“Saturday Night Live” took advantage of the slow implementation of vaccination in the country, which has been affected by scarcity, site closures and doubts about who should be prioritized for vaccination.
The program started with a parody of a game show, “So you think you can get the vaccine,” in which contestants vie for a chance to get injections.
“Getting the vaccine shouldn’t be a competition, but Americans only want to get it if it means that someone else can’t,” said host, Dr. Anthony Fauci, played by Kate McKinnon.
Judges are some of America’s most prominent governors.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was introduced and made his assessment of the California pandemic: “White teeth, rigid bodies. Covid, very bad.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (Pete Davidson), who faces charges of underestimating Covid-19 deaths in long-term care facilities and sexual harassment, said: “” Great bodies, some of you. I know, I know – I’m at the damn dog house again. “
Cuomo explained who was prioritized for vaccination in New York: “Tough guys, rich guys, smart guys and Five Guys.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Witmer (Cecily Strong), the target of an alleged kidnapping plan last year, said: “It is an honor to be here with my fellow governors. People shout at them about their policies and shout at me: ‘Take it! ‘But this is life. “
Senator Ted Cruz, played by Aidy Bryant, appeared saying, “I’m sorry, my arms are tired because I just got back from Cancún, Mexico.”
The contestants were a young woman posing as an elderly woman, a non-smoker posing as a smoker and Seymour Foreman, 85, who described himself as “the most proud grandfather in the world”.
“You won,” he said. “You get the vaccine.”
“How wonderful,” he said, “with you here or behind the scenes?”
“You can’t get this here,” said Cuomo. “You have to make an appointment online.”
Seymour is advised to find a young man who can come “three consecutive days to help you click and update”, in Cuomo’s words.
He has no young people in his life, Seymour said. Then Witmer said to him, “Better luck next time.”
And Cuomo advised, “If you really feel bad, make sure you leave the nursing home and go to the hospital. Wink.”
In the “Weekend Update” news segment, co-host Colin Jost took a look at the House’s approval of a $ 1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill, noting that some Republicans call it a liberal wish list .
“I don’t know,” he said. “I think a liberal wish list would be avocado toast with Chrissy Teigen, a free pet college and a hip-hop musical about Anderson Cooper starring Lin-Manuel Miranda.”
He added that Senator Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, was pleased that the aid package did not include a minimum wage increase to $ 15 an hour, as initially proposed.
“Over the years, Graham has really learned to love the taste of saliva from fast-food workers,” said Jost.
Host colleague Michael Che celebrated the emergence of a new vaccine, from Johnson & Johnson of New Jersey, which on Saturday obtained authorization for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Johnson & Johnson will now pair the vaccine with the needles of New Jersey’s # 1 syringe supplier, the beach,” he said.
Che reported that a study showed that Covid-19 reduces blacks’ life expectancy.
“Actually,” he said. “The coronavirus is so deadly to black Americans that it is being suspended for payment.”
