Saturday Night Live seems to go through many up and down cycles. Heck, even from episode to episode the quality of the show can vary greatly. Through it all, though, one thing has remained constant: SNL has always satirized and mocked the politicians and current events of the day. The program has hysterically lampooned just about every politician who has found him/herself on the front page of the papers. Some say that Tina Fey’s scathing impersonations played a big part in the downfall of the McCain/Palin campaign. I’m not sure if that’s actually true, but it brings up the question: Is SNL the most important political show on television?
It seems like a completely ridiculous question, right? I never even would have considered the question, if I hadn’t seen this commentary article on CNN. It really got me thinking about the power that SNL has when it parodies politicians. Ed Rollins framed his article around the cold open of this past week’s episode which featured Fred Armisen doing a particularly weak Barack Obama impression, talking about all the things that Obama has not completed yet in his term. The video in question is embedded below. Rollins wonders if the skit is going to start a rash of criticism toward the president.
Rollins believes that the Palin skits from a year ago did play a role in the election. He also brings up Dana Carvey’s George H. W. Bush and Chevy Chase’s Gerald Ford as lasting impressions that have overtaken the actual images of the former presidents. It’s hard to argue with that. Practically all of my memories of the first President Bush involve something that SNL made fun of back in the day.
I found the article interesting and wonder just how powerful satire and humor can be. There are certainly a lot of serious political shows on television, especially in this day and age of 24 hour “news” channels. They just don’t seem to have the same impact that SNL has, though. When SNL comes out with a great political sketch it is instant water cooler talk, becoming a point of discussion on all of those news networks. Maybe there’s something to it. Perhaps a good skewering at the hands of a bunch of comedians can be a whole lot more damaging than anything any of those talking heads can spout.
What do you think? Is SNL the most important political show on TV?
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Tags: barak obama impression, fred armisen as barack obama, snl and politics, snl presidential impressions
A few data points don’t make the case. Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin was very important in shaping public opinion. And I was surprised and impressed by the “Obama hasn’t done any of the things he’s promised” sketch. Also very good, and really more about the issues than the lame jokes. I was an Obama supporter, and that sketch artfully said a lot
But the majority of other political sketches on SNL in the past few years have been childish and silly–fitting in with the rest of the show.
Oops, interrupted sentence. I was an Obama supporter, and that sketch artfully said a lot of what I’ve been thinking over the past few months.
It’s said when fake news like SNL and TDS are more new worthy than the network news. John Stewart got the one Republican asshole against government run health care to admit that government run health care works great for the vets and the old people.
Obama is a democrat, so therefor he is a wimp, very sad. He seemed to have went into the White House and went “This is an awesome house! Fuck working!” because he truly has done nothing at all.
I’ve got to vote for the Daily Show here. SNL is great at times, but TDS has a consistancy that SNL hasn’t seen in years.
I don’t disagree, except for the part about SNL being great, but the question was one of general influence (”importance”) rather than quality.
I would say nay, but perhaps for some people who are not exposed to other sources of information about current events, it might be the most important political show. *I shiver to contemplate it*
What???
Unfortunately it is, but in my opinion it shouldn’t even be part of the conversation.