Of course, SCTV was the Toronto-branch of "Second City", which is where Ackroyd started, before going to the Chicago one.
Posted on 01/24/2017 5:57:18 AM PST by shortstop
On Saturday Night Live, have they ever lampooned New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo?
As it turns out, no, they haven’t.
And it’s not because being governor of New York is too obscure to merit mention on a national television show. SNL repeatedly lampooned Cuomo’s predecessor, David Paterson, for being blind.
Classy.
But Cuomo has never come been the target of SNL’s scorn.
It’s all in on attacking his potential presidential political opponent – Donald Trump – but it’s never laid a glove on him.
Which has no connection, I’m sure, to the fact that Andrew Cuomo feeds Saturday Night Live between $10 and $12 million each year in taxpayer subsidies.
This is in the news now because of some details in Andrew Cuomo’s recently released proposed budget. It doesn’t seem to include the specifics for Saturday Night Live, or any other show, but it does call for another $420 million this year to subsidize the motion picture and television industry.
Andrew Cuomo, jockeying to be the leader of national progressives, funnels more tax dollars into the entertainment industry than anyone else in the world.
And the entertainment industry is wildly progressive.
And I’m sure that’s a pure coincidence.
Or not.
Because it turns out that the two most Democrat-leaning states in the nation – California and New York – pour about $750 million a year between them into the television and motion picture industries. That’s more than any other states, and seemingly more than all other states combined.
And ironically, those television and motion picture industries, getting all those tax dollars from Democrat politicians, create programming and take public positions that politically benefit Democrats and socially stigmatize Republicans.
What a crazy coincidence.
Republican waitresses and welders get taxed to subsidize Democrat movie stars.
And we’re supposed to pretend it never even occurs to us to ask whether or not there’s a connection between the money Democrats give movie stars and the endorsements movie stars give Democrats.
Like Saturday Night Live, which seems of late to revolve completely around mocking Donald Trump. Is nobody at all curious about what implicit strings come attached to the massive amounts of money Andrew Cuomo gives the show each year?
And what about Stephen Colbert, who used to be funny on TV, but now does a daily anti-Republican screed on CBS. When he wanted the Ed Sullivan Theater renovated to accommodate his show (and ego) the taxpayers of the state of New York – led by Andrew Cuomo, Democrat – were ripped off for $5 million to pay for it.
Does no one in society or the so-called watchdog media wonder if there’s a connection between money from Democrats and hatred for Republicans?
Is it just a coincidence that they all share a shrill political philosophy?
Doesn’t anybody worry that the pouring of all this money into the mind-shaping organs of our society might be intended to propagandize public opinion? From topics on variety shows to story lines in sitcoms, to pronouncements from millionaire entertainers, how do we know none of that is bought and paid for?
How do we know that the $420 million Andrew Cuomo is giving Hollywood this year isn’t intended to buy anything? He pushes his progressive agenda every way he can, and his Hollywood cronies do a great deal to help. Are we completely sure that’s not the result of his incredible generosity with taxpayers’ money?
Is this anything other than not biting the hand that is feeding you?
Many are upset that this one industry is so disproportionately and lavishly benefited by taxpayer underwriting. But shouldn’t people also be upset by the seeming conflict of interest, in which a Democrat governor gives more than $10 million to a show that savages all things Republican? Why are taxpayer dollars in such astronomical amounts plowed into a business that blacklists anyone who’s not a progressive?
Doesn’t that bother anybody?
Are no reporters or attorneys general intrigued by that? Isn’t the United States attorney the least bit curious?
To me, it smells like political payola.
You wash my back, and I’ll wash yours. You preach my gospel, and I’ll pay your bills.
With taxpayers’ money.
"There's a knob on the TV that says 'Brightness' but it doesn't work." - Gallagher
Why are states funding TV and movies? Trump, get on this!
I didn’t know states gave money to the intertainment industry!
Why? What is the official reason?
And let us stop doing that!
I don’t feel that TV programming is getting worse. I feel their dramas are better than the movies lately.
I am aware that some of the shows are extremely politically correct, but not all. There are too many high quality shows for me personally to even watch. I keep discovering new ones to binge watch but I have so little time that binge might mean 4 episodes a week.
Guess I haven’t watched many shows lately, because some I’ve watched were PC crap, so I cut back...just watch classics anymore
Don’t forget that former Senator Chris Dodd heads the Motion Picture Association.
A great start!
[ We are in a time when the TELEVISION SETS get better and better by the year, while the TELEVISION programs get worse and worse by the week. ]
True. When “movie stars” were being called to “testify” before Congress, I knew we were in big trouble.
The whole thing has become one bit propaganda outlet. The MSM, Hollyweird pushing leftist agendas nonstop. Commercials, too, push and push agendas.
correct
Now 3-D House of Beef...
[ Texas, under Gov. Goodhair Perry, gave the Bravo Channel $$$$ ]
That’s scary right there. Thanks for the info.
Of course, SCTV was the Toronto-branch of "Second City", which is where Ackroyd started, before going to the Chicago one.
Just another one of the swamps in need of draining.
There was also the short-lived “Fridays”. Used to enjoy all of them.
Fridays was great. That’s where Larry David and Michael Richards got their start. My favorite character was Richards’ “Battle Boy” who would blow up the toy soldiers in his backyard.
Kids in the Hall, too.
Yeah was good stuff. There was also “Laugh Trax” with Jim Staahl who would later get a part in “Spies Like Us” as one of the double agents - In addition, Matt Frewer - he’s one of the soldiers firing an automatic weapon into the slime / water pit.
Yeah was good stuff. There was also “Laugh Trax” with Jim Staahl who would later get a part in “Spies Like Us” as one of the double agents - In addition, Matt Frewer - he’s one of the soldiers firing an automatic weapon into the slime / water pit.
Argh - this mouse...
The only ones that I recall (that stand out) were the Muppet Meat and the Secret Service - I’ve seen some of the Gavin skits on YT.
Yes, they did. And they staged Lemmings (which was filmed for HBO and released as a record). And did the radio show, and the cast got scooped up for television.
Some Second City comedians went to Canada with SCTV in the late 70s/early 80s and it eventually was picked up in the US by NBC.
I haven’t heard of other ensemble success coming out of Second City. Some lone names before and after but not a peer group.
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon - Official Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EXQgTDZs60
Lemmings (1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuBhwEgi8qU
About time for a Lemmings 2017 satire
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