Saturday, November 01, 2008

JOHN MCCAIN, SARAH PALIN

McCain on SNL: Funny, But...

Tonight, John McCain appeared in the opening sketch of Saturday Night Live.

It depicted McCain as responding to Obama's half-hour infomercial by buying air time on QVC, and having to sell products while he did it. ("I'm a true maverick, a Republican without money.") Tina Fey appeared as the faux-Sarah Palin next to him.

The sketch will probably trigger another round of "Tensions between McCain and Palin" stories, as McCain stood there as Fey said, "these campaigns sure are expensive," then gesturing to her clothes.

Did the sketch make me laugh? Sure. McCain offered a set of commemorative plates, paying tribute to the ten town hall debates he was supposed to have with Obama. The plates, of course, were blank.

Palin sold the Joe commemorative dolls, featuring Joe the Plumber, Joe Six Pack, and Joe Biden.

Palin: "Pull his string and he talks for forty-five minutes."

McCain: "It's a great way to clear out a party."

And I howled when Cindy McCain appeared to gesture to the "McCain Fine-Gold" jewelry.

Then Fay/Palin held up a "Palin in 2012" t-shirt, whispering, "Just wait until after Tuesday to wear 'em," declaring that whatever happened, she wasn't going to return to Alaska; she would either run for President or "become the white Oprah."

The sketch was funny, but McCain's presence seemed to give the seal of approval to jabs at Palin that... well, furrow the brow.

Palin's appearances a few weeks ago were pretty funny. And the difference in vibe between this one and those from before reminded me of the year that Stephen Colbert appeared at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Some people remember Colbert's monologue, and the jabs it took at both the administration and the press before him. But that year he was preceded by President Bush, appearing with the guy who impersonates Bush on the Tonight Show. And so they did a routine where the fake Bush blurted out comments that the real Bush couldn't say.

Fake Bush: "Where's the great white hunter?"
Real Bush: "I regret that Vice President Cheney couldn't be here tonight."

When someone makes fun of himself, everyone can laugh easily. When someone makes fun of someone else, there's always that question that hangs in the air - did they go too far? (Of course, there are few things more pathetic than watching someone respond to a self-deprecating joke with an insult.)

Having said that, Ben Affeck just did an uproarious parody of Keith Olbermann, calling everyone who disagrees with him a Nazi...

11/01 11:52 PMShare