Uh. Yeah.
What did you all think of Sarah Palin's opening appearance on SNL last night (not to mention the later Weekend Update rap which was disturbingly catchy)? I was simultaneously somewhat amused and deeply horrified (hmm...seems I've had this feeling before). Even though I was half laughing, the whole thing made me uncomfortable, especially Alec Baldwin calling Palin a "horrible woman" right in front of her. And did anyone else notice how Tina Fey brushed past her? Maybe it was just an act, but I feel deeply conflicted by her appearance. And I don't even like her! Thoughts?
Edited to add the videos, below the cut:
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13 comments:
Perhaps you were made uncomfortable, because what you describe is typical Mean Girl Behavior--a kind of emotional bullying one finds in places like public Schools.
I dont like Palin either, that being said, I am not a cruel human being and I would still treat her with the kindness and decency I offer any person, even if-- that she has indicated she might deny me those things, as her ideological opposite.
Unlike Christian-Supremacists, My compassion for others isnt mitigated by their political or religious loyalties, or race or gender. The Golden Rule is very important in my household.
I think that it was a ploy by the campaign to improve her likability but I don't think it really worked. Anyone that will vote for her based on an appearance on SNL was probably going to vote for her anyway, or is an idiot. Or is one of these awful human beings. Seriously? "Proud to be voting for the hot chick"?
Also, I didn't think the skits were particularly funny.
I was impressed, I have to say, by Palin's good-natured attempt to go along with the Amy Poehler rap. But you all make a good point about an overall lack of dignity and respect, and Fourth Wave, I thank you for bringing that to our attention over at Girl with Pen!
I'm probably going to get in trouble for saying so, but I liked her appearance. As much as I disagree with her politics, and BELIEVE me I do, I respect a politician who has enough of a sense of humor to make fun of themselves on national television. I think that the bit with Alec Baldwin actually was making more fun of Baldwin as a crazy liberal who hates the woman not her politics. I think that that is what is making you uncomfortable, Aviva. That king of hate on either side of the aisle makes me uncomfortable too, it is the same thing that went on with Sen. Clinton and what is going on with the terrorist rhetoric and Sen. Obama. That is more disturbing than SNL,which with the acceptation of these sketches, is profoundly UNwatchable.
I have to admit, I was uncomfortable watching it. I had hoped they would have come up with a decent skit for her instead of a lame mistaken identity one that had jokes around her but not jokes she was truly a part of.
I also didn't think the opening skit very funny, though the rap was hilarious. Palin let the SNL cast swirl around her was b/c she didn't have time to rehearse a more involved skit. The SNL folks had to write skits that Palin could step into -- which she did rather stiffly (especially during the rap, where she bobbed her head on and off the beat, smiling as if she didn't quite know what the fuss was about. Still, it is the fault of the RNC that they thought this venue would help. It was also colossally stupid of them to think that SNL cast would change their political affiliations and comedic gumption just b/c Palin had decided that her appearance was a good political move. I not only think that the ploy to make her appear more likable (or SNL cast seem cruel) didn't work, but the whole sorry "appearance" made her look even more inept and clueless, like a robot reading her lines and smiling at the joke that she can't quite comprehend. That the joke was on her doesn't validate her candidacy; rather, it underscores her unpreparedness for a position that requires sensitivity to complex situations, an ability to gauge the public angle of all actions (whether undertaken in jest or deadly seriousness), and enough flexibile intelligence to be able to improvise inside a public pressure cooker.
The appearance actually made me pretty mad and uncomfortable.
Especially because the only thing Alec Baldwin actually said to her was that she was way hotter in person. Disgusting and inappropriate.
The look on her face when Baldwin talked about her was so painful. I don't think it made either Palin or SNL look good. At all.
I didn't watch it and am not surprised it was disrespectful. Palin represents a kind of feminism and female power that makes many uncomfortable. But she is doing great things for women in politics right now because she is out there and visible. I'd rather have a woman running for VP who I don't agree with in all things, than more men. Go Sarah go!
@willow: I find it just incredible that anyone would prefer to vote for a woman with whom they disagree than a man. Voting based strictly on gender is precisely what has kept women out of the white house this long. Electing an incompetent woman to the white house will, in fact, set back women's rights and make it that much harder for the next woman candidate to be taken seriously. Palin's policies are, across the board, bad for women and that is far more important than her gender. I seriously do not understand the "one vagina, one vote" philosophy that keeps women with feminist sensibilities supporting Palin even in light of her many anti-feminist policies and beliefs.
@ADMiller Thank you. I feel exactly the same way and was trying to figure out how to express it. You did it so much better than I could have.
Along those lines, ADMiller and Erin (and Willow), Fannie has an interesting from a few weeks ago on just this issue(voting with one's gender): Voting with the little hood.
AD Miller, Erin, others.
I'm one of those feminists that will support McCain only because of his pick of Gov.Palin.
And if you're genuinely curious about why, this is the reason:
http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/the-30-percent-solution-why-democratic-women-are-voting-for-mccainpalin/
I'm all for increasing women's representation in the Senate, the House, and the Oval Office. However, Palin is not the right woman. She supports policies that will set back feminism by many years--not least of which her stance on overturning Roe v. Wade. The decision to vote for Palin only because she is a woman is offensive to my own feminist politics. In fact, I firmly believe that Obama and Biden are both better feminists than Palin. So this 30% solution is only looking at one aspect of the problem. Not only do women need more representation, they need the RIGHT representation.
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