'SNL' satirizes the vice-presidential debate and puts the news in the context of Mental Health Awareness Week

I was planning on continuing my coverage of the Emmy Awards today, but I'm just not feeling it.* Instead, I'm being a good environmentalist and recycling the idea behind last week's 'SNL' lampoons the debate, Trump's COVID diagnosis, and Supreme Court nomination in season premiere after winning six Emmy Awards to use comedy to critique the vice-presidential Debate and the rest of last week's headlines. I begin with VP Fly Debate Cold Open.

Susan Page (Kate McKinnon) moderates a debate between Senator Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph) and Vice President Mike Pence (Beck Bennett).

On the one hand, no Jeff Goldblum as "The Fly." On the other, I'm just as glad 'SNL' found a way to re-use Jim Carrey as Joe Biden for an impression of Goldblum and his characters. Also, I knew that Maya Rudolph would demonstrate why she deserved her Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy. Finally, the conclusion of this skit gave me an opportunity to say farewell to Herman Cain. It's been such a busy year that I just didn't see an opening to do so until now. May he rest in peace except when invoked in comedy like this.

Follow over the jump for clips about the rest of last week's news, including President Trump recovering from COVID-19 framed as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

The comedy newscast opened with Weekend Update: Trump Leaves the Hospital.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Trump claiming he survived COVID-19.

Yes, we've all been made quite aware of mental health this week.

The segment continued with its focus on how America is dealing with the pandemic in Weekend Update: COVID-19 Protests & Sexy Hand Sanitizer.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Sizzler filing for bankruptcy.

Sizzler filed for bankruptcy? I'll have to write about that for my next Retail Apocalypse entry. As for the sexy hand sanitizer Halloween costume, it reminds me that I responded to a tweet hoping "As long as there aren't 'Sexy Ventilator Patient' Halloween costumes" with "Don't give the costume makers any ideas. I'm sure we're going to get 'sexy nurse in PPE' costumes." Close enough for me. Speaking of medical references, the new McDonald's breakfast items coming at the low cost of one of my feet hits a little close to home, as I'm a diabetic. It gives me another reason not to eat any of them!

The pandemic continued as a theme in the last segment I'm featuring today, Weekend Update: Dr. Wenowdis on Trump’s Televised Health Exam.

Dr. Wayne Wenowdis (Kate McKinnon) stops by Weekend Update to discuss Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and televised health exam.

"Kate, Kate, are you O.K.?" "Obviously not." Well, at least Kate is aware of the state of her mental health. I hope all the rest of us are, too, and take care of ourselves accordingly.

That's it for last week's news, unless and until I see tonight's episode of "Last Week Tonight." In the meantime, stay tuned for this year's celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving and Native American Day.

*Don't worry, I'll get to it, especially since I have the next planned entry mostly written already.