Obama Spoofs: ‘SNL’ Chooses Unfunny Over Hurting Their Guy
by Andrea Shea KingBig Hollywood’s Alexander Marlow has written a spot-on assessment of “Saturday Night Live’s” skit about Obama. This video clip of Chevy Chase on CNN bolsters Marlow’s claim and reveals the truth behind “SNL’s” political parodies:
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To paraphrase Groucho Marx, a child of five could improve on this immensely. Anyone could make these parodies of Obama funnier. Obama’s mannerisms, speech patterns, physical oddities (ears) etc. are ripe for satire. Add Michelle Obama and Joe Biden to the mix and it only gets better. The audience would be rolling in the aisles. Obama presents a comedy writer with the potential for endless comedic situations. Obama is a unique character who offers a buffet of satire, pregnant with possibilities.
But the folks at SNL know they can’t appear partisan by NOT parodying Obama, so they have to do something. They present a bland milquetoast version that gently mocks Obama. And they do it in the show’s opening segment, typically the strongest segment of the program, the attention-getter that sets the tone and hits you hard with the punch line “Live! From New York! It’s Saturday Night!”
Now they’re busted. Chevy Chase’s interview only serves to bolster Marlow’s case. In that CNN interview, Chevy Chase says his lampooning of President Gerald Ford was driven by his support for Jimmy Carter. And he makes no secret of the fact that SNL does this as standard operating procedure.
Chase: … And I certainly, obviously my leanings were Democratic and I wanted Carter in and I wanted [Ford] out and I figured look, we’re reaching millions of people every weekend, why not do it.
CNN: You mean to tell me in the back of your mind you were thinking, hey I want Carter …
Chase: Oh, yeah.
CNN: And I’m going to make him look bad.
Chase: Oh yeah. What do you think they’re doing now, you think they’re just doing this because Sarah’s funny? No, I think that the show is very much more Democratic and liberal-oriented, that they are obviously more for Barack Obama. [In the '70s], out of the Nixon era, and it was not unlikely that I might go that direction.
CNN: I talked to one political pundit who said, I think Chevy Chase cost Ford the presidency.
Chase: When you have that kind of a venue and power where you can reach so many millions of people and you’ve become a show that people watch, you know, you can affect a lot of people, and humor does it beautifully, because humor is perspective and has a way of making judgment calls. … So I think there was no question that it had major effect and in fact, in speaking with his family and then later him, and even reading some of his books … he felt so, too.”
This makes the case that SNL is manipulating their interpretation of Obama. They’re not doing it to be funny. They’re doing it to be able to say they’ve lampooned Obama. It’s political cover. It’s NBC.
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112 Comments
Big surprise…
The Left including Obambi need to come down to reality.
I'm not sure this is news. Most people in entertainment are liberal. It was certainly common knowledge that Chevy Chase is a big lib.
Completely Off Topic here – will there be a review of Law Abiding Citizen coming out this Friday? Ive been hearing some good things about this movie…
This isn't new. Chevy Chase is a complete tool, but I have to give him credit for being honest about SNL's leanings in public.
What needs to happen is another show like SNL (I'm looking at you MADTv) needs to lampoon Obama and his administration properly. Show some balls already, quit being such cowards for chrissakes….
Funny how this is a surprise to CNN. Much like the shock they must be having over the lower number of viewers they pull during their 8pm power hour to a show on Fox News at 3am (Red Eye) that simply has more people watching.
BTW, who is this old fart Chevy Chase dood anyways?
While not a surprise that SNL leans to the left, I am surprised that one of their own so blatantly admitted it. I was always under the impression that bias was always to be denied. I guess I was wrong.
