'SNL' covers protests, Kristi Noem, and hush money trial with Dua Lipa doing double duty

I summarized the last time Saturday Night Live attempted a cold open about protests on college campuses as 'SNL' tries to turn a week of unfunny news into comedy and gets saved by Adam Driver and Olivia Rodrigo. I found the results disappointing, but the post became the most read entry featuring Saturday Night Live content during the 13th year of this blog. Go figure. SNL tried again last night in Community Affairs Cold Open and actually created something funny.

Parents of college students (Kenan Thompson, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner) are interviewed about student protests and arrests on college campuses.

Israel-Gaza? Not funny. The protests becoming vehicles for antisemitism? Not funny, as I pointed out last December. Cops and counter-protesters breaking up the protests? Still not funny. Parents freaking out about their children protesting? Surprisingly funny. I'm with Kenan Thompson's character on this. It's enough to make me glad my children all graduated from college at least a decade ago.

The protests played third fiddle behind Weekend Update: Kristi Noem Shot Her Dog, Trump Complains About Trial both of which I expected would be top stories.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week’s biggest news, like President Biden saying Japan is xenophobic.

I anticipated that SNL would open with the Trump's hush money trial. It didn't even make the top story on Weekend Update. Instead, the cast and writers decided that Kristi Noem writing that she shot her dog deserved more attention. As a dog owner I can both see why and be disturbed by both the news and their choice. They continued mining this vein in Weekend Update: Kristi Noem's Other Dog Defends His Owner.

Kristi Noem's other dog (Marcello Hernández) stops by Weekend Update to defend his owner.

The talking dog buttons made a great prop! And, yes, I agree she wrote about the incident because she thought Trump would like it.

Noem, as played by Heidi Gardner, even made a cameo in Dua Lipa Monologue.

First-time host Dua Lipa celebrates her new album Radical Optimism by taking some questions from the audience and introducing her new choreographer.

Even Lipa and her radical optimism couldn't find a bright side for Noem.

Follow over the jump for more highlights from last night's SNL.

I could have let Lipa's monologue qualify this entry as the Sunday entertainment feature, but I'm sharing two more clips that better support this purpose, beginning with another fake news segment, Good Morning Greenville.

Morning news personalities (Dua Lipa, Heidi Gardner, Mikey Day) weigh in on a feud that is dividing the nation.

On the one hand, I learned something despite the characters' cluelessness. On the other, I'm with Devon Walker's weatherman; I would want nothing to do with this conversation!

My favorite of last night's two pre-recorded fake ads was Teeny Tiny Statement Pin, which also fits the entertainment theme.

A commercial advertises a product that allows celebrities to make smaller statements on complicated issues while on the red carpet.

As I wrote most recently in Earthquake, eclipse, and other news on 'SNL', "This clip serves as another demonstration of the commercial...parodies being one of the best parts of 'SNL.' When they're on, they're on, and this one was ON!"

While Lipa acquitted herself well as an actress, she's best known as a singer and she performed two of her songs last night, beginning with Illusion (Live).

Musical guest Dua Lipa performs "Illusion" on Saturday Night Live.

That was sexy, energetic, and entertaining, but I found Happy For You (Live) more emotional.

Musical guest Dua Lipa performs "Happy For You" on Saturday Night Live.

I know a couple of exes I'd dedicate this song to.

I was hoping there would be some Cinco De Mayo content in the episode, but my readers and I were not so lucky, so stay tuned for a brief holiday entry.