The Presidential race is on. We’ve already seen the first Presidential Debate, and political comics are chomping on the bit. For the past three years, political correctness has forbidden Presidential humor, so when Fox News announced the first Republican debate, “Saturday Night Live couldn’t” resist the urge to satire.
Unfortunately, their enthusiasm might have caused them to jump the gun. Since last Thursday’s GOP debate was devoid of A-list candidates, “Saturday Night Live” didn’t have any solid characters to parody. So rather than make the late night ensemble work, the writers just fictionalized a debate between the more famous undeclared candidates; using characters they will probably be able to recycle during the upcoming campaign.
It was like watching a focus group, each actor trying out catch phrases they hope to use over the next year and a half. They even had Keenan Thompson resurrect his Jimmy “Rents 2 Damn High” McMillan character (personally I would think they could have gotten the real Jimmy McMillan, at or below AFTRA rates, which would have had the added bonus of making the skit funny).
For even less of a reason, they decided to trot out Tina Fey, to perform her award-winning impression that she thought was tired three years ago. This makes no sense. Sarah Palin doesn’t even have a Presidential exploratory committee; at least Jimmy McMillan once suggested that he would run for President as a Republican. Back in 2009, CNN thought it was necessary to fact-check “Saturday Night Live” for an Obama skit, I wonder what those fact-checkers are doing today?
Much like jokes about airline food and phone booths, Tina Fey’s impression seems like it’s from another era. I was puzzled why they didn’t bring in Rich Little to do his Nixon impression. If it’s okay to add Republicans who aren’t even running for President, why limit yourself to the living?
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