‘SNL’ Jokes Student Loan Repayments Behind New Bumble Trend

Saturday Night Live joked that young people will start searching for older partners in 2024 to help them with student loan repayments.

“The dating app Bumble says that next year they expect to see a surge in relationships where one person dates someone considerably older,” Michael Che said during the Weekend Update segment. “Because those student loans ain’t gonna pay for themselves.”

Bumble, the women-first dating app, recently released research about what dating could look like in the new year. According to the app, daters are widening their age-range filters and becoming increasingly open to romantic relationships with people both older and younger.

Student loan repayments resumed when a 3-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic came to an end in October, after the Supreme Court in June rejected President Joe Biden’s sweeping plan to cancel student loan debt.

This week’s episode of SNL, hosted by Jason Momoa with musical guest Tate McRae, opened with a sketch featuring Mikey Day as Biden giving a press conference in the aftermath of his long-awaited meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who he initially referred to as “Roman Numeral Eleven.”

“This meeting was a total win,” he said. “Sure, we made agreements about communications, fentanyl, climate change. But, most importantly, we got the thing America needs right now: more pandas!”

Day’s Biden is then upstaged by an appearance from panda Tian Tian, played by Bowen Yang, who tells reporters that he actually thinks he’s more “slim-thick” than giant.

He says: “I’m honored to be here, but am I the only one who was surprised that the presidents of the two biggest economies in the world met and everyone’s just like, ‘What’s up with the pandas?’

“I mean, like, I get it: I’m hot, I’m smart, I’m alluringly asexual, but there have to be bigger issues, right?”

To which, Day’s Biden said: “Not tonight. Next question.”

Tian Tian shared his concerns about returning to China, saying he doesn’t know anyone there and will be forced to make friends as an adult.

“I mean, how do I panda express this? I just want to eat bamboo, sneeze in a cute way, and not have sex,” he said.

Day’s Biden then got a little frustrated that all the questions were being directed at Tian Tian, prompting a reporter to ask about his Middle East policy.

“I think people are really liking the panda, right? Next question,” Day’s Biden said.

In his short monologue, Momoa said he loves playing Aquaman because he loves the ocean, sharing that he wanted to be a marine biologist when he was growing up in Iowa.

He moved back to his native Hawaii and ended up with a role on Baywatch, which he called “the B-word.”

He also promoted his water company Mananalu, aimed at eliminating single-use plastic water bottles.

“This work really means a lot to me,” he said. “I’m serious. We’re gonna save the whales, the coral reefs, the SpongeBobs because Jason Momoa loves life.”