{"id":1985614,"date":"2025-08-28T22:56:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T22:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1985614"},"modified":"2025-08-28T22:56:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T22:56:24","slug":"i-was-bummed-emil-wakim-was-let-go-from-snl-and-im-really-going-to-miss-his-middle-eastern-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/i-was-bummed-emil-wakim-was-let-go-from-snl-and-im-really-going-to-miss-his-middle-eastern-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"I Was Bummed Emil Wakim Was Let Go From SNL, And I\u2019m Really Going To Miss His Middle Eastern Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><i>When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/i><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Credit: NBC<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As Season 51 of <em>Saturday Night Live<\/em> approaches in the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cinemablend.com\/television\/2025-tv-premiere-date-schedule-upcoming-new-returning-shows\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:2025 TV schedule;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">2025 TV schedule<\/a> this October, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/tv\/articles\/lorne-michaels-confirmed-shakeup-snls-182004364.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Lorne Michaels teased some cast shakeups;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Lorne Michaels teased some cast shakeups<\/a> (including a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/tv\/articles\/amidst-snl-season-51-exits-141204712.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:rumor about Weekend Update changing;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">rumor about <em>Weekend Update<\/em> changing<\/a>). This week, there\u2019s been a lot of developments in this regard. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/tv\/articles\/saturday-night-live-cuts-first-232709156.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Devon Walker announced her exit;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Devon Walker announced her exit<\/a> on Monday before we also learned that <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/tv\/articles\/welp-first-snl-season-51-150729117.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:writer Rosebud Baker would not be returning;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">writer Rosebud Baker would not be returning<\/a> along with Celeste Yim. Now that Emil Wakim is the latest cast member to be cut, I need to talk about his time on the show.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Emil Wakim Has Been Let Go From SNL After One Season<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On Wednesday, August 27, Emil Wakim shared that he had received the \u201cgut punch of a call\u201d that he\u2019d been kicked off the cast while celebrating his friend\u2019s 36th birthday at Six Flags. While we don\u2019t know exactly why, it seems to be part of the show\u2019s bloodbath of cuts. You can check out Wakim\u2019s goodbye post below:<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I sat up when Emil Wakim was cast on <em>Saturday Night Live<\/em> because he\u2019s the first comic of Lebanese heritage to ever be in the ensemble, and half of my family is Lebanese. Our backgrounds are actually similar because he has an immigrant father from Lebanon and a white mother. His casting really revitalized some interest for me in the show that has certainly become more diverse in recent years, but had yet to really have a distinct Middle Eastern voice among its cast.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">The Cast Member Started Some Great Conversations About The Middle Eastern Experience On SNL That Will Be Missed<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I think the highlight of Emil Wakim\u2019s time on <em>SNL<\/em> was when he joined Weekend Update to share his own perspective as the son of an Arab immigrant. His most popular moment on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VwECx_Bondc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:YouTube;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">YouTube<\/a> included his thoughts on voting in the 2024 election. In the segment, Wakim talked about what it\u2019s like to be in the Arab Christian category (rather than Arab Muslim), joking that the group is like \u201cBlack dudes with Anime backpacks\u201d and such.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">My favorite has to be his take on American Patriotism, where he hilariously talked about the minor inconvenience of when you \u201csee the UberEats delivery driver.\u201d You can watch it below:<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While I\u2019ll admit Wakim had clearly not yet become <em>the star<\/em> of <em>SNL<\/em>, I think he started some really refreshing conversations from the perspective of an Arab American who was born and raised in the U.S. that we just don\u2019t get to see too often on a mainstream stage, and were accessible to people of any walk of life. Sure, I\u2019ve found some more <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/articles\/8-great-movies-tv-shows-000436779.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:movies and TV shows about Arab-Americans;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">movies and TV shows about Arab-Americans<\/a> lately like <em>Rami<\/em> or <em>Mo<\/em>, but it still feels like representation for the Arab American perspective is still very much lacking, especially when it comes to comedies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Our community still has a long history of being stigmatized and shown in a negative light, and artists like Emil Wakim are important for exposing the public to more palpable examples of what it\u2019s like to be an Arab American in 2025. I\u2019m of course optimistic that Emil Wakim will continue to thrive as a standup comedian, and perhaps bring his unique perspective to his own TV show or movie at some point. I was really just hoping he\u2019d have a longer stint on <em>SNL<\/em>, and I&#8217;m sad to see him go so soon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: NBC As Season 51 of Saturday Night Live approaches in the 2025 TV schedule this October, Lorne Michaels teased some cast shakeups (including a rumor about Weekend Update changing). This week, there\u2019s been a lot of developments [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1985615,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[356052,305353,355878,22335,356573],"class_list":["post-1985614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-emil-wakim","tag-lorne-michaels","tag-rosebud-baker","tag-snl","tag-weekend-update"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/I-Was-Bummed-Emil-Wakim-Was-Let-Go-From-SNL.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1985614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1985614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1985614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1985615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1985614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1985614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1985614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}