Hillary Clinton appeared on last night's episode of Saturday Night Live, NBC's late night sketch comedy platform- now enjoying higher ratings than it's past several seasons. In a sketch that mimicked the Cleveland debate, Clinton appeared to add an "op-ed" response to the debate between herself and Senator Obama, something she's been criticized for doing as of late. She commented on how much she enjoyed her portrayal on the show, which prompted her doppleganger to enter the stage, played by the brilliant, yet sometimes brutal, Amy Poehler. Clinton was amicable, even funny, when she exclaimed to identically dressed Poehler, "I love your outfit, but I do want the earrings back." She even got a few laughs when fielding questions about her campaign's morale stating "we're doing very, very well... why, what have you heard?" It was obvious that her appearance on the show was following in the footsteps of a certain Illinois senator (as he was referred to on the show), as well as an attempt to prove likability and appear aloof, qualities she's not often criticized for lacking.The reason I blog about her appearance is this: the past several seasons have seen the rise of the SNL viral video. Thank Andy Samberg for that (so pretty...). You may remember Samberg as Justin Timberlake's counterpart in the infamous "D*** in a Box" video, or the dude rapping about red vines in "lazy sunday". His shorts have given SNL a place on the internet, making their videos some of the most passed on of the year. Rarely do people watch actual SNL broadcasts, but NBC.com or Youtube are common venues for video clips from the show. Hillary did a smart thing by appearing on the show. With a minute and thirty seconds on the show, she's giving the young people something to watch (and blog about). She's dispelling rumors of campaign weakness and her frigidity in a forum that can be passed on an immense number of times. Sure, commercials are important, and a campy appearance on a comedy show may seem a bit contrived, but you can't blame a girl for trying. She'll also appear on The Daily Show tomorrow night. I can't wait to witness her awkwardly attempting to banter with John Stewart.
In case you're interested....
1 comment:
I missed last night's episode, but I am sure it was a funny one. I wonder what impact it is going to have in her campaign after appearing on the show. It appears to be a smart move in some ways to portray a different side of her to the American audience.
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