Most mainstream news outlets prefer more, not less gun control.

Would that help prevent the next gun massacre? Said outlets rarely are honest enough to answer that question, even indirectly.

The same can be said for some major pop culture institutions. In the past week, we’ve seen two publications known specifically for their Hollywood content tackle gun control head on.

Naturally, ABC, CNN and NBC played up the sketch in a positive fashion.

This past weekend, the increasingly liberal “Saturday Night Live” served up a strained comedy sketch that wasn’t just anti-gun, but ignorant of the sober, respectful gun culture that permeates many American towns.

It all started over at Deadline.com, a gimlet-eyed site dedicated to breaking entertainment news. On Oct. 5, it published a rabid gun-control manifesto marked by this less-than-subtle headline: How NRA Second Amendment Paranoia, Money, Cowed Pols Make Next Massacre Inevitable: Commentary.

After attacking former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush with an out-of-context quote, the publication strains to introduce a Hollywood angle or two before returning to its red meat. The message is clear all the same.

Two days later, People magazine responded with its own gun-control feature. A magazine known for inspiring profiles and style tips asked readers to contact their elected officials to demand generic action against gun violence. The publication even included a list of the contacts for each official.

The online humor magazine The Onion did its part for gun-control efforts, too. Rather than mock President Obama, who openly vowed to use recent gun-related violence for political purposes, the humor publication rebuked those who would question his motives.

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And then there’s “Saturday Night Live,” a formerly bipartisan show that now leans reliably to the left. The series featured a prepared video segment Saturday night featuring an American culture that incorporates guns into every facet of life.

The fake PSA discounted why Americans appreciate the Second Amendment, both from a historical perspective and 21st century viewpoint. Naturally, ABC, CNN and NBC played up the sketch in a positive fashion, according to Newsbusters.org, reinforcing the alliance between pop culture’s liberal humor and the mainstream press.

In the real world, meanwhile, voters ranked gun control as the 22nd most pressing problem via a September Gallup Poll. Only 2 percent of respondents named it their most important concern.

It’s safe to say more pop culture outlets will do all they can to influence those numbers in the weeks to come.