We discuss Shane Gillis's third turn hosting SNL on October 10, 2026. After reviewing the harsh critical response, including Dan Levy's condemnation of Gillis's gym monologue, the hosts debate whether Gillis is playing a self-aware version of "bro" comedy and how much nuance his sketches actually contain. Luvell examines how fans and critics alike respond to Gillis the person rather than the humor, while Charisse connects this to the "imaginary audience" and shares a media-literacy framework for analyzing the episode's masculinity themes, including Sneakers and Green Eggs and Ham. Chuck traces Cop Talk (https://youtu.be/RbXnGCrYNKs) back to The Naked Gun and Airplane! demonstrating how silly comedy can carry social commentary. Readings include Alan Roberts's work on the philosophy of humor and the critical media literacy process.
6 Oct 2026
Episode 64: Dakota Johnson (S52E02)
Dakota Johnson hosts for the third time on October 3 2026, and we are joined by writer, director, and educator Ashleigh Akilah Rucker. To put it nicely, the night was uneven; many sketches seemed to lack purpose, but there were high moments in the Weekend Update, including Che's analysis of toxic masculinity in the wake of the sexual assault scandal at Cornell, Zelda vs. GTA (https://youtu.be/LpBvQT6RYLI), and Kam Patterson on the Glee reboot (https://youtu.be/L50W0393rOc). However, the whole episode reads as an erasure of Blackness, culminating in Guns for Women as a failed attempt to mock commodity feminism, but a great opportunity to talk about the distinction between amusement, humor, and funniness. Readings include Toni Morrison and Alan Robertson as well as our own memorable birthday stories.
29 Sept 2026
Episode 63: Jalen Brunson (S52E01)
Jalen Brunson's hosting debut on September 26, 2026 generated a split reaction: sports fans were thrilled, while SNL purists found the show formulaic and too reliant on basketball metaphors and sexual innuendo, but there were highlights. We explore whether ridicule, contrasting Hobbes with Frederick Douglass, effectively counters "uncivil" public figures in Tucker Carlson Reviews the Summer's Blockbuster Films (https://youtu.be/KD5zPrsEz6M), and North High, a High School Musical parody, to discuss whiteness in teen movies, along with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on AI's Threat to Humanity (https://youtu.be/-Nvne3LzBls) and the paradox of AI executives begging for regulation while racing ahead. Readings include scholarly readings include political theory and film critique alongside movie and television recommendations from the past half century.
Readings and Resources: https://snl101.info/2026/09/28/s52-e01-jalen-brunson/
Who has been a guest on SNL101
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Walton Goggins
Quinta Brunson
Chris Rock
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100
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