It's almost like they are saying "Yeah, that's right. We are Lefties. Now what are you gonna do about it?"
good on Chevy for being honest. Now that's debate. that's non-partisan. openly state your position, your side, then have fun, go for it. but dont deceive or claim you're just doing it for laughs. everyone has an agenda, liberals just need to come out and say they want communist hedonist regimes! just like we want moral capitalist liberty driven societies. i'd say amish, but we want capitalism… so cant really be amish.
sad thing is, MADTv did lampoon Obama—they were very evenhanded all around and were much funnier than SNL and were canceled
Chase last quote of the CNN interview:
"Of course it's fair. I mean really, the whole thing about that show is get the laugh; it always has been, and it always will be. "
Apparently Chevy didn't watch the last episode with Obama's Powerball sweepstakes win…no satire…no laughs…just plain awkward!
Then again, Chevy probably hasn't tuned for a few years! What happened to SNL???
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Remember that Chevy Chase is a political genius. He has said that Socialism has worked everywhere it's been tried. But he is remembering when SNL had an audience and the people on it were funny. Nowadays, it's a crapshoot. Not nearly as funny. I'm surprised it's still on.
Does anyone even watch SNL anymore. I have not really watched it since the mid 80s, it has been terrible for a long time
Luckily, They'll never have this power again until they start attacking both sides (e.g. Glenn Beck). What you'll end up with is SNL means See, Nobody's Listeneing! Romney 2012!!
I'm not Chevy Chase!
and boy am I glad.
Even when I was watching the original SNL, Chase just was not funny to me. I was addicted to the show but thought Chase was always way too sophmoric. Just……..unfunny. Even in Caddyshack, he rates under Danny Noonan.
Really? He said that?
wow-zers……….
I'm Chevy Chase and I'm not all that smart, at all…….
The amount of deceit that these members of the media are capable of is beyond the pale! This anchorette sits here, acting "surprised". What a load! As if news that SNL has a liberal agenda is "news" to her! Gosh, who are the IDIOTS who watch these liars?!?!?!?
What are we going to do?
Let them sink of their own overweening hubris.
I think there's a Chicago thing behind SNL. That Saul Alinsky technique: Do what you like to do in the pursuit of getting the message across, to take down traditional American values and conservatism.
She wasn't surprised about their liberal agenda. She was surprised that he admitted it.
Geez, CNN, what do you want me to give you – a cookie? You actually admitted water was wet. Yup, right there in front of us, you leaned forward in your little chair in front of Chevy Chase and your little eyes went wide and you were simply shocked! SHOCKED! to hear Chevy admit the obvious – SNL was biased. Oh, wow! You whispered, your sweet little face just stunned by this admission. Gosh, who knew? But gosh darn, you quickly recovered to let us know it 'back then' and doesn' t apply now. To prove that, you put Lorne Michaels on the screen a split second later insisting in that serious tone of his that really intelligent people have (versus us right wing morons) that SNL is totally NOT biased. And that was that. Yup, CNN, you did your darned best reporting on that pesky little 'media bias' rumor that all you intelligent reporters know is a bunch of BS and only happened 30 years ago. ————– But I'm not giving you any damned cookie.
Yeah, like that's going to happen.
SNL isn't making anyone in the home viewing audience laugh — but the suits at NBC think the show is hilarious, and in the end they're the only viewers who matter.
Chevy is not funny, he is bitter and sour and like certain dissatisfied souls (Rosie "The Pig" O'Donnell, Robin Williams, David Letterman) and they mask their anger and bitterness toward others with their favorite hobby, hypocritical attempts to parody people whose integrity exists as a threat to their lack of it.
But when such maladjusted souls do this outside of honest humor it always becomes immediately obvious that either they are being forced to (as SNL is with Obama) in order to pretend that all fools are fair game or they personally loathe the object of their mockery and their performance is not funny but clearly a deliberate attempt to injure. The laughter and applause for such bitter players are always and only due to the "applause" and "laugh" signs that the audience are given.
P.S. It is no secret that few in the industry can stand being around Chase for more than 10 minutes.
Gee, this had never occurred to me. Thanks CNN!
