Debatable Humor: 'SNL' and
the, Um, Art of Political Parody

by Linda Holmes

What's fun on Friday? Debate humor! Saturday Night Live has an odd tendency to excel in particular areas while tanking in others, and one of its strengths has been -- oddly -- debate sketches.

The clip above features Dana Carvey's George H.W. Bush (before it got over-exaggerated) and Jon Lovitz's Michael Dukakis (which came down to one highly quotable line).

But the secret weapon is Jan Hooks as Diane Sawyer -- because Diane Sawyer is exactly like that, with that winking, smiling, syrupy delivery and all that reveling in the discomfort of others.

More debates, and a prediction about the weekend, after the jump ...

Little was said in 2004 about either Seth Meyers' impression of John Kerry or Will Forte's George W. Bush, and for good reason. But this clip is still worth revisiting, if only because it uses the "town hall" format that will mark this Tuesday's presidential debate.

And that's always fun: Whenever candidates take questions from voters, you see this weird tendency (and not just with Bush, though Forte's the guy who picks it up here) to obsessively call questioners by their first names, as if they have all genuinely just met up here by coincidence and are in the process of becoming pals. Friend me on Facebook, Presidential Candidate Guy; we're on a first-name basis!

Also worth noting: Bush must have appeared frenetic and jumpy in a debate right before this aired, because Forte is absolutely hammering that point, and that's not an angle that has stood the test of time. Forte's hopping around on stage is one of those transient jokes that lasts a week, and then nobody gets the reference anymore.

And finally: You can place this sketch perfectly in pop-culture history by noting that "Internets" was still a laugh line. Because it had, indeed, just happened.

Most recently, in case you missed it, there was this. McCain and Obama are both hard to mimic, I think, because neither has a particularly noteworthy collection of tics.

Fred Armisen's Obama is improving in general, and the way he starts all his answers with "Uhhhhh, look" is the best-observed cadence in the sketch. The whole thing is too long, but I very much like the part about the pie-eating contest. And, honestly, when a campaign has gone on long enough, I wouldn't mind seeing it converted to a pie-eating contest. Who's with me?

As for what's next: Unless Tina Fey is in someone's wedding this weekend, or she comes down with mono, I'd think you'll see another debate sketch this Saturday night.

My guess? You're going to see some winking, and the odd shout-out to various elementary-school classrooms.

Update, Monday a.m.: Well, we nailed that, didn't we?

11:49 AM ET | 10- 3-2008 | permalink

comments | | e-mail