Comedy tin: SNL dumps on the GOP
posted at 8:00 pm on February 15, 2009 by Allahpundit
Starts off as a goof on inaction as a political strategy during a crisis — which isn’t a fair characterization of the GOP’s alternative stimulus plans, but good luck convincing public opinion of that — before veering off into painfully broad satire of obstructionism and general conservative out-of-touch-ness. A target this big, with help from Aykroyd and Darrell Hammond no less, and they still couldn’t hit it?
Blowback
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I thought SNL’s political parodies have been good this season but that segment just plain ol’ sucked.
Ian on February 15, 2009 at 8:02 PM
Dumb.
Fletch54 on February 15, 2009 at 8:05 PM
My roommate was watching it; I could hear it from the computer. Lame. Political satire can be lethally funny; Coulter can make me laugh out loud. This cr*p was like listening to high school kids taking cheap shots.
austinnelly on February 15, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Not enough material this week to work with huh?
/s
javamartini on February 15, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Very dishonest.
Dr. Manhattan on February 15, 2009 at 8:08 PM
If it wasn’t for blogs like this posting SNL skits, no one would ever watch it.
Static on February 15, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Par for the course. No surprises here. They don’t “get” us because, really, we’re smarter than they are.
SouthernGent on February 15, 2009 at 8:10 PM
The best comedy comes from painful truth, which this had none of.
Dr. Manhattan on February 15, 2009 at 8:10 PM
saw it live. not even the audience found it funny
stormin1961 on February 15, 2009 at 8:14 PM
No, this had nothing to do with ‘they don’t get us, or we’re smarter.’ The skit was stupid. Same level of humor as Obama sounds like Osama, therefore our President is a terrorist. It was a nasty screed by people that hate our ideology, none of which they bothered to research, and just want to ridicule the caraciture they imagine us to be. Try listening to it before you defend it.
austinnelly on February 15, 2009 at 8:14 PM
I was really looking forward to some great satire, but it fell flat. You would think that with Dan Aykroyd, they couldn’t miss. There’s so much material to choose from with the GOP and the Dems. It was just plain boring.
jdflorida on February 15, 2009 at 8:14 PM
I saw Boehner, Cantor… who was Darrell Hammond supposed to be?
bcm4134 on February 15, 2009 at 8:15 PM
It’s all about building a narrative.
Trent1289 on February 15, 2009 at 8:15 PM
LOL! Yeah, I’m sure intelligent Republican congressmen like Eric Cantor sit around and listen to Hannity all day. And I’m sure Nancy Pelosi waits until Olby comes on at night to find out what she should say next. Right.
terryannonline on February 15, 2009 at 8:16 PM
Whistling past their own graveyard that Obama and his socialist enablers are digging.
Dig it, SNL?
profitsbeard on February 15, 2009 at 8:16 PM
Since SNL wont do it. I will write the skit they should have done:
Obama to patient: I need you to sign here and pay our hospital 780 million for this operation, if you dont do it you will die a horrible death, tonight even!
Patient: But Dr.O, my first Dr. said this ailment was not terminal and it would pass? You’re scaring me!
Obama to patient: Sign here woman, now now now now or you will die so help me! My wiring instructions Biden! Hand it to the nice lady. Sign sign sign or we all die!
Patient: Ok, ok ok….so after this operation, everything will be fine?
Obama: Uhm, duh…uhm…doy…uhm…..No. Maybe? Sure. But, I will need more money later to make sure you are ok, you know, just in case. (laughter from the audience).
See, that was easy and I suck at comedy.
javamartini on February 15, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Scanning some headlines today from the drooling left and they found it hysterical.
JammieWearingFool on February 15, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Six minutes of my life… gone.
MJR on February 15, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Man! They laid an egg on that one.
TheSitRep on February 15, 2009 at 8:19 PM
Headline.. how about simply… SNL Dumps.
Or as AP likes to put it…. SNL Wet Dumps.
It was painful to watch.
katy on February 15, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Repubs getting face time in the MSM need to be constantly asking the talking heads themselves how it can be that they think they do such a fine job of disseminating a fair accounting of the day’s events that the public can be so uninformed or misinformed about basic things like who has been running Congress since 2006, what the Repubs’ position is regarding the “stimulus”, etc. Make those jackasses struggle to explain how the misinformation seems to always disfavor the conservative side. Be fricken blunt with them. Show them your disdain for them. Quit being wusses. Fight the damned Dems and attack their media buddies. Get pissed, stand up and stomp out on their shows. Cripes.
