SNL and Fey beat the press on Palin, Biden and Ifill
If the Peabody committee wants to maintain any credibility for its awards as honoring the best that TV has to offer in socially relevant programming, it better set aside top honors for Tina Fey and Saturday Night Live right now.
As entertainment, Saturday's satire of the vice presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden was a can't-stop-laughing scream. And as political commentary, it brilliantly skewered the poses, hypocrisies and intellectual holes in the candidates.
But this week's sketch also included press commentary with the writers and actors of this late-night sketch program clearly showing how the deal that moderator Gwen Ifill has to publish a book on Barack Obama on inauguration day adversely affected her ability as a moderator in Thursday's debate.
The comic writers at SNL articulated what many press watchdogs and media critics couldn't or didn't want to: that Ifill's conflict made it possible for Palin to answer only the questions she decided she would answer without any focused follow-up from the moderator. And the real losers are the voters who got only performance, image and attitude from the Republican candidate during her one debate.
Queen Latifah played Ifill, and here is part of her opening remarks from the SNL parody: "Now, tonight's discussion will cover a wide range of topics including domestic and foreign policy matters. Each candidate will have 90 seconds to respond to a direct question and then an additional two minutes for rebuttal and follow-up. As moderator, I will not ask any follow-up questions beyond 'do you agree?' or 'your response?' so as not to appear biased for Barack Obama in light of my new book The Breakthrough: Politics of Race in the Age of Obama, coming out on inauguration day and available for pre-order on Amazon.com." And, of course, being a first rate production, Latifah had an authentic looking dust-jacket to hold up to the camera, while she flashed a tight, little, cheesy, TV huckster' smile. And then the debate, showing over and over again Palin's utter defiance of Ifill and the moderator's acquiescence -- and this from a journalist otherwise known for her straightforward tenacity.
Then, the debate itself. Here's another bite:
LATIFAH AS IFILL: "Governor Palin, what is your position on health care regulation?"
FEY AS PALIN: "I'm gonna ignore that question and instead talk about Israel. I love Israel so much. Bless its heart. There's a special place for Israel in heaven. And I know some people are going to say I'm only saying that to pander to Florida voters, but from a very young age, my two greatest loves were always Jews and Cuban food."
This post is already too long to start singing the praises of the social commentary and political wisdom of Fey's remarks.
What Fey is doing goes so far beyond physical impersonation that ever talking about the lookalike aspect seems foolish. You have to go back to comedy landmarks like the 2000 Year Old Man recordings by Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner to make comparisons.
Fey's work in a previous sketch in which she has the candidate telling CBS anchorwoman Katie Couric how you have to get up every morning in Alaska and check to see that no Russians have invaded during the night echoed a Brooks-Reiner piece in which the 2000 Year Old Man character (played by Brooks) explained how he helped George Washington at Valley Forge by pointing out Hessians at his lunch counter to the general. (If you don't get the reference, it's worth looking it up and learning something -- about comedy and American history, believe me).
But the point of this post is how socially relevant comedians of today are doing what the press isn't. Remember how SNL last season turned the press on its ear with a sketch contrasting the treatment received by Hillary Clinton versus Barack Obama?
As much as comedians like Fey and John Stewart are a treasure, you have to ask yourself: Is the level of socially conscious comedy that great today, or is the press that bad in recognizing and acknowledging its own sins?
(Photo courtesy of NBC)
Comments
I think, especially if McCain wins the election, that Tina Fey should come back to SNL exclusively to lampoon Sarah Palin. She looks like Palin and she does an ace job at poking fun at her. I've stopped watching SNL shortly before the WGA strike, but now I'm into it again simply because of Tina Fey.
Posted by: Alex | October 5, 2008 10:04 PM
Z:
are you now realizing that comics have been much sharper and prescient about the insanity of this past 8 yrs? Ifell was impotent to Pain's avoidance of questions in part because fellow journalists like you spent too much time because of a public fact that the McCain-iacs knew when they agreed to Ifell as moderator.I hhave disagreed w your waste of our time and feel you contributed to Ifell's impotence, though her post-debate answers do give me some pause as to whether she knows her duties in this matter.
