (Alex Moffat), New York’s Andrew Cuomo (Pete Davidson), and Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer (Cecily Strong).
The sketch is ostensibly about mocking the difficulties faced in the United States as vaccination efforts have ramped up. There are bits about young people dressing up like old people, about creatively interpreting eligibility guidelines, and about the challenges faced by older Americans who aren’t tech-savvy enough to make the system work for them. All of which is horrible in reality, but hey, SNL.
You’ll never convince me that the real purpose of this sketch wasn’t to bring back Aidy Bryant’s Ted Cruz and Davidson’s Cuomo one week after they debuted both characters, with hilarious results. They’re not quite as funny in a second helping, but that could also be because the show is making light of a real source of pain for a huge number of Americans right now.