Sock It To Hillary!
March 2, 2008 on 9:43 pm | In Main, Media, Race for Prez |
The reviews are in for Hillary’s appearance last night on Saturday Night Live and the skit that mocked the last debate.
Ann Althouse has posted both videos on her blog. She was less charitable than me in her assessment. I agree with Mike Murphy, who said on the Take Two Meet the Press webcast special that Hillary trying to be funny was a little like candidate Richard Nixon appearing in 1968 on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In and famously repeating one of that show’s most popular refrains: “Sock it to meee?”
In the debate mock-up, I thought the guy mimicking Brian Williams rung most true. His voice was, at times, spot-on. The Russert imitator had some of Timmy’s mannerisms downs, such as the right-hand gesticulation and that look he gives his guests — you know, the one where he tilts his head down, arches his eyebrows and looks as it he’s the big bad wolf ready to eat his subject alive.
What I like about it the most was how the skit ridiculed they way the press treats Obama (like the Second Coming) and Hillary (like a crooked war horse whose time has passed). Notice that after playing the video of that clip on MTP, no one addressed the subject of media favoritism. Where’s Howie Kurtz when you need him?
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At the risk of sounding like an originalSNLcrewcentric jerk, I thought the skit was horrible. Didn’t sound anything like Williams. The guy playing Russert reminded me more of Eric Severeid. Hillary? Bad. Obama? Give me a break. He sounded more like Mr. Rogers. And the writing was awful. With all due respect, Terry, you need to be a tougher room!
Comment by Terrence McCarthy — March 3, 2008 #
Well, of course, I used to be an actor and so I know how hard it is to pull something like this off.
It wasn’t great, but it was at least as funny as Chevy Chase’s pratfalls as Gerry Ford. Part of the problem is some of the personalities involved (e.g Williams, Hillary) are mostly bland types who are difficult to caricature.
Comment by Terry — March 3, 2008 #
Trying to figure this new lapop out so pardon any mistakes…
Chevy wasn’t one of my favorites. Gilda, Dan, semi-regular Steve Martin ( Whose new memoir is terrific ) Garrett Morris. Hilarious. That news for the hearing impaired bit still cracks me up. Humor’s subjective. What I think is funny depends on my baggage and world view. Unfair of me to criticize you for laughing at something I didn’t think was funny.
Comment by terrence mccarthy — March 3, 2008 #