It must be awful being a conventional political comedian in the Age of Obama. There are so many things you just can't say. The trick is how to retain your street cred as "hip and cutting edge" without actually offending the honest satirists chief target which is the Presidency. You can take the Bill Maher route and just pretend that being cruel, vindictive and obscenely partisan is "funny." This works if you have a large enough claque of like-minded morons to cheer you on. I assume that SNL aims at a broader audience (I haven't watched it for years either.) Can you imagine what the SNL writing sessions are like these days? These poor boobs must be tying themselves in knots trying to be relevant while at the same time obediently kow-towing to the line laid down by The One. Look for SNL to take the soft route for the next three years (I hope) and treat Our Leader with kid gloves and the comfy chair.
And yet even HERE one cannot call Obama what he is without one's post being deleted. Pot, meet kettle!
The guy playing Obama has all of the zing of a captive reading Al Qaeda's demands in one of those hostage videos.
Well, old Chevy was wrong about (ahem) one thing. In the segment they said that SNL can skew elections b/c of comedy and the internet. Nope, b/c it's viewers are too stupid to tell fact from fiction.
But it is unusual to hear this kind of forthrightness. Usually they deny a political motivation. Intellectual honesty is virtually unheard of in Big Media.
Tina Fay's Palin impression wasn't really that good and it really wasn't that funny. That is what the press just want you to believe. Maybe I'm biased.
The SNL skit from this past weekend was boring and tame. The comedian was afraid to even imitate Obama's voice. Late night comedians would sooner hold up pictures of Mohamed on television than criticize Obama.
The proof that SNL could be funny about Obama, if they really wanted to, is South Park. But as Chevy Chase said, they don't really want to, for obvious reasons.
I don't have a big problem with comedians lampooning people they dislike, we all do that so I understand it. I would have much more respect for SNL if they would just be upfront about their affection towads Obama. They should just openly admit that they don't feel comfortable in taking shots at him and therefore have decided to leave all political attacks against everyone alone. This blatantly one-sided coverage of conservatives is just horrendous. SNL doesn't go after Barney Frank, Pelosi, Reid or Rangel and they're offering way more comedy than anyone on the right. SNL should also abate from these really poorly crafted skits about Obama cause it is simply embarrassing to the SNL brand and it's reputation. I can't imagine any of Fred Armisen's friends congratulating him on his Obama impression.
I agree. I thought Tina's impression was just plain mean spirited…she had the glasses and suit going for her…but none of her lines were clever…just put downs.
Ironically, when Sarah did herself on the show, that was HILARIOUS! I give Sarah kudos for not literally "filleting Fey!" She definitely outperformed her!
What I find extremely funny is Chase thinking his ham acting had anything to do with Ford not getting re-elected. It was Nixon's pardon that did him in. And Ford was classy enough to take the hit for what he deemed the good of the nation. He thought a prolonged investigation and possible charges and trial would severely hurt America, and a pardon would bypass that, even though it was political suicide. Then he gracefully returned to private life, and kept his mouth shut, the way all ex-presidents should behave.
I also agree, there's so much material there, the writers probably have to bang their heads against the wall to keep from laughing at Obama.
Here's a quick sketch idea: Rush Limbaugh character tampers with Obama's teleprompters causing every other word to show up on the other teleprompter, so Obama has to swing his head to see the first one, swing back to the other for the next word, on and on.
build it, they will come………….
someone (fox network?) needs to put together a comedy show soon, and do political spoofs. it would be a hilarious hit.
Don't be too quick to give Chevy credit for being honest. All he is doing is telling us what an important and influential person he was.
You have to realize what a sad, pathetic egomaniac Chevy Chase still is. This is all about how important and influential he was to the 76 election.
A little exhaustion from the right is showing here. We're trying a little too hard to find these kind of tidbits that reinforce our feelings . Searching SNL for clues is pretty low, who was the poor sot who was assigned to sit through this and found this out ? Can't believe that many people watch this crap and especially on a Saturday night. Besides the echo media isn't on this one and the "scoop" is just dribbling the halls of our rightist blogs.
