A few weeks ago I was watching an episode of SNL from the year 200o on VH1. That one episode featured all of the following sketches: the Presidential Couple (the cold opening in which Bush and Gore declare that they are both going to be president, in an Odd Couple-type scenario), Al Gore’s discussion of the Florida ballot (“the single most confusing … document ever produced”), and the CBS Sports update from Dan Rather (in which NBA game winners were projected in the style of election coverage). These were three of the most classic sketches inspired by the 2000 election. And they all originally appeared on the same episode!
When I consider the state of politics on SNL in 2010, my conclusion is that that would never happen now. To be fair, 2000 may have been the most fruitful and serendipitous year for American political comedy ever. SNL benefited from having all-time classic impressions of two perpetually memorable candidates, and the recount ensured that election-themed sketches could last for nearly forever.
2010 only featured a midterm election, so I have not expected anything near the level of 2000. But this year has not been lacking for characters. Christine O’Donnell was a bit of a fringe candidate, but that hardly meant that she did not provide ample material for parody. Unfortunately, SNL simply went through the motions and only took on the “I’m not a witch” angle. O’Donnell’s botched understanding of the Constitution could very well have led to something in the vein of Katie Couric interviewing Sarah Palin. The only truly memorable election-centric moment this year was Kenan’s gonzo take on “The Rent is Too Damn High” candidate Jimmy McMillan (and that was only an Update bit).
This post is not meant to bemoan the current state of SNL in its entirety. This is a diversely enjoyable cast with some promising newcomers. The relative lack of political edginess is most likely due to a (not necessarily bad) change of styles. The buzz about SNL is dominated by the digital shorts, often rightfully so. Accordingly, the show has taken on a more surreal, rather than satirical, bent. Both of these styles are enjoyed by me, and many others, and SNL has been adept at both for most of the show’s history. But SNL has also always seemed to have a naturalness when it comes to political humor- more character than idea-driven, and thus, more parodic than satirical. Nonetheless, it is a good niche that SNL has filled well, but that naturalness seems to be lacking today. I do not demand that SNL be dominated by p0litics, nor do I even demand that each episode features at least one political sketch (and if it is not working, don’t force a message from the president cold opening). I merely expect that the writers and cast know how to handle an opportunity like Christine O’Donnell when it is placed squarely in their laps.
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