Patrick S on February 15, 2009 at 8:21 PM
Political satire needs to afflict those in power to be truly edgy and funny. To aim their jabs at the Republicans renders it vapid, uninteresting, and not suprisingly, unfunny.
If making fun of Obama is off-limits because either the writers are afraid being called racist or they can’t bring themselves to mock someone with whom they share political beliefs, then political satire will whither and die.
PackerBronco on February 15, 2009 at 8:24 PM
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this same skit (over and over and over) on SNL for the past 30 years.
AUINSC on February 15, 2009 at 8:24 PM
True. It worked with Palin. I wonder how many people could separate what Sarah really said from Tina Fey’s lines.
They know the public doesn’t know Boehner and Cantor very well. So they want the distorted view they present to mold people’s opinions. No matter what the two men do, they will be viewed through this prism.
Wethal on February 15, 2009 at 8:25 PM
The bickering about the smartest mind in the GOP is more like something liberals would do. I couldn’t watch this skit after that bit, it’s not remotely funny.
Did anyone watch the weekend update segment where they brought on the guest blogger and she was an out of touch hipster wannabe idiot? That’s my impression of what the SNL writers are actually like.
Sir Corky on February 15, 2009 at 8:26 PM
It will be increasingly difficult for them over the coming months with Obama and the democrats providing more and more material for them, and Bush and Republicans providing less and less. They will either have to turn on Obama and the democrats or maybe change to a cooking show where they can throw food at each other.
MB4 on February 15, 2009 at 8:26 PM
The shocking thing about this is that SNL is still on the air.
Lets play a game called Liberal Hypocirsy:
Dan Akroyd is a typical liberal Hollywood type. He has given plenty to his buddy Al Franken for his senate bid. Not surprisingly, Akroyd is dug up to poke fun at the Republican House leader.
Did you know that Akroyd is a reserve commander for the Harahan PD? Harahan is a town about 10 minutes up the Miss. River of New Orleans. The police department isn’t exactly squeaky clean and have been accused constantly of racial profiling. Why doesn’t liberal Akroyd address abuses of the Harahan PD since he carries a Harahan PD badge all the time?
In fact, Akroyd is proud to show off his badge and doesn’t deny Harahan’s profiling.
Lay-Z on February 15, 2009 at 8:28 PM
Um. Where were the yuks?
Tuning Spork on February 15, 2009 at 8:28 PM
I suppose this was suppose to be the counterpoint to last week’s SNL skit lampooning Reid and Pelosi. No problem with that, but the skit a week ago laid the abuse on in a far more nuanced way, with Reid having to periodically move Nancy back onto the talking points and away from what she was really thinking. This skit is angry, as in “Too angry to understand the difference between mean and funny.”
I’m assuming James Downey wrote last week’s bit, but whoever did this one took it on from the same angle a lot of the left comes from that mean=funny when it comes to conservatives, and they think that just because they find it a laugh-riot, everyone else does. (And to be fair, some on the right have the same problem when they try to do comedy and let anger cloud their vision on what everyone else will find funny. The big difference is that writing usually ends up at best on the Internet or Tier B conservative talk radio shows, not on a national network show. If Downey wrote skits this umfunny attacking Democrats, Lorne Michaels would have fired his butt years ago.)
jon1979 on February 15, 2009 at 8:29 PM
The problem with SNL, even when they do something this stupid, is that many of the idiots that still watch it will believe that this is what the GOP is actually doing.
cobrakai99 on February 15, 2009 at 8:29 PM
McConnell. That was the most obvious one.
malan89 on February 15, 2009 at 8:29 PM
HITTING AN ALL TIME LOW
NOT A SINGLE LAUGH
OH NO DONT SAY IT’S TRUE
WANT AN AX TO BREAK THE ICE
I’M HAPPY HOPE YOUR HAPPY TOO.
birdhurd on February 15, 2009 at 8:31 PM
I watched the opening skit and almost got physically sick. These idiots just don’t get it.
SC.Charlie on February 15, 2009 at 8:31 PM
Asked and answered.
Vizzini on February 15, 2009 at 8:32 PM
Akroyd hasn’t been funny since Belushi died.
yo on February 15, 2009 at 8:34 PM
Ranking of those clueless about conservatives:
1. GOP
2. SNL
aquaviva on February 15, 2009 at 8:35 PM
Sorry, couldn’t watch it. NBC is just too un-American for my taste.
