SNL, Tina Fey and an endorsement?

Saturday Night Live is an institution. It started as one of my key comedic influences as I spent my formative years watching re-runs of the original cast, and then enjoying the deliciously tight late 80s cast of Hartman, Hooks, Carvey et al during my high school years. Perhaps the tide was at its highest when Mike Myers debuted, which coincided with my time in high school years as I began to start writing/performing sketch comedy.

However, my love started to sour — I hated the Sandler/Farley years, and that’s when I started turning to Canadian imports The Kids in The Hall and MTV upstarts, The State. I felt like SNL wasn’t keeping up with my own “comedic development.”

After a brief experiment with improv in college, I started performing longform improv at ImprovOlympic. I was in full-on comedy nerd-dom. That meant Mr. Show w/Bob and David was worth my time, and SNL was mediocre corporate comedy rife with sketches with lame catchphrases and weak premises. If there was any grudging respect, it would be in the vein of David Cross who once said, “SNL is like the US Post Office. It’s big and clunky, but occasionally it delivers.”

11 years hence, things have changed. Folks that I ran with in classes at iO and at the Annoyance (like Jason Sudeikis and Seth Meyers, as well as some of the writers) are now “running the place”. The improvisers that I idolized - Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, are now titanesses of the SNL stage. I’ve also learned how hard it is to write sketch, and am sympathetic to the pressure of having to do that every week. So yeah, I TiVo the show, and watch with newer eyes.

So, I was excited to see SNL return after the strike. The “silly season” has indeed been very rich, and I wanted to see what they’d do with it. The cold open (CNN Debate) was predictable, yet I was impressed their set/graphics and commitment to the bits. I like Armisen, and will give him the benefit of the doubt as he figures out Barack Obama’s character. Poehler as HRC was spot on. SNL was in effect, back and open for business.

I also was ready for Weekend Update, as it was Tina Fey’s first time back at the desk post her departure. So, I was really struck by seeing her “endorsement” of HRC. I still can’t tell if it was a “bit” since she was doing “women news,” or if it was an actual expression of her personal preference. If it was — I’m mildly surprised.

However, its not the first time she’s talked about this. I refer to her awesome Emmy award winning sitcom, 30 Rock a.k.a. Mary Tyler Moore: The Next Generation. The show does wonderful allusions to politics/current events. Since Liz Lemon is her alter-ego, I have a hard time seeing where Tina starts and Liz begins. Here’s a sampling of how Barack Obama has crossed over into the “30 Rock”-verse

Liz Lemon, from 30 Rock Season 1, episode 5. “Jack-tor” (from wiki-quote)

Pete: So, first you thought he was illiterate and now you think he’s lazy? Liz, you are racist.
Liz: No, Tracy took advantage of my ‘white guilt,’ which is supposed to be used only for good like over-tipping and supporting Barack Obama.
Liz Lemon and Jenna Moloney, from 30 Rock, Season 1, episode 15 “Hardball” (from 30 Rock Online)

Liz: Obama — you support Barack Obama. Remember you liked those pictures of him at the beach?
Jenna: Oh, right. Obama, what is he? Hispanic?
Liz: No, he’s black.
Jenna: And he’s running for President? Good luck.

Liz Lemon, from 30 Rock Season 1, episode 18. “Fireworks” (from wikiquote)

Hi. I’m really sorry about what I did, and I know that you can’t forgive me, but just to even things out, here’s all my weird secret stuff. I have been sexually rejected by not one, but two guys who later went to clown college. I get super nervous whenever I hear a vacuum cleaner because when I was a kid my mom used to turn on the vacuum to drown out the sound of her and my dad fighting, which is why I rarely vacuum my apartment, like never. I have had three donuts so far today. Once in college, I pooped my pants a little bit at a Country Steaks all-you-can-eat buffet and I didn’t leave until I finished my second plate of shrimp. A couple months ago, I went on a date with my cousin. Wow… I am a mess. There is an 80% chance in the next election that I will tell all my friends that I’m voting for Barack Obama but I will secretly vote for John McCain. Here’s one, when I was a kid I used to put on my fanciest nightgown and then I would mix orange soda and cream soda in a champagne glass and sit in the dark and watch The Love Boat. Consequently, I have some weird sexual fantasy stuff about Gopher from The Love Boat. And I lied, I have had five donuts today. So that’s my deal, now we’re even.

This last soliloquy is my favorite. It’s quite impressive since her character practically forecast the general election almost a year in advance. Plus, anytime a character ‘fesses up to the Bradley effect, I appreciate his/her candor.

So, if Ms. Fey did endorse HRC, it doesn’t change anything. I still have a crush on her.

Source: By Make No Little Plans Blog

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