I've got to hand it to Saturday Night Live. I had my doubts when I heard that the rumor about Governor Sarah Palin appearing on the show turned out to indeed be true. I thought it would be a comedic disaster committed in the interest of being "fair" to all sides. I thought it would suck the air out of any future Palin sketches the show did, and, let's face it, these days Tina Fey's Palin is the biggest reason to tune into the show.
So imagine my surprise when Palin showed up and, rather than being all bashful and apologetic towards her, the writers at SNL found multiple ways to continue mocking her -- only now it was right to her face. The two sketches Palin appeared in (and I suppose I ought to give her credit for sticking around for two sketches -- actually, all the way to the "goodnights" at the end -- instead of booking after the first 10 minutes) were some of the best of the new season.
A Visit from the Governor of Alaska
The show opened with Fey once again skewering Palin, before cutting backstage to show producer Lorne Michaels standing with the Governor herself. Before you could say "jump the shark," Alec Baldwin sidled up to rip Palin apart (thinking she was Fey); the best thing he could say about her (and the only compliment payed to her all night) was that she was "hotter in person." Big credit to SNL for not backing down or going soft. Bigger credit to Alec Baldwin for being awesome. (Watch the video)
The second Palin sketch -- a segment during "Weekend Update" -- is the best thing Saturday Night Live has done since "Lazy Sunday" (and no, it's not just because it was another rap). Once again, Palin came out -- but only to say that she didn't want to do the sketch that was written because it might be "over the line" (I couldn't tell if any of this was self-aware or not). So, instead, a very pregnant Amy Poehler performed the "Palin Rap," a very, very clever and pretty scathing song written from the perspective of the would-be VP (The highlight? It's a toss-up between the moose being shot and Jason Sudekis coming out as Todd Palin). It's the kind of sketch that actually has to be watched more than once just so you can catch all the jokes. And though I can sometimes be hard on Poehler, I'd like to see her win an award based just on her performance in this sketch. She sells the hell out of it. (Watch the video)
So, one has to wonder why Palin agreed to come on in the first place. She did not, as was reported in some media outlets, get any laughs. She didn't say so much as a single joke. The show, in fact, got laughs in spite of her -- it managed to be funny around her, not with her. It may have been a miscalculation on the part of her campaign -- particularly because the rest of Saturday's episode dealt largely with the failing economy. Anyone who tuned in to see Palin was consistently reminded of the mess the country is in.
Hosted by Josh Brolin
That's right -- there was an entire rest of an episode that didn't involve Sarah Palin. Josh Brolin (The Goonies, W.) hosted, but was largely forgettable. It's as though the writers spent all week writing the two sketches I've mentioned and had to slap together the rest of the episode at the last minute. Here are some of the other highlights:
Sketch Highlights:
- "Mark Wahlberg Visit" - In a show already heavy with guest stars, Wahlberg showed up to confront Andy Samberg about "Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals." After shooting his mouth off in the press about how angry the sketch made him (which didn't make any sense), Wahlberg showed that he actually might have a sense of humor about himself -- his appearance showed the actor poking fun at himself in a way that Sarah Palin's guest shot never did. Plus, I'm very amused that the "Animals" sketch has caught on enough to warrant a celebrity follow-up. (Watch the video)
- "Macgruber: Financial Ruin" - A series of Will Forte's "Macgruber" sketches ran throughout the night, focusing on Macgruber becoming increasing desperate and despondent as his stock portfolio falls apart. I'm not the biggest Macgruber fan -- mostly because every sketch is essentially the same -- but I was glad that at least this one found a new and relevant angle. (Watch the video)
- "Engagement Surprise" - A bad sketch, made worse by the fact that it was the first of the show after the cold opening and monologue. I'm hoping this isn't telling of the impending Poehler-less incarnation of Saturday Night Live(Watch the video).
Up next: Jon Hamm (Madmen) and Coldplay!
- Original Air Date: 10/18/08
- Host: Josh Brolin
- Musical Guest: Adele
