SNL's Jeremy Culhane delivered a sharp Tucker Carlson impression on "Weekend Update," skewering the Met Gala and taking aim at the recent Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" directed by Antoine Fuqua. Culhane's Carlson character critiqued the fashion spectacle with performative outrage before pivoting to complaints about the Jackson film, joking that it omitted "the part when he was a white man." The bit mocked Carlson's signature rhetorical style of feigned bewilderment and culture-war grievance mongering.
The sketch tapped into the current cultural moment surrounding both the Met Gala and heightened discourse around Michael Jackson's legacy. Fuqua's "Michael" film, which premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and has been positioned as a major awards contender, focuses primarily on Jackson's artistic genius and creative process rather than biographical scandal. Culhane's exaggerated critique of the film's omissions satirized the right-wing tendency to weaponize discussions of race, identity, and historical narrative.
Culhane has carved out a consistent lane on SNL as the go-to impressionist for conservative media figures, and his recurring Weekend Update appearances have become audience favorites. His ability to nail Carlson's distinctive cadence, eye-roll delivery, and rhetorical patterns gives the impression potency beyond simple mimicry. The meta-joke about Jackson's skin lightening, which Jackson attributed to vitiligo, works as satire precisely because it mirrors how partisan commentators often invoke aesthetic changes as cultural ammunition.
The segment demonstrates SNL's continued reliance on impersonation-based political humor during the prime election cycle. While the show's political edge remains divisive, moments like Culhane's Carlson turns resonate with audiences hungry for takedowns of