“Much more isolating” – SNL writer Rosebud Baker reveals what it's like writing for 'Weekend Update'

Comedian Rosebud Baker, known for her dark, honest comedy, recently shared what it’s like writing for Saturday Night Live's (SNL) iconic "Weekend Update." On The Last Laugh podcast, she described the role as:

“much more isolating where it’s just you and your computer and a bunch of headlines.”

Baker joined SNL as a sketch writer in its 47th season in 2022 but later transitioned to writing exclusively for “Weekend Update,” the show’s news parody segment led by Colin Jost and Michael Che. While the work feels more solitary, she said it fits her stand-up background.

The interview aired on February 19, 2025, shortly after SNL's 50th anniversary special aired. Baker attended the event and later joked on Instagram about the after-party and the parenting chaos that followed the next morning.

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Rosebud Baker reflects on her journey as a writer for SNL

Baker initially started as a sketch writer, crafting scenes around each week’s celebrity host. But she soon moved to "Weekend Update," a role she finds more in line with her comedic strengths.

“It feels like a totally different game,” she told The Last Laugh. “As a stand-up, it’s much closer to what I’m used to and the way that my brain works.”

Though it’s a more solitary process, Baker finds fulfillment in the change. She shared that she’s genuinely content spending time alone, "just sitting in front of a computer and writing jokes." While she noted that it’s less collaborative compared to SNL's sketch writing, she finds the experience to be more creatively rewarding.

One example she gave was a joke about a study predicting men could go extinct in six million years. During a post-election show where Donald Trump had beaten Kamala Harris, the audience cheered the headline. Michael Che then delivered Baker’s punchline:

“So ladies, hang in there, you’ll get your little president.”

Even for major episodes like the 50th anniversary, Baker said things don’t come together far in advance.

“It’s like every other show at SNL where nothing’s really done until the week of the show,” she noted.

She also emphasized that "you never really know" the best-written jokes come with uncertainty. Baker added that no matter how solid something seems on paper, the live performance ultimately determines, "if it’s going to get a laugh." She explained that until it’s delivered in front of an audience, there’s no way to truly know if it will land.

Despite the pressure, Baker finds reward in the unpredictability and immediacy of live comedy. She also values that "Weekend Update" lets her focus purely on writing without worrying about cast performances or production details.

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Taking inspiration for comedy from motherhood

Baker’s stand-up special The Mother Lode dropped on Netflix on February 20, 2024, just two days after the SNL50 event. The hour-long special covers her experiences with pregnancy, childbirth, and new motherhood. Half of the show was filmed while she was pregnant and the rest after she became a mom.

In the podcast, Baker reflected on how intense motherhood has been.

“It’s so funny that you say that it’s less dark, because to me it’s so much darker,” she said. "Motherhood is so much darker—and pregnancy for sure is so much darker—than death,” she added.

She has previously shared stories about losing her younger sister, who drowned at age seven. That trauma became part of her 2021 special Whiskey Fists, but Baker said the experience of giving birth and parenting has been even more challenging.

“Death is just a shock to the system," she said. “But bringing someone into the world is so much more of a violent, shocking, traumatic experience.”

In The Mother Lode, Baker compares Planned Parenthood to a music festival, saying she still has a right to be there but feels she’s aged out.

“We don’t really talk about it,” she said, when questioned about how her conservative family reacts to jokes like that.

Baker shared that she isn’t exactly sure how her family feels about her material, and she’s okay with not knowing. She added that if she ever found out her parents disapproved of her comedy, it would probably just motivate her to push boundaries even more.

“I don’t really like comedy that pushes buttons just to push buttons,” she said.

For now, Baker is focused on what she loves—sharp jokes, honest stories, and late-night writing sessions at her computer.

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