TV Show Analysis #1

Weekend Update: Really with Seth and Kermit

This video is an excerpt from Saturday Night Live and is called, “Weekend Update: Really with Seth and Kermit.” In this excerpt, Seth Myers and Kermit the Frog are criticizing Congress for passing a bill that says pizza in school lunches is considered a vegetable because of the tomato paste used on the pizza. Congress previously rejected new USDA guidelines that would force public schools to provide more fruits and vegetables as alternatives to unhealthy snacks. Seth then invites Kermit the Frog to join him the segment they call, “Really?!” Seth then says, “School pizza barely qualifies as a pizza…” and things along this line. He also says, “If pizza is a vegetable now, then what is broccoli? Penicillin?” Kermit then takes over and says, “If pizza is a vegetable, then what is a fruit salad? Twizzlers and a grape soda?” Seth then says, “At this rate, eating French fries will count as taking French.” Seth then went on to comment about the rate of child obesity and that if Congress does not believe it, then they should go down to the local playground and look at all of the broken swing sets. Kermit then said, “At the local pool, those aren’t swim suits, those are sausage casings.” Kermit then said that he was going to be in trouble for that one. The entire episode aired on November 19, 2011 and Jason Segel was the host. Both Seth and Kermit are making fun of Congress for saying that pizza is considered a vegetable by comparing it to multiple things. The show is trying to prove a point that pizza should not be considered a vegetable because this country already has a problem with obesity, especially in children. It is difficult to tell what ideological perspective is being represented because a majority of the people believes it is stupid to consider pizza as a vegetable. This relates to current political event because this recently happened and although it is not extremely recent, it is still relevant because the pizza is still considered a vegetable. This relates to class because we have been doing ECongress for a while and some of the bills we went over in class were just as silly as what Congress passed. Satire is used greatly in this excerpt because throughout the whole thing, Seth and Kermit are making fun of Congress. It is clear that Saturday Night Live got their point across about their views on the topic.