This past saturday I stayed in at watched the season premiere of Saturday Night Live and was pleasantly surprised to see the return of SNL alum, Tina Fey, impersonating the Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin. The comedy sketch included Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton speaking together about the sexism in the campaign and the role of women in politics.
In the sketch Tina Fey as Sarah Palin says,"We are here to address the very ugly role that sexism is playing in the campaign." Hilary Clinton responds, "An issue that I am frankly surprised to see that people suddenly care about."
Though it is only a comedy sketch, it is important to note the amount of media coverage that this five and a half minute clip received in the following days. From Fox News to MSNBC, every talk show and news center had something to say about it. Does this mean that SNL is relevant in shaping public opinion in the campaign season? I think it is important to note the role that Saturday Night Live plays in the public. The sketch addresses the many criticisms that Sarah Palin has received in the news media about her inexperience, not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is, and other issues highlighted on a day to day basis. The sketch also brings up the news medias perception of her and whether or not the fact that she is a woman means that she is being treated differently or unfairly; if the media is involving sexism and empty attacks on the VP candidate. Is the media's focus on the comedy sketch just another distraction to focusing on the real issues?
What do you think the role of Saturday Night Live is during campaign season, or do you think that it should have nothing to do with it? I think it will be interesting in the next couple of weeks to see the developments between these comedy sketches and reactions from the campaigns, and most importantly, the news media.
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