This isn't what Andrew wanted, but it's 48 hour news cycle and there's not enough content. Back to the brainbowl chaps ! Now about Edmund Burke……….
Entertainers…. only. Watch the politicians…. they are truly comical. The people need to not be so stupid.
"Saturday Night Lame" has been lame for so long this joke is lame.
Couldn't NBC just put on two hours of the shows they bumped for Leno? Heck, assorted "Law and Order" reruns would be an improvement.
It's still on only because it is in a very uncompetitive time slot and they have a low production overhead. The show is pretty cheap to produce especially because Lorne Michaels is notorious for not paying anyone a lot of money. He also makes all new talent on the show sign a contract that gives him the rights to all of their creative property (their characters). That's why he is executive producer of all of those dumb SNL character driven movies. If you want to make a movie using one of the characters you showcased on his show, he has to be involved.
"Searching SNL for clues is pretty low,"
Wow, you sure weren't paying attention last fall, were you? Tina Fey's lampooning of Sarah Palin has pretty much singlehandedly cost her any chance of a successful political future.
I noticed right away that Fred Arminson was not doing his Obama impression as he did it during the campaign. Instead he pretty much spoke in his own voice througout the sketch. It made me suspicious.
SNL has been filling the minds of young college students and twenty somethings with left wing carbage for over thirty years and know exactly what they are doing. Yes, they have had tremendous influence on three generations since then..how in the hell do you think an avowed socialist, muslim American became President of the United States? Its not about being funny but being hip, young. successful and influencing the culture. Does anyone really need to explain this? Chase is just owning up to the obvious.
Hollywood spent the last eight years making propaganda instead of movies, and from what I'm reading, the business is in real trouble.
Magazines like "Time" and "Newsweek" and papers like the NY Times and Washington Post used to be trusted sources of the news, but they've spent the last thirty years propagandizing instead of reporting and they're bleeding readership like the Titanic took on water.
So if the past is a predictor of the future, the unfunny SNL will just become one more arm of the Democratic Party. Besides, they've already been upstaged by reality. What possibly could be funnier, more ironic and just outright ridiculous as the Nobel Committee awarding the Peace Prize to Barack Obama. Oh, I know. Obama thinking he really deserved it. Now THAT'S funny.
Agreed.
One of the things I appreciate about Rush Limbaugh, is if some one asks if he's biased, he shoots back "You're damn right I'm biased. The only difference between me and Dan Rather is I admit it."
I'll give him credit for being honest, but he's guilty of a much greater crime, claiming to be a comedian, while being as funny as a festering boil.
Which if done right, can be very funny, like in Zulu. Doctor: This is going to hurt you more than me.
He's the guy who had a late night talk show that was canceled within a week of its premier several years ago.
He did good job as a supporting actor to Bill Murray in Caddy shack.
The guy's narcisism is bottomless…
SNL has been too lame since, well since I got older, or I wised up, or they just got miserable…
btw, Chevy is lame.. and missing too many brain cells to listen to,, a liberal loony…
I haven't watched MAD TV in years, my wife hates sketch comedy, but they beat SNL for laughs hands down years ago. I loved the way they went after both Bush and Kerry back in 2004.
One of the best examples of improv was when the characters had a debate taking questions from the audience.
A teenage girl from the audience asked the comedian playing Bush a complicated question about social security privatization.
Response: Let me ask you a question young lady, are you familiar with Mario on game boy? Because I can't figure out how to get out of level four.
Kerry character: And I'm losing to this guy?
I'll give him credit for some funny movies. I love the Vacation movies. Christmas Vacation is a staple during the holidays at my house. His role in Caddy Shack was pretty good too.
