What If My Life Were an SNL Skit?
The past year of my life has felt like a whirlwind of chaos, challenges, and moments so absurd that they could easily be mistaken for a Saturday Night Live (SNL) skit. As I reflect on everything—from losing my job to grappling with the harsh realities of AI taking over industries and finding myself in a residential facility—I can’t help but wonder: What if my life were an SNL skit?
Opening Scene: Entering the AI Apocalypse Recovery Center
Picture this: The sketch opens with me walking into a group therapy circle, nervously clutching a folder of rejected resumes. The group leader—a larger-than-life character with a clipboard and an overly enthusiastic tone—stands in front of a whiteboard with the words "AI Apocalypse Recovery Center" scrawled across it.
“Welcome, Kevin!” the leader exclaims. “Here, we detox from tech-related trauma and learn to unplug. Please, share your story.”
Cue the exaggerated flashbacks: me at a desk, furiously typing on a laptop, only for a robot to roll in, hand me a pink slip, and say, “Sorry, Kevin, you’ve been... optimized.”
As the flashback fades, I look around the room, realizing that my fellow group members are not displaced workers like me but a colorful assortment of characters: a former TikTok influencer bitter about losing followers to AI-generated dance bots, a conspiracy theorist who believes his toaster is spying on him, and a guy who just really likes group therapy snacks.
Opening Scene:
(Stage opens with a spotlight on Kevin, dressed casually in a hoodie, sitting on a couch in a minimalist therapy circle with exaggerated "support group" vibes. A mix of quirky characters surrounds him, representing the residential facility members.)
Kevin:
(Looking around, slightly bewildered)
“So, yeah. Lost my job because AI took over my skillset. Market saturation, hiring freezes—bam, no job, no food, almost no place to live. So, here I am.”
Group Leader (played by a celebrity guest, like Kenan Thompson, with a clipboard):
“Thank you for sharing, Kevin. And welcome to the AI Apocalypse Recovery Center, where we don’t judge, we just unplug... emotionally.”
Kevin:
(Sarcastic, under his breath)
“Great. A detox for life’s bad algorithms.”
Group Leader:
“Let’s welcome our newest member, Kevin! Everyone, give him the warm, non-robotic clap!”
(The group claps half-heartedly. A guy in the corner claps like a malfunctioning robot, then stops abruptly.)
Cut to a Close-Up of Kevin in the Group Circle:
Kevin:
(Talking to the group)
“I thought I’d be here with other people who, I don’t know, got displaced by tech? But no—half the people here are ex-convicts or meth addicts. And there’s me, whining about losing my job to AI. I feel like I accidentally walked into the wrong episode of Breaking Bad.”
(Audience laughs.)
Group Leader:
“Now, Kevin, don’t invalidate your struggle. This is a safe space. Whether it’s drugs, prison time, or job loss to... Skynet—”
Kevin:
“It’s ChatGPT.”
Group Leader:
“Right, right. Whether it’s prison or ChatGBS—”
Kevin:
“GPT!”
Group Leader:
“Whatever! We all have demons.”
The Struggles of Job Hunting in the AI Era
The skit cuts to me sitting at my computer, staring at yet another job rejection email. This time, the screen comically comes alive with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) character. In a robotic voice, it declares, “We couldn’t read your resume because you used the wrong font. Denied.”
Determined, I change the font to Times New Roman and resubmit. Seconds later, a cartoonishly large REJECTED stamp slams across my screen. “You didn’t bold your name? Nice try.”
Cut to me dramatically eating instant noodles by candlelight, saying to my imaginary dog, “It’s fine. Elon Musk will probably start a ‘GoFundMe for displaced humans’ any day now.”
Cutaway to Over-the-Top Flashbacks:
(Kevin narrates as the screen shows exaggerated flashbacks of his year.)
Kevin (Voiceover):
“Picture this: I’m sitting at my computer, working on spreadsheets like every other data analyst, when—BOOM—management announces they’ve replaced half the team with ‘AI agents.’ I mean, come on. The bots didn’t even send a goodbye email.”
(Flashback scene of Kevin dramatically typing on a keyboard while a robot hands him a pink slip.)
Kevin (Voiceover):
“And then the job hunt. Let me tell you about ATS systems. These Applicant Tracking Systems were like, ‘Oops, you forgot to bold your name? Denied.’”
(Flashback shows a digital “Rejected” stamp hitting Kevin’s resume while ominous music plays.)
