DEPARTMENTS / Politics
The Symbiotic Relationship Between SNL and Politics By Al Elio
Photos NBCUniversal
When you think of Saturday Night Live, there’s a good chance that the skit or impression that is conjured took place during an election season. SNL was at the peak of its powers when Chevy Chase played the klutz, Will Ferrell took liberties with the English language, Tina Fey’s virtuosic performance blurred the distinction between reality and art, and most recently, Alec Baldwin’s impersonation of a lip-puckered, temperamental man-child ushered a new era of political satire. There is no question that elections have resulted in some of SNL’s most hilarious and memorable skits. But, in looking at the show’s long history, have these routines had any effect on the politics they skewer? The show took some time to grow into its powers as a vehicle for political satire. Chevy Chase’s impression of a clumsy, inept Gerald Ford made Inspector Clouseau seem suave in comparison. The impression stuck, but the comedy was more Three Stooges than Voltaire. The early years of SNL focused primarily on sketch comedy and let the “Weekend Update” segment take care of the politics. The politicians of the 1980s emerged largely unscathed from SNL’s satire. Joe Piscopo, Harry Shearer, Robin Williams, and Randy Quaid all attempted to land a comedic impression of Ronald Reagan, but each impression of the
24
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | FALL 2018
Gipper ultimately fell flat. George H.W. Bush, however, became a goldmine for SNL and served as the launching pad for the show’s political future. Dana Carvey’s nasally, reedy-voiced impersonation of H.W. helped to cement his perception as the ultimate square. When Bill Clinton hit the national scene in advance of the 1992 presidential election, SNL helped form a distinct generational gap between the two main contestants. Clinton was the morally ambiguous, brief-wearing, saxophone-playing Baby Boomer to Bush’s geeky, old fashioned guard of the establishment. Saturday Night Live’s take on the candidates may have had some impact on the election, as the key 18-24-year-old demographic favored Clinton by a margin of 46-33. The Clinton presidency provided SNL with a great deal of low-hanging-fruit material, but little in the way of legitimate political satire. For most of the 1990s, Clinton’s character and personal exploits provided more material than the realities of the political climate ever could. The 2000 election was a new opportunity for SNL to enter into the arena of political discussion, with Darrell Hammond perfectly playing Al Gore as a laconic cold fish while Will Ferrell summed up the dictionary-shredding, proud and loud Texan George W. Bush, who’s constant gaffes made for an easy and possibly
accurate summation of his presidency. The 2004 election was difficult for SNL, as Bush was already a worn punching bag and John Kerry was severely lacking in charm and personality. Bush won the election with a comfortable margin, setting the stage for SNL’s most relevant political period. Up until the 2008 election, vice presidential candidates were largely considered an afterthought, especially in popular culture. This all changed when the commonly monikered “maverick” John McCain tabbed an unknown and unpredictable running mate from Alaska. Before the VPs were announced, McCain and Barack Obama were in a virtual dead heat. McCain swung for the fences and picked a littleknown, sprightly, linguistically freewheeling mayor from Alaska, Sarah Palin. Had McCain known that one of the most talented and experienced alumnus of SNL happened to bear a striking resemblance to his VP, he might have reconsidered. The initial returns on McCain’s selection served the Republican ticket well in the polls. A mere week after his announcement, a USA Today poll found McCain to be a ten-point favorite. Unfortunately for the Republican ticket, SNL was getting ready to start up in another week.
