“Saturday Night Live” addressed the pro-Palestine protests happening at college campuses across the country. The comedy skit show focused on the perspective of the parents paying exorbitant tuition for their children to skip classes to establish encampments.
A pro-Palestinian protest erupted on Tuesday at Columbia University, where dozens of demonstrators barricaded themselves in the university’s Hamilton Hall. There were 112 people arrested at Columbia on Tuesday, 32 were not affiliated with the university, according to an NYPD official.
There are reports that Columbia University is reconsidering holding commencement ceremonies because of security concerns stemming from the pro-Palestinian protests.
This week’s cold open of “SNL” had parents of college students discussing the ongoing protests which have gotten aggressive in several instances.
Actors Kenan Thompson, Heidi Gardner, and Mikey Day played concerned parents of students participating in the alarming demonstrations during a talk show.
Gardner’s character said of the college protests, “It’s been tough. Now, I’m all for free speech, but I don’t understand what they think they’re accomplishing and that’s really putting a strain on me and my daughter’s relationship.”
Thompson’s character chimed in, “Nothing makes me prouder than young people using their voices to fight for what they believe in.”
However, Thompson was in favor of other college students participating in the divisive protests, but his daughter “better have her butt in class.”
When asked by the talk show host if he is proud that his daughter is out there protesting, Thompson fired back: “Nah man, you bugging. Alexis Vanessa Roberts better have her butt in class. Let me find out she in one of them damn tents instead of the dorm room that I pay for.”
Another parent on the panel curiously pondered, “I thought you were in favor of the student protest?”
Thompson snapped back, “Man, I am supportive of y’all’s kids protesting, not my kid. My kid knows better. Shoot, Alexis Vanessa ain’t crazy.”
The host asked about Thomspon’s feelings about students taking over Hamilton Hall.
“That’s good for y’all’s kids. But they ain’t mine. That’s all I’m saying. They ain’t my kids,” he continued.
Gardner said she is worried that her daughter could be arrested during the protests.
“I ain’t worried about Five-O, that is not my business,” Thompson stated. “My business is Alexis Vanessa Roberts. OK? She ain’t talking about ‘no free this, free that,’ because I tell you what ain’t free: Columbia. Do you all know that they got the nerve to want $68,000 a year?”
Thompson explained that he took up several jobs and was “busting his hump” so that he could send his daughter to Columbia University.
Speaking of his sacrifices for his daughter: “All of that just so she can say she got a degree in African American studies. It’s like, little girl, you’ve been black your whole life. You know what it is.”
Gardner noted that some universities were canceling their commencement ceremonies due to the aggressive protests.
Thompson retorted, “I don’t think you get it. Alexis Vanessa will be graduated, even if I gotta do it myself.”
There have been more than 2,100 people during anti-Israel protests at U.S. college campuses in recent weeks, according to Fox News.
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Community Affairs Cold Open – SNLwww.youtube.com