Kevin (Voiceover):
“Before I knew it, I was eating instant noodles by candlelight, wondering if Elon Musk would launch a ‘GoFundMe for displaced humans.’”
A Residential Facility, or an Unlikely Comedy Sketch?
Next, we move to the residential facility, where my story takes a surreal and surprisingly humorous turn. I sit in the group therapy circle, looking around at people who have faced battles I can barely comprehend: prison time, addiction, or life on the streets. My introduction? “Hi, I’m Kevin, and I’m here because AI stole my job.”
One of the group members smirks and says, “Oh, boohoo. AI took your job. Try losing everything because you put too much mayo on a prison sandwich.” (Yes, this character is a former cafeteria worker turned inmate.)
Despite the heavy subject matter, I start to find humor in the absurdity of my situation. I joke to the group, “Is this my rock bottom or the premise for the weirdest SNL skit ever?”
Back to the Group Circle:
Group Member #1 (played by Cecily Strong, overly dramatic):
“Man, that’s tough. I got fired because I tried to unionize a Burger King. At least you didn’t end up smuggling burgers across state lines.”
Kevin:
“Oh, no big deal. Just ended up here because I thought, ‘Hey, maybe a 21-day retreat will teach me how to stop AI from ruining my life.’ Turns out, the only algorithm I need to fix is in my head.”
Group Member #2 (played by Bowen Yang, sipping a smoothie):
“Dude, I feel that. I lost my job to one of those AI TikTok influencers. Now I’m a barista. You know what AI can’t do? Make foam art.”
(Everyone nods dramatically.)
Kevin:
“True, but also depressing.”
Group Leader (interrupts, overly peppy):
“Alright, everyone! Time for our daily affirmations. Repeat after me: ‘I am more than my job.’”
Group Members and Kevin (reluctantly):
“I am more than my job.”
Group Leader:
“I will not let AI control my future!”
Kevin (mutters):
“Unless it gets smarter...”
Group Leader (ignoring him):
“And I am worthy of love, even if I can’t beat a robot in a game of Jeopardy!”
(Everyone claps except Kevin, who raises his hand.)
Kevin:
“Quick question. Is there like, an AI for... hope? Because I could use some of that.”
(Audience laughs.)
Finding Hope in the Punchline
If my life were an SNL skit, it would end with me leaving the facility, armed with a new perspective.
The message of the skit? Life is unpredictable, messy, and sometimes downright ridiculous—but if you can find humor in the chaos, you can survive just about anything.
Closing Scene:
(Kevin is now alone, packing up his stuff to leave the facility.)
Kevin (to himself):
“21 days, and I’ve learned one thing: You can’t control what AI takes from you. But you can control how many meth addicts you hang out with.”
(He smiles and walks out as triumphant music plays. Cut to the facility sign outside that reads “AI Apocalypse Recovery Center: Now Accepting Bitcoin.”)
(End scene.)
Tagline Voiceover (by Don Pardo):
“And now, back to Saturday Night Live, sponsored by ChatGPT—making writers obsolete since 2023!”
(Audience erupts in laughter and applause.)
Why an SNL Skit?
SNL’s brilliance lies in its ability to take the most outrageous and seemingly hopeless situations and turn them into comedy gold. My journey this past year has been filled with moments of despair, but also moments that are so absurd they’re funny. The rejection letters, the tech-driven anxiety, the therapy sessions with people who have faced even greater struggles—all of it has shaped me into someone who can laugh at life’s curveballs.
Because sometimes, laughter is the only thing that keeps us moving forward.
What’s Next?
Now that I’ve “survived” my SNL skit of a year, I’m stepping into the next act of my life. I’m determined to take control of the things I can change and let go of what I can’t. Whether it’s advocating for ethical AI, rebuilding my career, or simply finding humor in the madness, I know this: my story isn’t over yet.
And who knows? Maybe one day, the real SNL will call.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this experience, it’s that life doesn’t always make sense, but it sure makes for a great story. So, if you’re going through a rough patch, try asking yourself: What if my life were an SNL skit? It might just help you find the punchline you need to keep going.
Spending three weeks in a residential facility was one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but I am deeply grateful for the opportunity it gave me to reframe how I see my situation. While many other patients faced struggles far greater than mine, I came to appreciate the beauty of people from all walks of life learning from and supporting one another. This experience helped me find peace and move closer to the stage of acceptance.
