It is undeniable that technology is a ubiquitous part of our lives, but social media is also seeping into the traditional media and art industries. Pathways to entry have shifted as virality becomes a route to comedy fame — Saturday Night Live (SNL) is no exception.
As a native and extraordinarily proud New Yorker, I avidly watched SNL in middle and high school. If I wasn’t home to watch an episode in real time, I tuned in the following morning or later that week as I folded my laundry. Though this routine remained consistent through my adolescence, the comedians occupying my laptop often changed.
Each September, SNL returns with a new cast. With the exception of Kenan Thompson, the record holder for the longest career on the sketch-comedy show, cast members typically stay for less than six seasons. This year, when Martin Herlihy and Bowen Yang — the latter being one of my personal favorites — left, SNL founder Lorne Michaels hired two brand-new comedians: Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter. But you’ve probably already seen the two on your screen before, especially Reiter.
“Before Reiter even walked into the auditioning room, the majority of her audience — probably even Michaels himself — knew exactly who she was. Of course, a circumstance like this is unique to the 21st century, where the internet has us in a chokehold. “
Reiter is originally from Chippewa, Wisconsin. Before joining SNL, she worked for the Syracuse, New York-area sketch comedy group American High. She also already possessed roughly 4 million followers on TikTok. Combined with her overall online platform (on YouTube and Instagram), Reiter had amassed over 5.4 million followers. Before Reiter even walked into the auditioning room, the majority of her audience — probably even Michaels himself — knew exactly who she was. Of course, a circumstance like this is unique to the 21st century, where the internet has us in a chokehold.
Belo-Osagie, like Reiter, started her career in social media and amassed a decent following before SNL, although she was lesser known.
Twenty-plus years ago, people who attempted to land a gig on SNL were more obscure. When she first auditioned, Laraine Newman, one of the original cast members, was performing with the Groundlings, one of the most famous and influential sketch-comedy groups in the country. Despite this status and achievement, it’s unlikely anybody walking down the street would recognize her as a household name before her arrival on SNL. Even Adam Sandler — now one of the biggest celebrities in television — maintained a small role on “The Cosby Show” before Michaels took a chance on him. These candidates serve as a stark contrast to Reiter, who already sported fame before earning one of the most elite titles in comedy. And she’s not the only one in the entertainment industry.
At Coachella 2026, Addison Rae performed at 5:30 p.m., one of the festival’s later slots, for both weekend one and two. But how did Rae land a gig most artists can only dream of securing? When she released her first song “Obsessed” in March of 2021, she already had 78 million followers on TikTok. With a following that large, you inherently jump over the tallest hurdle: building a following base. Before the internet, bands were required to travel around the country, playing in small towns, even here in Claremont, in an attempt to gain some traction. Internet fame allows you to skip that process entirely.
Just like Rae, Alex Warren is also a TikTok-star-turned-singer. When he released his debut song “Ordinary,” the twenty-six-year-old influencer attracted hundreds of millions of likes on TikTok. Moreover, he notoriously founded and failed to maintain the Hype House — a content creation home modeled after Jake Paul’s Team 10. With these credentials, it’s no surprise that Warren immediately landed on Billboard’s Top 100 the week after he released his first song. Yet, what is surprising is that he was Grammy-nominated for Best New Artist the following year. I mean, was the song that good?
In my humble opinion, Reiter is certainly more talented than both Rae and Warren, all three of whose artistic success stories were catalyzed by the growing influencer industry, and the evident legitimization of influencers as professional entertainers. Reiter is undoubtedly funny and deserving of a spot on America’s No. 1 broadcast comedy. However, she’s probably not the only one who can deliver a television-level joke. I imagine there are hundreds of comedians out there just as, if not funnier, than her, who simply don’t have a similar pre-existing fan base.
Social media has completely transformed the method industry executives use to determine who receives artistic recognition. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Michaels noted that the additions of social media creators like Reiter and Belo-Osagie are how SNL continues to stay relevant. The people we watch as we scroll in bed have come to haunt us in the real (dare I even say serious) world of art. Nowadays, the line between social media influencers and cultural icons has blurred. One could even argue that they are becoming one and the same.
In a sense, social media gave people like Reiter an accessible platform to learn and experiment with comedy, which is certainly valuable in itself. Yet, comedy should be able to hold its own as an art form outside of the minefields of being viral in a mysterious algorithm, something we should keep in mind as we laugh at Reiter’s jokes.
Han Lane PO ’30 is a new columnist from New York.
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