But the guy can't laugh at himself and comes off like a total jackass. When I see a TV sitcom advertise an episode with Chevy Chase I have to wonder if they're trying to warn people that it's going to have stretches where it's not funny at all.
Oh, and I told you you'd like Zulu!!
They made it to the desired cocktail circuit in NYC, and now that's their audience.
What 'large audience' are they refering to, I don't know anyone who watches the show anymore.
remember when obama was only a democratic candidate in a pool w/ many other democratic candidate? SNL did the ears, mimicked the speech…it was funny. now the actor just reads the lines in his own voice…boring as hell
To be honest, it was a good impersonation, but it wasn't nearly as funny as the MSM would insist we believe.
When liberals write jokes, they all to often think "That's a republican, they're yucky" passes for great comedy.
You're not biased, you have a brain.
I completely agree. The SP episode about the recession was not only superb, the final punch line "And we have one person to thank" and then they show Obama's picture.
"What! Son of a b^tch!"
SNL went downhill once they gave up on The Great Phabob(sp?).
Vacation movies were good, yes. But for every Caddyshack, how many Fletchs did he put out?
With the right material, and with the right director, he can produce decent material, the name escapes me at the moment, but the spy comedy with Goldie Hawn was great.
I remember back in the 70's when SNL was new and fresh, it seemed pretty obvious he was the low hanging fruit on the talent tree. Any time he tried to throw in some improv, it was obvious, and usually not very funny.
I don't have a problem with comic attacks against people they don't like, but not making fun of politicians they do like is an insult to comedy.
For a comedian, the laugh is the goal. When comedy becomes second to political priorities, then they've betrayed their art. As an amateur comedian, I'm deeply offended by it.
They could just do a loop of Obama infomercials.
Not to throw cold water on the conspiracy party, but is anyone bothering to consider how thin the razor's-edge that Armisen actually has to walk in this role is?
Political-impressions have for years had ONE key element of resourcefulness: The majority of politicians were cut from the same stock – graying WASPs. If you were white, had some wig-powder and could affect variations on blueblood-ese you could "get away" with any politician so long as you had some money lines and some signature gestures down.
(continued)
Look a little deeper. Sarah Palin scares the living day lights out liberals, that's why she's in the cross hairs. The left knows she's dangerous to their causes.
She's not done by any means. I look forward to her driving liberals insane in the years to come. Remember, SNL is just as cast of what, a dozen people, with a couple dozen writers. There's a lot more of us than there are of them.
Palin didn't cost McCain the presidency, McCain cost Palin the vice presidency.
(continued)
But now… the president is black and this calls (unwanted) attention to just how lily-white even a self-referentially-cosmopolitan show like SNL is. They have ONE black castmember, and he doesn't look or sound a thing like Obama. Think about that for a minute. Keenan Thompson is THE ENTIRETY of "The Black Community" on that show. More amusingly, think about this: Though outwardly "caucasian looking," Armisen is actually half-German/Japanese and half-Venezuelan… which jointly makes him only the SECOND Hispanic and SECOND Asian castmember on the show EVER. Asian castmember #1? Rob Schneider, 1/4th Filipino. Really. Despite being made in one of the most ethnically-diverse cities on the planet, SNL is whiter than Toby Keith's graduation photo, and this Obama situation makes that much harder for them to ignore.
(continued)
(continued)
And not only MUST Armisen be aware of this, he also must be aware that if he takes ONE step "over the line" as Obama – even by accident – someone with influence will utter the word "Minstrel" and his career will be over. So yeah, damn right he look on-edge in the role – you would be too if you were performing with Al Sharpton's (metaphorical) guns trained on you from just offscreen.
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Snort! You owe me a screen wipe!
The only shocking thing about this interview is that there are people to whom this will be news.
True. I've never been a big fan of Chevy Chase, but I've got to give him some credit for coming out and admitting it.
so Chevy Chase can be blamed for the horrible inflation under Carter, the oil embargo, and the Iran hostage affair being drawn out.. This gives me a new perspective.
