SNL skit under fire

keyser soze

A skit on Saturday Night Live, poking fun at visually-impaired NY governor David Paterson has stirred up a lot of controversy. Was it good comedy or bad taste? You be the judge:

http://tv.yahoo.com/saturday-night-live/show/194/videos/11094019

leavingwt

The First Amendment is designed to protect unpopular speech. The Governor should grow a spine.

Is he familiar with the concept of comedy? Imitation and flattery?

undercover

I saw it live Saturday night. I thought it was humorous but not one of their greatest skits. It was funnier when he kept wandering in front of the camera...

...except when Amy Poehler was trying to say her goodbyes to the show. She was getting all teary-eyed and here comes the faux governer wandering right across her camera angle during her moment.

watson

There were some good lines there about New Jersey. LOL. And the wondering in front of Amy was out of love....

I watched it Saturday night Live as well, I don't think it was a great skit either.

*****cept when Amy Poehler was trying to say her goodbyes to the show. She was getting all teary-eyed and here comes the faux governer wandering right across her camera angle during her moment.****

Maybe it would not have been quite so bad had he not looked like a bumbling fool while she was saying good-bye.

I am not much on humour that pokes fun at disabilities, well I guess it depends on the individual.

Sammy Davis Jr used to make fun of his glass eye and I remember Dean Martin cracking jokes some, with Sammy there, but they were buddies. They both saw the humour in it.

purps

DazedAndConfused

I personally did not see the skit but this is the type of thing that they do all the time and I find it funny. The Governor himself went on David Letterman and poked fun of his disability. If he can poke fun at himself I believe that he can take it from SNL.

purplesofa

He did not find it funny.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2008/12/gov-paterson-di.html

Gov. David Paterson didn’t think the "Saturday Night Live" skit poking fun at his blindness and admitted drug use was very funny at all.

The skit had "SNL" cast member Fred Armisen doing a scarily spot-on impression of the governor during the show's "Weekend Update" segment. Seth Meyers had to help him turn his chair to face the cameras. Armisen’s Paterson later returned to wander in front of the camera during Amy Poehler’s farewell.

Click here to see Amy try to say goodbye.

"I can take a joke," Paterson told the Daily News on Sunday. "But only 37% of disabled people are working, and I'm afraid that that kind of third-grade humor certainly adds to this atmosphere."

In the skit about the governor's choice of a replacement for Sen. Hillary Clinton, Armisen's Paterson pointed out that he became governor after Gov. Eliot Spitzer's prostitution scandal.

"Whoever is appointed senator must -- like me -- be caught totally off guard and be comically unprepared to take office," he said. "Come on, I'm a blind man who loves cocaine who was suddenly appointed governor of New York. My life is an actual plot from a Richard Pryor movie."

A spokesman for the National Federation of the Blind also slammed the "SNL" skit.

"The biggest problem faced by blind people is not blindness itself, but the stereotypes held by the general public," spokesman Chris Danielsen said. "The idea that blind people are incapable of the simplest tasks and are perpetually disoriented and befuddled is absolutely wrong."

Paterson's spokesman Errol Cockfield Jr. said "the governor is sure that 'Saturday Night Live,' with all of its talent, can find a way to be funny without being offensive."

NBC declined to comment on the show and the skit. Natch.

What do you think? Did "SNL" go too far in making fun of a blind politician? Or is everyone fair game?

keyser soze

What do you think? Did "SNL" go too far in making fun of a blind politician? Or is everyone fair game?

Perhaps that's the problem. Who is it okay to make fun of, and who is off limits? Obviously, when you make fun of people with disabilities, regardless of spirit or context, you should expect a backlash. But it seems a little disingenuous to say you want to be treated like everyone else, regardless of your disability, but not be able to laugh at yourself like everyone else.

cameo-d

Not being familiar with this governor person, I assume that the "focus" on the handicap was used as a distraction for the content of what is really going on.

The fact is, the general public has become very disrespectful of all it's political leaders.

The language, accusations, and vulgar parody would not have been tolerated years ago.

The general public has seen the sham of self-interest politics and too much dirty laundry and doubletalk over the years. There is no trust and no respect left. Anything goes now.

I think the verbal revolt has been obvious for some time. I think our governing structure was fractured some years ago and now the blocks are tumbling and heads are rolling. It seems to be happening in other nations as well.

The spin doctors tell us it's "terrorists" causing all these global problems. Well, anyone who speaks against their government is now considered a "terrorist". ("If you are not with us, then you are a terrorist"...George W. Bush) Many of these "terrorist" activities we are hearing about in other countries are actually the people revolting against their governments.

With more and more ineptitude and lies being brought forth concerning the deceit in rulership, it becomes more obvious that people will revolt. Therefore, controls have already been put into place to harness the actions of the general public, and when the sword of Damacles drops these controls will be implemented. And everyone will think the Big Roving Eye is the work of jehovah and it will be a good thing. (NOT)

mustang

The First Amendment is designed to protect unpopular speech. The Governor should grow a spine.

Add Sullivan v. NY times: PUBLIC FIGURES have to grow spines or just deal with it. Serves them right: if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Mustang

SNL skit under fire

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