Has Tina Fey’s Palin Act Worn Out Its Welcome ?

NRO ^ | NOVEMBER 10, 2010 | Greg Pollowitz

[RobinMasters]

Paul Farhi of the Washington Post reports on Tina Fey’s acceptance speech for the “Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.”

In her acceptance speech, Fey touched on her best-known bit — her Palin imitation –and offered some mock hands-across-the-political-divide commentary. The rise of conservative women in politics, she said pointedly, is good for all women, “unless you don’t want to pay for your own rape kit . . . unless you’re a lesbian who wants to get married to your partner of 20 years . . . [or] unless you believe in evolution.”

The lines played first to nervous laughter and then to not much laughter at all.

Not a good sign when you bomb at a humor-awards ceremony.

[massmike]

The voice and hands of “Mr. Hands” was Vance DeGeneres, the older brother of Ellen.

...so Ellen is the younger brother?

[ceoinva]

But the impression has stuck. My business colleague who detests Obama thinks Palin is a dunce. I’ve tried many times with no progress. Any suggestions on how to disabuse him and many, many others who might otherwise like her of that impression?

[Greek]

Have him watch Palin’s Alaska...that program is going to show the real Palin, like when Regan went over the media directly to the people thay saw him for what he was...

[kiryandil]

Thinking Palin is stupid or a dunce is a sure sign that the Media has gotten in the person's head.

I actually pity people I know like that, because they're completely unaware that the Media OWNS them, that they're the Media's b*tch.

You might want to tell your colleague that the danger in allowing the Media to own oneself is that one day, for giggles, they'll put on a full-court propaganda blitz telling you that ALL THE COOL PEOPLE are peeing in their pants, because, well - it's COOL. And that you should pee in your pants, too.

[grandpa jones]

"The rise of conservative liberal women in politics, she said pointedly, is good for all women, “unless you don’t want to pay for your own rape kit are an unborn child ..."

there, fixed it for ya tina

[boop]

I love my wife, but she is a liberal. She thinks Palin is stupid, and Obama is smart. I’ve asked her for evidence of either, but she just gets mad. I REALLY want to know how a guy who needs a teleprompter to address a kindergarten class could EVER be considered “brilliant”.

[unseen1]

It is not that Fey has dwindled it is that Palin has grown. Palin no longer fits the Fey impersonation and therefore it falls on deaf ears...

[TChad]

But the impression has stuck.

Sad but true.

A successful Palin/Couric rematch could change many minds. Sarah is now much, much better at being interviewed.

[neocon1984]

I love my wife, but she is a liberal. She thinks Palin is stupid, and Obama is smart

Been there. There is little hope for the indoctrinated, be they Democrats or Republicans. One either learns to live with it or move on. I moved on.

[Neverforget01]

It was never about being funny, it was always about trying to harm someone using the power of a national audience

Mean tends to get old, and just makes a person look small, like Tina.

[unseen1]

Explain how she has no staff then hand him the op-ed from NRO and ask him if a dunce could write such a detailed polictal science paper. then hand him the facebook post on obamacare, Qe2, energy production etc.

Palin’s writings come off so much better. She is a much better communicator with the written word then the spoken word.

then explain why if she is dunce does she have the entire left wing and GOp establishment trying to take her down. Explain you do not waste that type of resources and time for a dunce.

[namvolunteer]

Yup!

[ak267]

SNL stopped being funny ever since the late 70’s
+++++++++++++++++++++++++

agreed.

Someone needs to say to Pelosi, “Jane you ignorant slut.”

I lost interest after Murphy and Piscapo left.

[JohnBovenmyer]

Removing their glasses has a similar effect on Palin and Clark Kent’s looks.

[SaraJohnson]

The left shot their wad in the last round of Palin abuse “jokes.”

I still see some hangers-on pretending that Palin actually said Tina Fey’s commedy line “I can see Russia from mah house.” They can not tell the difference between a comedian’s act and the real person. These are the “smart” people who want to rule over us with global communism.

[Steve_Seattle]

To be funny, satire needs to have a solid basis in reality. But Tina Fey is doing satire based on stuff that Palin never did or said (evolution/rape kit). As for the lesbians getting married, Obama says he doesn't believe in gay marriage either. Of course, Fey probably realizes Obama's lying about that. But more to the point, the comment about lesbian marriage might be legitimate as a critique of a policy position, but it isn't funny. At all.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Have him watch Palin’s Alaska . . . that program is going to show the real Palin . . . "

Yes, it will. It will show that Palin - unlike a lot of politicians and pundits whose only skill is in flapping their yappers - can actually DO things, things requiring skill, physical conditioning, and courage. I'd like to see Kathleen Parker and Katie Couric try to do all the things that Palin does. Palin was and is a PLAYER, Couric was a cheerleader.

[Nevadan]

I must disagree with several of my fellow Freepers regarding Tina Fey. I like her. I think that Tina Fey is a very talented and gifted comedy writer - but she, like many other gifted comedians, allows her liberalism to turn her into a total airhead when it comes to politics and morality (i.e. religion).

I never watched the show “30 Rock” until I started streaming Netflix. I never watched it before because I couldn’t stand Alec Baldwin. However, I decided to try one episode just to see why it was still on the air.

Surprisingly, I found it to be very clever and funny. Fey’s writing often skewers the hypocrisy and moral inconsistencies of liberalism. She even uses Tracy Morgan’s character to demonstrate the ludicrous dogma of racial politics. For, example, Fey has Tracy carrying around a literal card that says “Race Card” on it. He hands it to people that he disagrees with but can’t win the argument. He gives them the race card to shut them up.

Fey’s problem is that when she attempts to satire “conservatism”, it always falls flat because it’s always a cartoon version of conservatism. It is a view of conservatism that is so stereotyped and outlandish that it just does not work because it’s a completely false picture of conservatism.

Rush Limbaugh has always said that good satire must contain some truth in order to be funny. SNL, Leno, Letterman, and Fey are hilarious when they accurately portray the idiocy of the left - and, it’s funny because it’s true! However, when they try to do the same thing with conservatives - they have to use the cartoon conservative as their target (i.e. all Republicans are rich, protecting the rich, are corporate fat-cats, etc.). The only ones laughing are the left-wingers.

I’m not defending Fey’s stupid impersonation of Sarah - it had a bit of humor the very first time, but it soon wore off because she attempted to present Sarah as this one-dimensional caricature.

But, to say that Tina Fey has no talent is just not true. She is extremely gifted - I just wish she could see ALL the truth ALL the time. Her talent is blunted by her ideology.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

GOOD NEWS! I despise Tina Fey and, save for the glasses, she looks nothing like beautiful Sarah Palin.

The worst thing about Tina Fey and SNL is that many clueless young people (who vote sometimes) have bought into this portrayal. It's totally unfair.

[Uncle Ivan]

SNL, Leno, Letterman, and Fey are hilarious when they accurately portray the idiocy of the left - and, it’s funny because it’s true!

Other than Leno on occasion, when have the rest accurately portrayed the idiocy of the left? SNL won't hit Obama, instead tiptoeing around with a lame impression, Fey we already know is walking afterbirth, and Letterman? He hasn't been funny in two decades.