In the beginning, before the election, the guy portraying Obama did a better job. I am sure he has changed that because he wants to protect the president. Just not funny.
This season so far has been an absolute train wreck… the skits are unfunny… the "parodies" of Obama have no punch at all… and Fred Armisan's already lousy impression of Obama has grown progressievely worse… NBC is dead… please let SNL will die with it…
The sad thing is, because some creature like Chevy Chase decided he wanted Ford out and Carter in, the rest of us were (and still are) stuck with Jimmy Carter.
Ford was a good guy, and could have been a good POTUS.
Thanks to idiot Chevy and SNL, he never had a chance.
It's unforgiveable really.
Oh and the only reason SNL was ever funny was because of pot. People were stoned on pot back then and thought it was just the most hilarious thing ever. Watch those "classic" sketches now. They were as stupid and untalented and overrated then as they are now…well, almost.
I noticed the guy who does Obama used to imitate Obama's voice, inflection, pauses, etc, but doesn't now. must be one of those fear of racism accusation thingies.
Sure–Dubya was a disaster (except for the 50 million people he freed from tyranny). Gore would have woodenly tottered about for one, possibly two terms….but we sure wouldnt be looking at the calamity we face today.
There was an old, old unfunny SNL skit where Al Franken came out with some other cast members professing to be communists. The skit was so unfunny I was inclined to take Mr. Franken at his word.
Yes he did. I've heard the audio. But he has proved that if you can fall down, you can make millions then advocate for stealing money from the little people via taxation. Without touching his millions, of course. Typical lefty.
So, Chevy, how did that Carter thing work out?
Obama and his mighty teleprompter are ripe for parody, and there's no reason it hasn't happened other than political bias.
If there happened to be an accidental question mark at the end of a sentence, he'd probably read it as a question, just like Ron Burgundy in "Anchorman."
Instead of "I'm Ron Burgundy?" it could be "God bless America?"
I've posted this opinion on the internet for years and I just get dismissed. But take it from someone who was in high school when SNL first started: it was never all that funny. No, not even that first year with the original Players.
I was 16 and in 10th grade in 1975. Any kid who wanted even some connection to the remote side of cool was legally obligated to watch Saturday Night Live. You couldn't NOT watch it and expect anything but derision (even from those kids who liked you) come Monday morning. No, you had to watch it and you had to make sure you stayed up and watched ALL of it until it ended at 1AM. Heaven forbid you missed 30 seconds of something everyone was talking about on Monday.
Every Saturday night I suffered through the most excruciating, unfunny, 90 minutes of my life. Oh, the fake commercials were almost always funny. And Mr. Bill was funny the first 10 times. But the vast majority of the skits on SNL were painful to sit through. The opening with Chevy Chase wasn't too bad because the fun was just waiting for him to fall down and start the show. Then the guest host would do the monologue, and sometimes that had a couple of funny lines, then the show would start.
Longest. Ninety. Minutes. Of. My. Life. But I would stay up and watch the whole thing for that one skit, or that one bit, that all the kids would be talking about. They were very few and far between. If you added up the entire first season of SNL, excluding all the prerecorded material, I'd say there was maybe 5 truly funny minutes and Dan Ackroyd was in all of them.
Weekend with Lloyd Dobbins was funnier than SNL. It was on one weekend a month and I was always glad when it was its turn.
Huh? I haven't watched SNL in about 5 years.
Here's the thing. It's not funny. I absolutely love politically incorrect humor, but if it becomes tedious then it becomes pretty politcally correct. For example, Bush IQ jokes are about as edgy as a wet sponge. It takes no talent to mock someone like that.
I hear ya!! When Michael Jackson was arrested.. I had 2 hours worth of material.. all new and all original!! I couldn't wait to sdee what they'd do… nothing.. Al Sharptongue was host and he insisted that they not do anything on MJ.. so they caved and did NOTHING.. at that point they became dead to me.. they had sucked for years before that.. but when they cant even deal with the obvious and make one ONE joke about the story of the week.. then they "jumped the shark" into obscurity..