Zorro on February 15, 2009 at 8:35 PM
The problem with libtard comedy, vis a vis conservatives, is that study after study shows that liberals have no empathy towards anyone who thinks conservatively, that is whereas conservatives can imagine how liberals think and their motivations, liberals haven’t a clue how conservatives think. Thus all libtard reactions to conservatism have a cartoonish asinine quality.
eaglewingz08 on February 15, 2009 at 8:36 PM
Maybe I am just too obtuse to get their snarky and witty political humor. LAME. Oh, and Andy, stick to the toilet and bathroom humor, that’s funny. SNL was funnier in the early 90s; too bad I was only eight.
theboss on February 15, 2009 at 8:37 PM
Lay-Z on February 15, 2009 at 8:37 PM
Liberalism is the triumph of emotion over reason.
Looking for the bumper sticker.
DerKrieger on February 15, 2009 at 8:38 PM
Hard to watch, cut it off in the middle.
crabtree on February 15, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Clearly there is no Obama related comedy gold to mine such as a Ford-esque clumsy mistake so they must naturally go to bog standard routines that fail time and time again.
BKennedy on February 15, 2009 at 8:41 PM
Not worth my time.
johnnyU on February 15, 2009 at 8:41 PM
I watched my dog take a dump on the lawn. Same result, and saved electricity.
johnnyU on February 15, 2009 at 8:43 PM
Comedy works when it’s based on the truth, so there’s very little comedy involved here. I guess if they understood economics, they wouldn’t be comedy writers. They’d have real jobs.
RBMN on February 15, 2009 at 8:44 PM
I unfortunately caught this in real time last night. Just as bad then, so I had to switch back to FOX News. Is anything on NBC good these days? I can’t even watch Law & Order anymore and that’s on every night isn’t it?
mngirl on February 15, 2009 at 8:44 PM
I never watch it. Why do y’all bother to?
jeanie on February 15, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Swing and a miss…
Hog Wild on February 15, 2009 at 8:45 PM
The SNL writers got stupid durring the ’90s and lazy during the ’00s.
29Victor on February 15, 2009 at 8:46 PM
Soros has issued the marching orders, I guess.
ddrintn on February 15, 2009 at 8:49 PM
Come to think of it, it every last conservative/GOP never watched it, it might just get rid of it for good.
jeanie on February 15, 2009 at 8:50 PM
Comedy
tinpig ironpot metal.hillbillyjim on February 15, 2009 at 8:56 PM
If they are going to have on Dan Aykroyd at least give him some material they could have played around with The Coleman/Franken election there is plenty for them to work with. The girl’s sleep overs? That just wasn’t funny.
Dr Evil on February 15, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Wow, that was really lame. And I noticed people weren’t laughing at the Hannity line (“This is change we can believe in? Not if you ask me!”) … perhaps because many Americans are saying the same thing themselves, and not finding it funny in real life either.
eucher on February 15, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Sure thing, right after the MSM-fed public find out which party is in control of Congress and can identify the VP.
ddrintn on February 15, 2009 at 8:57 PM
I’m comin to ya on a 1930′s road
I’ll be rulin’ ya’ with a big Keynesian load
And when I spend all the country’s money you’ll really see somethin’
So dont worry cause I’m Obama and I am coming
Im Obama man
Im Obama man
Listen up subjects!
Im Obama man
Im Obama man
I got what I got the Chicago way
And I’ll take it to Rush and Hannity and Hotair in each and every way
So subjects dont you fret
Cause you’ve hardly even seen me knockin’ that outdated First Amendment yet!
Im Obama man
Im Obama man
Play it Rahm baby!
Im Obama man
Im Obama man
Listen
I’m all wrapped up in the Marxist things America needs
I learned how to be an Fabian almost before I could eat
I come from American socialist stock
With me as President for Life things will really rock!
Im Obama man
Im Obama man
Take that you rightwing nuts!
Im Obama man
Im Obama man
I’ll grab your rope and I’ll pull you in
Give you hope and be the whole world’s best friend
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Im Obama man
Im Obama man
Youre an Obama man!
Im Obama man
Im Obama man
MB4 on February 15, 2009 at 8:59 PM
We put up with a lot of crap, but this is arguably one of the most shameful displays put on by SNL.
They couldn’t even take the slightest jab at the billions upon billions of pork? No, they attack the GOP as being a bunch of morons, instead of the few that finally grew a sack and refused (at least on this bill) to vote for socialism and the downfall of the nation. Ugh, WTF.
RightWinged on February 15, 2009 at 8:59 PM
It’s not enough, in the course of political satire, to just mock Republicans. True comedic wit cuts both ways, which includes, of course, praising Obama.
Just like the cut-n-paste media, SNL shows both sides of the debate. Liberal, and very liberal.
ynot4tony2 on February 15, 2009 at 8:59 PM
Huh, hmphf, uh . . . oh, sorry, I dozed off there. Did I miss anything?
