Palin Takes Her Lumps On SNL
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Comedy, McCain, Palin, VideoThe first thing I thought when I watched the following clips was “This is good for Palin in the long run, but it hurts McCain in the short term.”
Tell me what you think.
The Opening
Weekend Update
Again, she did good, but explain to me how this helps John McCain?
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October 19th, 2008 at 9:25 am
funny… but nothing for the McCain camp…
in “update” she didn’t even do anything, she just sat there… (foreshadowing?)
October 19th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I thought she did from ‘not good’ to ‘fair.’ She had about 5 sentences. Part of the time she did OK, but even with so few words, part of the time her timing was off.
However, I was surprised at how awkward/uncomfortable the who thing was. It made me really uncomfortable. I wanted to revel in the satire, but it was like Palin’s presence made it creepy.
I don’t see how it could be a vote booster. It was actually pathetic – like signing up for a celebrity roast put on by people who hate you. There was too much truth in the humor. If they had kidnapped her and forced her to be there, I would say it was cruel. But she’s the one who signed up for the appearance – who would willingly put themselves through that?
I didn’t find Palin “a good sport” – a good sport makes a statement like, “I appreciate that the show vents lets its audience vent weekly frustrations and pokes fun at people, issues and events.” It’s an idiot who goes up in front of the verbal shooting gallery.
October 19th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Best part of the skit… Mark Wahlberg.
October 19th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Why are we so lenient to Palin’s efforts? People said that she was ok when she debated Biden, but the truth is that she was horrible. If that performance was done by a man, he would’ve been heavily criticized. The same happen on SNL.
She did not do anything, she just stayed there and kind of danced, and said a few lines. Wow, what an accomplishment.
This is just an example of how desperate are the Republican strategists to get votes.
October 19th, 2008 at 10:56 am
yeah I agree with egds.
The whole thing was painful to watch. She was not a good sport–clearly the satire hurt her feelings and she didn’t couldn’t bring herself to forgive the show.
I don’t think it helped her or the campaign.
In fact, I think it hurt her. It made her look smaller to have come on the show in that manner. If she had taken a couple shots at herself and been willing to poke at everyone it would’ve helped immensely. Unfortunately she couldn’t bring herself to that point.
In this case, I think it hurt her pretty badly.
performance rating: painful – C for effort
October 19th, 2008 at 11:20 am
The appearance was very good for Palin. And marginally good for McCain. Stepping up to people who mock you, and laughing with them, is the best way to “own” it. The best moment for Palin was the moment when she kind of “scared-off” Tina Fey from the podium. It was a symbolic “taking back” of the image. By doing so, she has regained some dignity – how much I don’t know, but she looks better for it, and it’s reduced some of the sting of the Fey impersonation. No doubt about it.
October 19th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Wow, surprising to see so many low grades. I mean, her visual appeal is clear. She is a very attractive woman and she doesn’t come off as nervous, etc.
In the end, I don’t think Palin is a serious national political figure. But political celebrity? Potentially. And she can help Republicans raise money for YEARS to come.
October 19th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I was very uncomfortable with the whole appearance. Wasn’t she allowed to participate in a meaningful way? Allowed to say anything snappy and funny back at the SNL cast? I was left with the impression that she wasn’t smart enough to play along, and that was most painful for me to watch…especially during the Palin rap scene. Taking the podium from Tina Fey was marginally funny, but again, she didn’t get to say anything that was witty or unexpected. It was just a symbolic gesture. More and more, my sense of Sarah Palin is that she is provincial and not qualified to be the leader of our country…regardless of whether I agree with her politics or not. And I don’t.
October 19th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
This kind of appearance (whether SNL or the Daily Show or one of the late night comedy shows) is a good way for a politician to start getting his or her name out in front of the national audience. If Palin had done it a year ago, and followed up by making the rounds of the Sunday morning shows, by this summer she might have been in a position to do something solid to boost the ticket. But at this point in the electoral cycle, an SNL appearance does nothing useful.
I don’t really see it helping Palin’s long-term prospects either. If she wants to be a viable candidate in 2012, she will have to spend the next 3 years making a lot of the country forget how she came across in this campaign. By the time she has done that, this appearance will be irrelevant. And if she doesn’t do that, this helps her not at all.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I think this helps the McCain camp because it kinda neutralizes the Palin effect on SNL. Now that she has been on the show and can clearly laugh at herself, it takes the sting of the ridicule away a bit. Hard to laugh at someone being picked on if they laugh with you… the bully’s only get the rush when they make someone cry!