The Saturday Night Live machine is taking full advantage of this contentious election season, airing an ungodly amount of new episodes since premiering its 34th season in the middle of September.  Over the next two weeks, NBC will air two new proper Saturday Night Live episodes, plus two additional prime time Weekend Update specials each of the next two Thursdays.  Tina Fey's portrayal of Alaska governor Sarah Palin has shepherded in SNL's rediscovered cultural significance, though the sketch show has always done well during politically trenchant times.  This is not a surprise – in the midst of serious and often ugly political discourse, the common man and woman needs a release valve.  We all need to laugh in the face of politics and Saturday Night Live has provided quality escapist fare in a time of need.

Saturday Night Live is a purveyor of political satire in its purest form.  Although there are often claims of a liberal bias within the walls of Studio 8H, this couldn't be further from the truth.  John McCain has hosted the show.  Rudy Giuliani has hosted the show.  Or, just take a look at SNL's portrayal of Bill Clinton throughout the years.  Especially during the Lewinsky scandal, SNL pulled no punches on the beloved liberal.  What the show does do is obliterate easy targets.  And, Sarah Palin is an easy target.  Her entire being is ripe for satire.  It doesn't hurt that they happened to have Tina Fey at their disposal, whose portrayal of the Alaska governor has become the comedy talking point of the season. 

Is it a coincidence that the McCain-Palin poll numbers' decline has coincided with Saturday Night Live and Tina Fey taking Palin to task?  I'd say no, because the Saturday Night Live portrayal of Palin has come just as Americans have come to know Palin better and better.  Fey's impersonation hasn't been much of a caricature – it's been close to the real thing (just take a look at the striking similarities to Palin's Couric interview and SNL's spoof of the same interview). 

This is not the place to get political, but in a purely objective manner it has to be said that Americans love to be able to laugh at their political figures.  And, during election time, the proverbial cream rises to the top in terms of which political figures contain the most comedic value.  The system works itself out – comedy, in a very general sense, is an equal opportunity offender.  For all the claims of bias waged at this institution or that, an outfit like Saturday Night Live has one objective and that's to make its audience laugh.  If there's an axe to grind, it's against ineptitude.  If you think Saturday Night Live is beating up on a certain figure, it's only because that person is the easiest target and, as it usually turns out, the easiest target is generally the most deserving one. 

A famous Mark Twain quote goes like this: “Humor is tragedy plus time.”  In cynical times such as these, humor is a necessity.  We need to stare in the face of tragedy and depression and a frightening future, and laugh.  Saturday Night Live, like all good comedy, has taken advantage of these trying times, picked out some of the most depressing aspects, and found humor in them.  Comedy is a form of escapism, and it's no wonder that Saturday Night Live's ratings have jumped roughly fifty percent this season.  We're approaching a monumentally important election, staring a recession in the face and the country is not in the highest of spirits.  People want to laugh.  People need to laugh.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of NBC)