PS Bill Murray's bit in Zombieland WAS funny.. the shout out to Ghostbusters especially..
I hear ya!! When Michael Jackson was arrested.. I had 2 hours worth of material.. all new and all original!! I couldn't wait to see what they'd do… nothing.. Al Sharptongue was host and he insisted that they not do anything on MJ.. so they caved and did NOTHING.. at that point they became dead to me.. they had sucked for years before that.. but when they cant even deal with the obvious and make one ONE joke about the story of the week.. then they "jumped the shark" into obscurity..
PS Bill Murray's bit in Zombieland WAS funny.. the shout out to Ghostbusters especially..
Here's one.. just off the top of my head.. They have a news conference.. and show Obama.. then someone asks a question and the camera shows the questioneer.. then they switch back and forth.. Obama answers question… person asks question.. but everytime they show Obama.. he has different ears.. 1st time regular.. 2nd time spock pointy ears.. third time big plastic ears .. and last time satellite dishes on the side of his head..
Funny to me.. anyway…
K.I.S.S.
Keep It Simple Stupid
Leno's show is a disaster and is pulling NBC down with it..
SNL needs a stimulus bailout..
Sadly, before he became prickwasher for the Dim/Comm party.. Al Franken had some funny stuff.. unfortunately he did too much drugs and became a looney leftist..
A political agenda? No way.
If only it had worked with Dubya and prevented that whole disaster. Maybe Will Ferrell was TOO funny.
[...] it aired on ratings champ CNN, I missed their November interview with Chevy Chase. But at Big Hollywood today, Andrea Shea King catches his interviewer surprised that Chase’s impersonations of [...]
[...] Read it. This makes the case that SNL is manipulating their interpretation of Obama. They’re not doing it to be funny. They’re doing it to be able to say they’ve lampooned Obama. It’s political cover. It’s NBC. [...]
Who's Chevy Chase? I thought it was a small town just outside of DC…I remember Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy…even Gilda Radner…but Chevy? Is he from Mexico? Is he the guy that sang that song the Twist and Blueberry Hill? No wait, that was Chubby Checker…still drawing a blank on this dude…
Lorne Michaels exposed. Liar and propagandist.
Obama is number 1 in one category alone……he (and his administration) is the most immature president our country has EVER had. There is NOTHING that is presidential about this moron.
That is pretty good. You could toss in a few other changes as well. Maybe a dashiki, Muslim prayer rug, Michele threatening to beat him. Him smoking cigars with Castro.
With out a doubt, the material is out there. If only more comedians took their craft seriously as they take their politics.
I'll take humor over politics any time.
I have not watched SNL in years – decades. MSNBC's Chris "Milky" Matthews, Butch Maddow, Tubbo Olbermann, and Fountainmouth Dave Schusssshhtersss are far more giggles than that crew. Big Ed – now, that Herman Goring impression EVERY day is killer!
rainbowtrout- oh, that's right…I was a Palin supporter until the brilliant Tina Fey came along and changed me. Please.
Remember SNL about twenty years ago.They made fun of everybody….I remember one of the best skits was of the 88 Presidential Debates, with Jon Lovitz as Dukakis. They had no problem making fun of him, or Gephardt or any of them. They even lampooned Diane Sawyer as the moderator, she being another liberal sacred cow. It looks like when all of the talent left they just trotted out a bunch of unhinged leftists to take over. Maybe it's supposed to be "edgy" but to me it just falls flat.
"Kerry character: And I'm losing to this guy?"
Sorry to say, that's a total rip-off of an old SNL sketch. In the '88 Bush/Dukakis debate, Dana Carvey as George Bush has trouble filling out his allotted time to speak, blabbering on about "a thousand points of light" and staying the course. In reply, Jon Lovitz as Dukakis gets a huge reaction from the audience by dead-paning "I can't believe I'm losing to this guy."
