There ca n't always be a TV camera rolling when the big news happens - and Saturday Night Live has taken network news to task for how they paper over the cracks . The NBC sketch show parodied the daytime CNN Newsroom , which turned into a series of let-downs when it emerged there was no footage for the stories they were covering . But the ingenious producers for the skit managed to cover up with abysmal animations to illustrate the Germanwings crash , U.S.-Iran diplomacy , and domestic politics . Scroll down for video . Cutting edge : SNL writers joked that CNN 's animations look like they belong in 1985 . Above was 'their impression ' of what the doomed pilot of the crashed Germanwings jet may have looked like trying to get into the cockpit . Real thing : Above is an actual animation CNN aired to illustrate the pilot not being able to get back in . An informative graphic of a man opening a door , and a producer 's image of what the doomed pilot going to the bathroom may have looked like graced the screens , mocking their coverage of the tragedy . It was seemingly inspired by a much-derided , clunky animation of a man hammering on a cockpit door . Cecily Strong , playing anchor Brooke Baldwin , introduced a badly-animated hand grasping at a doorknob . A reporter then chimed in : 'We were lucky to get the same team who did the Dire Straits Money for Nothing music video in 1985 . ' The problems continued when CNN was unable to get a fly-on-the-wall view of Iran 's nuclear negotiations - and went for a puppet show instead . Bobby Moynihan , playing a reporter on the ground , explained by saying : 'We could n't get any footage from the actual negotiations - but once again CNN has the next best thing ' . 'Next best thing ' : For its next story , CNN had no footage of the Iran nuclear animations , so went with Muppets-style puppets . Absurd : The network was imagined providing imagery for coverage of Indiana 's religious freedom law through the medium of interpretative dance . Viewers were confronted with four Muppets-style puppets , including one representing John Kerry . A handshake to celebrate a deal being struck quickly escalated , with the Secretary of State sharing a passionate kiss with a U.S. diplomat . The theater of the absurd peaked when the network admitted it had n't bothered to send anybody to Indiana to cover the controversial religious freedom law there - so demonstrated with an interpretative dance instead . They later added in 'random commentary ' from Don Lemon , played by Michael Che , which consisted of the anchor repeating 'black people need to pull up their pants . ' Then segment received a rapturous response on social media , with dozens of fans tweeting their appreciation . Against the grain : Donald Trump spoke out against the skit , which he said was insensitive . Even some CNN personnel enjoyed the ribbing . Brenna Williams , an associate producer at the network , said in response to the Iran sketch : 'Do n't be surprised if I pitch a puppet politics piece on Monday ' However , one high-profile dissenter was Donald Trump , who called laughing at the air disaster 'disgusting ' . Earlier in the show , sketchwriters turned their attention to the NCAA finals , hot on the heels of Duke 's Blue Devils and the Wisconsin Badgers winning their way into the April 6 final . Jahlil was busy : NBC imagined the impossible scenario of a college basketball player putting his studies ahead of sport . A satirical skit imagined the Blue Devils coach acknowledging that his players were students before athletes - and holding back Jahlil Okafor from the big game so he could revise for a test . Keenan Thompson , posing as head coach Mike Krzyzewski , said star player Okafor would be replaced by a 36-year-old incompetent to bone up on biology instead . He told baffled reporters : 'These guys get paid in education - and if we ca n't give them that it 'd be like Duke did n't pay me my salary of $ 10million this year , which would be insane ! '
CNN mocked network 's coverage of air disaster and other major stories . Brooke Baldwin stand-in admitted network had no actual footage of news . Instead played awful 80s CGI recreation of inside of doomed passenger jet . Illustrated Iran nuclear talks with puppets , and danced out controversial Indiana religious freedom law with Don Lemon chiming in . Audience - including a Sketch producer - tweeted their amusement .