Posted on 09/15/2008 10:53:37 AM PDT by wac3rd
The quality of "Saturday Night Live" season premieres is almost always on the shaky side, and the 34th season debut was no exception. It took off, however, like a skyrocket.
Saturday's "cold open" sketch — a "Nonpartisan Message From Sarah Palin & Hillary Clinton" — rose to the occasion and then kept rising, right into the stratosphere. Former writer and cast member Tina Fey, making a brief return to the show, played the Republican vice presidential candidate, with pregnant cast member Amy Poehler doing her surefire, time-tested Clinton beside her. In the parlance of the show, they "killed."
With CNN reporting Fey's return as national news Friday, the tremendous buzz was reflected in the ratings. Early overnight figures showed the "Saturday Night Live" season premiere earned a 7.4 rating and 18 percent share of viewers watching at that hour — the highest for a season premiere since 2001, and the highest for any "SNL" telecast since Dec. 14, 2002, when Al Gore was host. The numbers were up 64 percent over last season's premiere, according to Nielsen data.
The sketch was written by "Update" co-anchor Seth Meyers with assists from Fey and Poehler, and every punch line got roars from the 400 audience members.
Poehler as Clinton: "I believe that diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy."
Fey as Palin: "And I can see Russia from my house!"
Poehler: "I believe global warming
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
It was pretty even handed. And in the end I thought Palin came out looking a LOT better than clinton. Which is better, being attacked as a bikini babe or being attacked for your cankles? Saying that you can see Russia from your house or tearing the podium to pieces because you’re so angry you didn’t get into the White House?
Yes, there were distortions, but Sarah came out as likeable, and hillary came out as horrible.
I laughed at that sketch, but the rest was unfunny. I am a Christian woman, but even I thought that crazy mom was amusing.
It was very funny. And I think it did more damage to Obama and Hillary than to Sarah Palin.
Fey did a great job.
Let's read between the lines here:
Clinton was portrayed as angry, but intelligent (a true portrayal...well, at least the ‘angry’ part). Palin, however, was an inexperienced-airhead-nobody (false portrayal)
Anger is acceptable. Being an idiot is not.
The good news is that people are very aware that the MSM/entertainment are in the tank for Zerobama. I'm mean Madonna just declared that McCain is like Hitler. Wow. How original and unexpected.
Thanks for that link. Have heard - over and over and over - about this skit but had not seen it til now.
Actually - Liked the Tina Fey Palin quite a bit and came away disgusted at the power hungry angry Hillary as usual.....but loved the portrayal of Hillary in her own words...
Did anybody else read that Amy Poehler announced she would retire from SNL after this election season - the Monday after this SNL skit aired????
Could it be she heard from Hitlery - who was NOT AMUSED at her portrayal of the cankles lady???
Who knows.
Tina Fey was great - Sarah Palin is tons better - saw her tonight on the Sean Hannity interview. She has a newer - better - hairstyle (petty thing) and she was right on with her responses. (drill in Anwar, John!)
Go Sarah!
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