FalseProfit on February 15, 2009 at 9:00 PM
SNL < Chickenshit.
hillbillyjim on February 15, 2009 at 9:01 PM
For everyone ONE of you conservatives that think it was unfunny, there are 1000 voters who thought it was funny and spot on. Until conservatives get their heads out of the sand, then we are going to get nowhere.
It is not a political battle, it is a cultural battle. Win the cultural battle and the political victories follow. Right now it is beyond uncool to be a conservative, and don’t ever think it became that way be accident.
ClassicCon on February 15, 2009 at 9:03 PM
Ha ha ha,nice try Liberals,it seems, as I already know,
the ‘Fairness Doctrine’has been applied to Canada!
So,after scooting to NBC site,I got screwed,so,I
caught it on You Tube!
It was fairly accurate till about the 2:00 minute mark,and then,the comedy died,and guess what,it turned into a talk
radio flame war,against Rush and Hannity!
Well,’YOU’ Liberals are crafty and ever so sneaky,now,
just like the primaries,with ‘Christian vrs.’Mormon
bashing to cause infighting in the Republican Party
and tear down the unity!
So,now the Liberal Democratic Socialist Party isn’t
happy in which the pace is going in their assualt on
talk radio,so they cleverly came up with,the ‘Rush
Supporters VRS.the Hannity Supporters’ SNL skit,under
the guise of ‘Comedy’!
Oh these Liberals are sneaky,lets extend class warfare,
war against ant-war,and let see if we can get Republicans to have a discussion,no,scratch that,force the Republicans
to address talk radio!
Oh,there good,very crafty!
Hey,Liberals nice try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
canopfor on February 15, 2009 at 9:05 PM
I can’t think of a time when it was all that “cool”.
ddrintn on February 15, 2009 at 9:07 PM
I am a gay Republican who will disagree with you on the one issue of gay rights ……… and, I don’t mean gay marriage.
SC.Charlie on February 15, 2009 at 9:10 PM
Frankly, I can’t be bothered. SNL stopped being funny so many years ago I can’t even remember. Let’s stop making them relevent.
Disturb the Universe on February 15, 2009 at 9:12 PM
I prefer to be outside the establishment. Aren’t the rebels the cool ones? It’s easy to be a sheep.
theboss on February 15, 2009 at 9:12 PM
Possibly, but I was not really referring to the “gay rights” issues of our culture.
I believe introducing the concept of shame for being lazy and wanting someone else to pay for your life’s responsibilities can go a long way. Currently the two most important aspects that drive political beliefs is not wanting to be viewed as unintelligent/undeducated and two, not wanting to be viewed as a hypocrite. Nothing else matters at the moment. Responsibility has zero meaning any longer, and playground ethics and morality are the rule of the day.
ClassicCon on February 15, 2009 at 9:18 PM
Depends on how much of a rebel you really claim to be. Anyone can be a tattoo rebel, only some will be a death-sentence rebel.
ClassicCon on February 15, 2009 at 9:20 PM
Is it my imagination, or does SNL (an the left’s “humor” in general) just attack things that the left does and so they presume that the right does as well?
For example, in the end of that clip, the “Republicans” decide to attack the Obama children. I haven’t seen anything like that from the right, but I sure saw attacks on Palin’s children during the campaign. And I’m reasonably sure that anyone who attacked the Obama children would be criticized by others on the right.
Does their concept of humor depend on the presumption that the Right is as hateful as the Left?
malclave on February 15, 2009 at 9:21 PM
So,do the Liberals really beleive that their is
ardent supporters for Rush,and a different camp
for Hannity,
Really?
Are Liberals that caught up,in the little rights groups
infighting,that they believe,Republicans will tear them
selves apart,over,
WHO IS MORE CONSERVATIVE,
THE RUSH CAMP!
THE HANNITY CAMP!
Are Liberals this F^%#$^&*ked up!
Seriously,I really don’t know,if this SNL skit was
by design,by Liberal operatives,or just sh#t luck!
But,do Liberals really think and believe that Republicans
are going to compare the two in Republican Conservative
ideology’s of Rush and Hannity,and besides there both
close anyhow!!
For Liberals it just doesn’t end,and they should know,
that the right knows, its just the beginning!!!!!!!!!!!
canopfor on February 15, 2009 at 9:24 PM
When I saw this last night, I didn’t think it was funny, not because I’m a Republican, it just wasn’t that funny.
CP on February 15, 2009 at 9:24 PM
Who caught Homer Simpson and his
“I’m too big for the government to let me fail!”
line tonight?
Marcus on February 15, 2009 at 9:25 PM
To ClassicCon,
Thanks for your response.
