It's not very good at all until Governor Blagojevich shows up 2 minutes in. Then, it's hilarious, because the guy — who is he? — playing Blago is so good. There's a political correctness issue with the material though, and it would have been much funnier if the actress — who is she? — playing Rachel Maddow had not lacked the skill or the nerve to lay it on thick:
January 11, 2009
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She's brand new to the show, and she wasn't very good.
The gay jokes were too easy, obvious, and juvenile. They were actually kind of offensive. Not because I'm offended as a gay person that the word "dyke" was used so crudely (I use the word "fag" all the time) but because Rachel Maddow makes absolutely no issue out of the fact that she's gay...she just does her show and does a good job without using her sexuality in any way.
It'd be like if they did an Obama sketch and someone indirectly called him a "nigger," as a joke.
It was one of the better episodes in a while, but only because Neil Patrick Harris is such a good actor. In general, SNL is declining from its failure to tackle anything actually controversial. So, they introduce moronic, annoying characters like the "topper" lady and use them over and over and over again.
Seriously, watch through last night's show, and there was no even remotely controversial humor other than the political stuff in the cold open and Weekend Update. And what was in Weekend Update was tame to bad--a New York City show is making fun of homeschoolers as stupid? 3 "Bush is awful" jokes, and only one had any wit to it (the "Bush, similarly, refused to give up his LeapFrog" gag after setting up with Obama's refusal to give up his BlackBerry.)
The best humor is usually offensive, but SNL would rather be non-offensive than funny.
I'm confused by this sentence:
"...it would have been much funnier if the actress — who is she? — playing Rachel Maddow lacks the skill or the nerve to lay it on thick."
The guy playing Blago is the same one that plays Joe Biden.
The Burris part was a little overplayed, but I agree, the guy who played Blagojevich was pretty good.
The sad thing for us in Illinois is that this will probably further encourage Blago not to resign and spare us the distraction and expense of a Senate trial.
But now he may envision more SNL skits parodying him so he may be encouraged to do even more bizarre things. Maybe that's part of his plan.
I thought the guy playing Gov-for now Blagoavetch underplayed his role. Thank you for the entertainment Gov. You do give us Hope for Change.
Zachary Paul Sire said...
"I'm confused by this sentence..."
I've fixed what was a glitch that resulted from an incomplete edit. Sorry.
Ah, now it makes sense. Agreed.
Why didn't they have Kristen Wiig do Rachel? She would've nailed it.
I miss Belushi.
Rachel Maddow has 1.8 million viewers, says Nielsen. As we all know, that means only about 200,000 people really watch her. The rest are knitting, reading, going in and out of the room, or are six-years-old.
200,000 out of 240,000,000.
That was a disappointing Rachel Maddow. I love Maddow's cute butchness - SNL has emasculated her!
By the way, has anyone else noticed that Maddow looks like Will Wheaton? That's not a bad thing. Maybe just a geek thing.
I think that's Abby Elliot doing the impression of Maddow. She just joined SNL.
She's the daughter of Chris Elliot (Letterman, SNL, Get a Life, Groundhog Day, etc.), and granddaughter of Bob Elliot of Bob & Ray.
I think that's Jason Sudeikis doing Blago.
To be honest, for a guy who will soon be losing his job, Blagojevich is doing a hell of a job setting himself up for his next one. Yeah, he'll be under Federal indictment, but between his high-and-getting-higher name recognition and his unique (and not bad, from a dispassionate assessment) boyish good looks I suspect he will turn up on a talk show sooner or later. If nothing else, FOX News would love to have him as their 'view from the left,' since they want you to think all Democrats are corrupt anyway-- and Blago's hair could compete with Hannity's.
Rachel Maddow is a stain on the American culture.
A bad stain.
She is the Bill o'Reilly school of talking heads: no light or anything of value ever shed, only reinforcement for prejudiced, hateful people of partisan political persuasions.
Waste of time.
Rachel Maddow is such an intellectual, she apparently never watches TV. Not much time for TV when you're intellectually curious.
In between shows, she reads Virgil. For fun, she tries to find mistakes in Einstein's calculations. Einstein was smart but not as smart as she is. She's found 12 mistakes already!
Thick or thin, the actress managed to capture that kind of smug self-righteous attitude one sees from Maddow and her ilk.
Zachary Paul Sire said...
"The gay jokes were too easy, obvious, and juvenile. They were actually kind of offensive."
Boy, someone missed the point, didn't they...
Beth, now that you mention it, Maddow does look a lot like Will Wheaton. Can't wait to see Maddow don the Star Treck outfit.
Just for you, Peter: Cptn. Rachel Maddow, of the USS Arcos.
If that is Abby Eliott, she looks very much like the young J. Edgar Hoover:
http://www.jfkmontreal.com/john_lennon/graphics/j_edgar_hoover.jpg
Hee hee. Thanks, Simon!
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