It's one of the more famous moments in SNL history.
"I think there's a Chicago thing behind SNL. That Saul Alinsky technique: Do what you like to do in the pursuit of getting the message across, to take down traditional American values and conservatism."
I don't know if you realize this, but SNL is infamous for head-hunting talent from Chicago's Second City improv troupe. People like Belushi, Murray, Carvey, and Farley, if I recall correctly, are all alumni. So your point, even if tongue-in-cheek, is well grounded.
What I liked about MAD TV's version was the questions were unrehearsed, it was all improv that included the audience. I thought that was a pretty bold move.
It's really easy to screw up big time with improv because you never know what's going to happen. The comics have to be able to think on their feet. Any Letterman want-to-be can read jokes for a dozen writers off a teleprompter, that's not talent, that's public speaking. Making up your jokes on the fly, now that's talent.
I've been using improv to teach my daughter about comedy, timing, etc. I'm a big fan of comics that can do that.
What I liked about MAD TV's version was the questions were unrehearsed, it was all improv that included the audience. I thought that was a pretty bold move.
It's really easy to screw up big time with improv because you never know what's going to happen. The comics have to be able to think on their feet. Any Letterman want-to-be can read jokes from a dozen writers off a teleprompter, that's not talent, that's public speaking. Making up your jokes on the fly, now that's talent.
I've been using improv to teach my daughter about comedy, timing, etc. I'm a big fan of comics that can do that.
"It's really easy to screw up big time with improv because you never know what's going to happen."
Which is why a lot of improvisers have canned material ready to go. Especially Robin Williams, who has been widely praised for thinking on his feet, but in reality merely remembers on his feet.
I love improv. I used to watch the original British version of Whose Line Is It, Anyway repeatedly. It's just that I wouldn't categorize the specific portion of the MadTV sketch you quoted improv. Any more than I would consider it to be improv if Kerry had "spontaneously" said "That Bush sure is a wild and crazy guy!" The SNL line is too well-known to be a coincidence.
I consider it improv because they had no way of know what the questions would be. I'd expect comedians like Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles and Jackie Mason to think on their feet, but it was suprising to watch these sketch comedians taking it on. While they are good comics, they definitely aren't in same class as the ones listed about.
And I did enjoy watching Who's Line Is It Anyway with Drew Carey and his crew. But after a few years it became apparent more and more of their gags were scripted in advance.
Within a few hours of the announcement of Obama's Nobel Prize, a relative of mine had come up with a hilarious routine about Kanye West interrupting Obama's acceptance speech, and eclaring that Bono should have won it, as a stunned Obama left the stage in tears.
AMATEURS could see all kinds of hilarious possibilities. How can professional comedy writers not see them?
"What I find extremely funny is Chase thinking his ham acting had anything to do with Ford not getting re-elected. It was Nixon's pardon that did him in."
I doubt it was Nixon, personally. But whatever it was, it wasn't Chase. More than likely, his audience was presposed to vote for Carter anyway.
Whoops, I meant predisposed.
True, that is just my opinion. And I was just barely a teen at that time, but there was a lot of animosity towards Ford from both democrats and republicans. That was pretty palpable, even then.
It was years later when I read Ford had private conversations where he said he knew he was finished, and he said he thought it best anyway. And after watching the following events unfold, I think he was right, and I agree with him.
I thought he was funny, but not funny enough to get tha accolades he's received over the years. I think he rode the coat tails of the people on SNL that actually were funny. Everyone saw them as a part of a very funny unit. On his own, I doubt he would have gotten as far.
I thought he was funny, but not funny enough to get tha accolades he's received over the years. I think he rode the coat tails of the people on SNL that actually were funny. Everyone saw him as a part of a very funny unit. On his own, I doubt he would have gotten as far.
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