SC.Charlie
SC.Charlie on February 15, 2009 at 9:26 PM
People like that will probably laugh if the Fairness Doctrine is started up again.
aikidoka on February 15, 2009 at 9:26 PM
Simple: Don’t watch it, ever. Don’t talk about it ever. Pretend it doesn’t exist and if enough of us do, maybe it will go away.
jeanie on February 15, 2009 at 9:33 PM
Oh! I forgot. Don’t buy anything it advertises.
jeanie on February 15, 2009 at 9:35 PM
Does anyone watch SNL anymore? I think I stopped when Phil Hartman died. The last time it was even decent.
boingo_tx on February 15, 2009 at 9:36 PM
Ah, now I remember. Thanks.
Disturb the Universe on February 15, 2009 at 9:38 PM
That was Super Colon Blow.
jukin on February 15, 2009 at 9:39 PM
These comments are hilarious in light of the recent “Paterson can’t stop whining about SNL skits” post.
IOKIYAR strikes again!
benny shakar on February 15, 2009 at 9:42 PM
I personally would have preferred to watch the Microsoft commercial with Jerry Seinfeld…
jerrytbg on February 15, 2009 at 9:42 PM
I haven’t watch SNL since the Beloshi days. The word that comes to my mind for the latest batch of SNL preformances is sophomoric.
docdave on February 15, 2009 at 9:43 PM
At best doc
jerrytbg on February 15, 2009 at 9:45 PM
I don’t know, I think they pretty much captured the stupidity of the current group of GOP movers and shakers.
conservnut on February 15, 2009 at 9:45 PM
Hmmm… Two degrees in English and I didn’t get it.
TinMan13 on February 15, 2009 at 9:47 PM
If it’s ok to use the Obama kids in skits bashing republicans then is it ok to use them to “humorously” bash democrats? Would these so called comedians object?
Ampersand on February 15, 2009 at 9:48 PM
Talk about painful to watch, I couldn’t make it through 2 minutes, but that’s just par for the course with SNL, they’re just not funny anymore.
4shoes on February 15, 2009 at 9:51 PM
A room full of liberal democratic writers, writing a comedy sketch for liberal democrat actors……….
……….. portraying conservative republicans and they totally miss the target.
Now how did that happen?
Seven Percent Solution on February 15, 2009 at 9:52 PM
The Reid/Pelosi sketch wasn’t funny because Kristen Wig is horrible and put zero effort into parodying Queen Nancy, who is by far the easiest person to mock right now.
As Jon1979 said, this was an apparent attempt to balance out last week. Seth Myers is a no talent douche, so I guess we shouldn’t expect more than this.
budfox on February 15, 2009 at 9:52 PM
The pin-drop silence from the audience during most of the skit seems to cast a shadow on your “statistic”.
And remember, the show is filmed in New York. Few, if any laughs. Face it, the skit just wasn’t funny no matter what your political leanings.
ynot4tony2 on February 15, 2009 at 9:54 PM
…and I really mean that about Seth Myers. You could stick him and his brother in a genetic blender and maybe come up with someone on par with Tim Meadows. Forget Hartman or Miller’s level.
budfox on February 15, 2009 at 9:55 PM
But they can’t satirize Obama because, gosh darn it, he’s just too swell and perfect.
Cretins.
Kensington on February 15, 2009 at 9:55 PM
Yes, they’re projecting, they can’t help it.
4shoes on February 15, 2009 at 9:57 PM
ZZZZZZZ. SNL is so irrelevant, yet the MSM plays them ad nauseum to create relevance.
jencab on February 15, 2009 at 9:58 PM
I wonder if Dan A. is close to foreclosure…
jerrytbg on February 15, 2009 at 10:05 PM
Cancel the show….it was only fun when the “real” gorgeous
Palin was on the show….not the fake one…
dec5 on February 15, 2009 at 10:05 PM
Where’s the wrath of the “first ho” over this? If her brats can’t be used as the names of dolls, why is this okay just because NBC is the primary propaganda wing of her filthy liar husband’s administration?
highhopes on February 15, 2009 at 10:08 PM
I don’t watch television… for a reason. That clip reinforced my judgment.
That said, even John Stewart is beginning to “get it” about Obama. The much funnier link was posted at Pat Santy’s site by a commenter:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=218356&title=clusterf#
onlineanalyst on February 15, 2009 at 10:09 PM
They can’t satirize the filthy liar because there is nothing there to make fun of. Obama is the perfect satire of a dim-witted President completely out of his element and totally clueless about the world around him. How do you satirize that?
highhopes on February 15, 2009 at 10:12 PM
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