This all began to unravel when Ronald Reagan was secretly prepped by one boy-tied bozo yrs back for his debate w Prez Carter. That journalist learned during debate prep that the Repugs had Carter's debate book and were using it to get Ronnie up to speed for the one debate of that election cycle. He then went on ABC and post-debate praised the performance of Reagan and failed to mention the theft of Carter's book or the fact that he was praising Reagan for doing what he, George F Will, had secretly advised him to do. Now that is real tangible, substantial Conflict of Interest on Mr Will's part. After a small stink this violation of basic 80s journo ethics,it did not derail his lucrative punditry gig-it should have, but the MSM does not see itself in any type of ethical mirror.
Having contributed to stifling Ifell, I again ask for similar space devote on your blog to Tom Brokaw's advocacy within NBC for more McCain love and Bob Schiefer's close golfing friendship w that Maverickey old guy from Arizona. Regretablry I have no faith that you will do that.
Fey and the skits on SNL are good, but the best questioning of McCain came from the ladies of The View and the Daily Show's true journalism.Gary Shandling on Maher on friday past was brilliant; I can say that about very few MSM jounos.
Posted by: Tony Joe from Baltimore | October 6, 2008 2:02 AM
I wonder if Tina will re-enact Sarah Heath's bathing suit competition from the '84 Miss Alaska pageant. Sigh... well, maybe Tina Fey will at least consider donning a pair of Ojamas once the election is over ;-)
Posted by: Ojamas | October 6, 2008 9:12 AM
I agree with you. Initially I thought Gwen Ifill should have recussed herself when the Republicans brought up her book deal. But just like most humans, greed, ego and shelfishness skewed her judgement. Sure Ms. Ifill it looks good on your resume but what you allowed to go on throughout this debate Thursday night is iresoluble. Prior to this debate I had respect for Ms. Ifill journalistic style. But in what seems to be the most important election of century, Ms Ifill failed because she had her hands tied. Not a fan of Katie Couric, but she would have done a better job. At least she has proven to consisently insist the subject answer her questions.
Posted by: j. marie | October 6, 2008 1:38 PM
One-sided comedy can only be half funny.
Posted by: lefty | October 6, 2008 5:01 PM
I'm not even going to where some of your bloggers have gone. Mr. Z you are soooo on the money. Political Comedy has always helped us get through bad (and in this case, very dark times) segements of our history & look at what is really happening. People have accused you of being political, but everything on TV is pretty much political; its one of the ways that "freedom of speech" can be delivered without some brown-shirt or grey -shirt knocking down our doors. As long as politics comes into our homes then you have a place for your commentaries.
JB
Hi J.B., I still have to answer you on the book thing. But let me deal with this sanity saver of a message. Thanks so much for getting the point about all TV being political. Think of the most innocuous genre you can imagine, like children's TV. Do you think Sesame Street isn't political in the multicultural world view it teaches. Or how about Arthur, the show I wrote about today? Remember the episode in which Arthur visited a family that had two moms, and how the Bush White House tried to shuit it down and threatened to cut funding. Oh, it's all political. And the folks, who say shut up and write about Desperate Housewives, can go to hell. So thanks, J.B., for making me feel righteous again. I'm angry about TV again, and that is good. I owe you. Z
Posted by: J. B. Hanson | October 6, 2008 7:34 PM
I'm trying to remember politics on TV since I've been watching. Guess the first political commentaries came while watching Bob Hope's tours for the troops on NBC. Can't remember too many 50's things that were political but oh my goodness then the 60's came alive - The Smothers Brothers Hour, Laugh-In (probably the precursor to Jon Stewart and then Bill Maher. Today, if people realize just about every really good drama (on a scale from 1-10) like House, Law & Order, NCIS are just a few. Even the oh sooo twisted South Park is political. If I could make it passed 9 in the evening, I'm sure there are many more. Thank God and HBO On-Demand that allows me to see what is on too late. Keep up the good work Dr. Z! We all know you're the man even the brown-shirts who read your column. Maybe tonight, America will see John McCain lose hihs cool since his opponet is starting to make gains. Tonight, I hope his dentist has put in one of those sleep guards to stop the grinding of his back teeth.
Finally, we owe you!!
JB
Posted by: J. B. Hanson | October 7, 2008 5:17 PM
I was trying to find info about the SNL skit of the press conference on the housing crisis. -- nothing mentioned here. Apparently things that are anti-Obama are prohibited.
Posted by: ultraconservative | October 8, 2008 11:08 AM