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.

[fml]

Thanks.

I try to keep up, but that was just stupid. Fey = not funny and now not even a useful tool.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Rush Limbaugh has always said that good satire must contain some truth in order to be funny."

I agree, and made a similar point in post #56. SNL used to be able to do funny caricatures of conservatives, but they also took on liberals like Bill Clinton. (The skit of Clinton [Phil Hartman] visiting McDonalds and mooching everyone's food while talking policy and working the room was a classic.)

Dana Carvey did a good Bush Sr, and Hartman did a good Reagan. One classic Hartman/Reagan skit was actually a spoof on the liberal caricature of Reagan as a dunce - it depicted Reagan, behind closed doors with top staff - as an incredibly brilliant master of policy detail, using a pull-down world map to direct the movement of arms shipments, joking in Japanese with someone on the phone, and so forth. Then, when he's called out of the meeting for a photo-op with a Girl Scout, he assumes the persona of the amiable, grandfatherly dunce. Back in the meeting, he is again razor-sharp.

There are so many things about Obama and Michelle they could satirize, but they either can't or won't, or don't even see it (e.g., Michelle's garish clothes, Obama's teleprompter, etc.)

[Nevadan]

re: “Other than Leno on occasion, when have the rest accurately portrayed the idiocy of the left?”

They have all poked fun at the left from time to time and, when they did it was great because it was truth. I didn’t say it happened often - but, I have heard them do it from time to time. Tina Fey’s show “30 Rock” routinely exposes the hypocricy of left leaning ideas - but, you have to watch the show to see it. I already mentioned the “race card” bit. That’s just one of them.

I’m not saying they are fair towards conservatism - I was disagreeing with those who called Fey a no-talent slut. It just isn’t true. Lindsey Lohan, Rosanne Barr, or Madonna are untalented sluts - not Tina Fey.

Humor is so subjective - especially satire. Some people think Bob Hope was untalented - I think he was one of the greatest comics ever. But, go figure?

[RichInOC]

Really not a good sign when you bomb with that line at a Kennedy Center event.

[allmendream]

“Talking economics at a dinner party is like pissing down your own leg, it might feel hot to you, but not to anybody else.” JBJ

[Steve_Seattle]

Here's my idea for a brief SNL skit about Obama:

(Camera shows a semi-closeup of Obama's face.)

Obama: I'd like to thank you all for being here as we break bread on this Christmas morning. This holiday reminds us of the great truths found in all religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Sikhism, Mormonism, Unitarianism, Native American Religion, Druidism, Wicca, Santeria, Rastafarianism, Voodoo, Satanism, and Scientology. All religions equally teach the universal values of peace and justice. And so it is fitting that as we gather on this day, we pause to consider that all people are in fact one, and that the creator has instilled in each and every one of us a capacity for truth and justice, compassion and service. As a young boy in Kenya, I learned that no matter the color of their skin or the style of their clothes or the nature of their religion, all men, women and children breathed the same air and walked the same earth, and that this earth is big enough for all of us, and all of us have our personal path and personal mission in life. As president, I believe that my mission is to serve the American people, to put an end to the bitter divisiveness of politics, and to make life better for each and every one of us. Accordingly, today I am announcing a new policy initiative to ease the tax burden on small business and spur the economy towards new job creation. I am proposing a $32 billion program to jump-start the economy by . . .

(As Obama speaks, the camera gradually pulls back, showing Obama standing at a podium with the Presidential Seal, flanked by teleprompters. As the camera pulls back further, we see his audience is his wife and two daughters, sitting at the breakfast table, looking bored and impatient to eat their corn flakes.)

Announcer: Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!

[Steve_Seattle]

Humor is indeed subjective, and also specific to place and time. I've been very disappointed watching re-runs of several comedy shows from the 50s and 60s - many just aren't funny anymore.

Millions loved "Friends" and "Everybody Loves Raymond", but I rarely found them funny at all. I loved "Seinfeld" and "Frasier", as did millions, but others didn't like them in the least.

[allmendream]

I remember a few SNL political skits that were really funny and absolutely skewered the left.

I remember the one about the banking scandal that had ‘Soros’ captioned as “Owner: Democratic Party” and correctly pointed the blame for the collapse and pointed out that only R's were (incompetently) sounding the alarm on this.

I remember the “China cold open” with the Chinese Premiere asking 0bama to “kiss me” “because I like to be kissed when you ARE MAKING SEX WITH ME!”. “I KNOW WHAT A CLUNKER IS!”.

They were also among the first to point out the incestuous nature of the press relationship to the 0bama campaign/administration. They ask Hillary pointed demanding questions designed to drive a wedge between her votes and the voters - then ask 0bama “Are you comfortable? can we fluff your pillow for you?”.

They ARE funny when they portray the idiocy of the left.

[Mr. Thorne]

Relatively so. She was governor at the time, I believe. And wow, is she gorgeous.

[Mr. Thorne]

The look on her face is great on that photo.

[Mr. Thorne]

The look on her face is great on that photo.

[onyx]

Beautiful face. Beautiful heart.