SNL political sketches 2/14

[carolinayellowdog]

Hey,

Haven't seen any mention of this yet so I hope this isn't a dupe. The opening sketch was Gore calling Kerry and begging to endorse him; it went on too long and repeated a pattern some of us have found irritating in the past-- ridiculing Gore rather than focusing on ample targets in the current administration.

BUT later in the show there was a very interesting sketch depicting Kerry, Dubya, Bill and Hillary all in the same New Haven bar in 1968. Dubya was depicted as a complete moron, who at the end asks Clinton for coke. The Clintons were targets of ridicule but not as hard edged as that directed at Dubya, and Kerry came off the best by far.

A sign of the tide turning?

CYD


(moved from GD after being locked for mentioning a candidate)

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. I would have loved to have seen that Yale bar sketch

I read the Newsweek article on Kerry/Bush military careers.
Bush was (is) a pathetic figure in his youth.

[still_one]

2. no, in fact this morning is just the opposite

On Bloomberg, they had the secretary of labor, treasury, and evans all blaming the economic problems on Clinton, and Bush was fixing them. They had no one to rebutal or question them about control of both houses, and the executive branch, and you are still blaming Clinton.

CNN had Candy Crowley trashing Kerry.

I believe most of the networks will try to paint the Democratic nomoniee the way the painted Gore, and try to put Bush in the best light.

This time it will be different. I have never seen the Democrats so charged. We will not take it lying down this time

[DeepModem Mom]

3. What can SNL think is funny about piling on Al Gore?

Unlike Jon Stewart, SNL is bereft of talent, intellect, and edge. If SNL thinks Gore is what's over, they should look in the mirror.

[flpoljunkie]

8. DeepModem Mom, you really nailed SNL!

Don't even bother to watch show anymore-- totally lost its edge. They have proven themselves to be gutless, Dubya enablers.

[Cooley Hurd]

10. Not to mention Al Gore was one of the best/amiable guest hosts

...they've ever had! The show he hosted was the ONLY funny show they had the entire season!

Fuck Lorne Michaels. He lost his funny when The Kids in the Hall went off the air...

[vision]

4. I saw it as trying to set up memes about Kerry

I think that they were trying out what could work in the GE against Kerry. Yeah the skits were not biting against Kerry but IMO they did set up the themes that will be used later.

1) Questions about fidelity, true or not you know that this will come back. Like the SC adds against McCain the Bush administration will not be above using what they think pushes the Right's buttons. The opening skit mentioned the "intern" as did the news. Yes all have come out saying it was untrue but since when has the truth mattered with the BFEE.

2) Kerry is a stiff. The Bar skit made mention that Kerry was stiff and shown as not somebody you would drink a beer with, unlike Bush.

3) Kerry is a smart know-it-all. Having Kerry quote a philosopher to explain that Viet Nam was a "bad scene" Is again painting him like Gore was painted, an intellectual suit that cannot relate to the common guy, unlike good Ol' Boy George who knows how to party.

4) Kerry does favors. Even the end where Kerry takes Hillary to the library sets up the meme that Kerry only does things so others owe him. "You guys own me big time."

All of these are things that the Media and Bush will push to make Kerry look "unelectable" in the GE. Will it work? I don't know but maybe I was reading too much into the portrayal on SNL but this what I think they will push.

[Cocoa]

5. I loved the thing about Benny Hill

Clinton wants to meet the Benny Hill girls when he goes to England, Bush doesn't watch that show because it's too complicated. :-)

[vision]

7. My Republican boss is like that

He doesn't understand "Friends" and he cannot get that "Stienfield" (yes that is what he said, not Sienfield but Steinfield)

I really don't think that all Repubs have much humor bones beyond fart jokes :)

[Ficus]

6. I saw it as generally pro-Kerry

but I do love Darrell Hammond's Clinton.

[King of New Orleans]

9. Darrell Hammond does

a great Clinton and Al Gore.

The problem for SNL is that they have nobody who can do GW (unless Will Ferrell guests) and the guy trying to do Kerry was incredibly lame too.

[Ficus]

11. I gotta also add Tweety

I love his Hardball sketches. When someone (I can't remember who) was on that skit playing Dick Armey saying that the solution to the middle east problem was to invade Palestine and name it America II I just about died laughing.

Yeah, the new Bush sucks. Will Farrell was the best by far.

[HuskerDem]

15. Did you see Darrel Hammond when he was Tweety's guest

They showed his Haaaad-bah impressions one after the other after the other.

Mathews was laughing so hard he had to wipe tears out of his eyes.

It was freakin' hilarious.

[Cocoa]

12. the loss of Will Ferrell is so tragic

he's so good, and there's so much material. Of all the times for SNL to not be doing the president...

[HuskerDem]

13. I know it's not "cool" to like SNL but I do

People have been declaring the show dead since the middle of the first season. Whatever.

They do need to get a good W impersonator for the election season though. The one they are usning now sucks bad.

[SeattleRob]

14. SNL Sucks and has sucked for years.

They don't have a clue about how to do political comedy. In fact, they haven't had a clue in years. They need to watch the folks at "The Daily Show" to see how it's done.