October 6th, 2009 -the Comedy Fairness Doctrine was conceived. A liberal civil war was declared. CNN versus Saturday Night Live. The cable news network turned their heat seeking missiles of truth detection on the laser-guided precision of punchlines delivered on a variety show. The weekend preceding this historic day, Saturday Night Live returned for a new season of shows. Their signature opening sketch featured President Barack Obama (played by Fred Armisen) reading off a laundry list of agenda items he pledged to do, and has yet to accomplish since winning the presidency.
The list was comically, painfully long and the audience applauded and laughed at the real-life, obvious absence of leadership the sketch had captured in President Obama. It is key to remember this is the work of comedy writers who could not find something funny about candidate or President Obama for nearly two years. They did all they could to mock anyone and everyone around the man as to avoid skewering the “One” bearing gifts of “hope and change.” But we’re coming up on a year in elected office and the liberals have grown restless.
While their motives were most likely to gently nudge their hero to act on his promises, SNL’s writers still came to the conclusion that they couldn’t afford to lose what comedic street credibility they have left. Doing what they’ve done since the late 70s, SNL finally acknowledged what the electorate recognized in our Commander in Chief months ago. Enter CNN.
Monday, October 6th Wolf Blitzer took to the airwaves:
“It seems no politician is safe from Saturday Night Live. While many people think SNL has mostly spared President Obama, what they’re doing now is not necessarily all that kind. They essentially cast the leader of the free world as a do-nothing president, at least so far. Even though SNL deals in comedy, what they said about the President rings true for a lot of you, apparently. So, did the show accurately capture a mood, or did it go off track for comedic effect? Let’s bring in CNN’s Kareen Wynter. She’s checking the facts for us. All right, Kareen, what are you finding out?”
Yes, CNN fact-checked the comedy of Saturday Night Live.
Just this past Saturday, yet another opening SNL sketch slapped President Obama for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Armisen’s Obama conceded he’s accomplished absolutely nothing to deserve the award. The sketch again received big laughs and applause – and more scrutiny from news media. This time, the analysis came from the news division of SNL’s parent network, NBC. Sunday’s NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt found the anchor asking his correspondent if the White House was “concerned” about the “comedy gloves coming off.”
The comedy world sat up and took notice of the press scrutiny immediately. The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart launched into a blistering, 12-minute assault on CNN’s fact-checking session this week. “While you were doing your research did you also find that sharks live in water and don’t deliver candy grams…,” demanded Stewart, referring to a classic SNL sketch called Land Shark.
While Stewart’s admonishment of CNN was hilarious, it was also telling. In just over 20 minutes of actual programming, the host and writers devoted two-thirds of their comedy to assailing CNN. Why? Stewart and company have just been introduced to the chilling effect of a White House and news media offensive traditionally reserved for the “wing-nuts” on Fox News and talk radio.
It’s a beautiful symphony when your comedy, the White House, and the news media are on the same stage swinging at conservatives in concert. Last week, however, the comedians strayed from the sheet music in a major way. The public was demanding their honesty if they were to still enjoy a credible laugh with their favorite shows. In delivering for their audience, our friends in comedy got a taste of the treatment “tea partiers” and conservative talk radio regularly receives. Welcome to the enemies list, funny men.
This will certainly be only the beginning. The fact that CNN and NBC News find comedians poking fun at the president as “news” acknowledges what honest media watchers have known all along. The press, the President, and comedy formed an unspoken “circle of trust” with one another when it came to the Obama administration. Banning together, they helped elect an inexperienced radical as President. They also acknowledge their power “misdirected” individually can destroy all they worked together to create.
The press is still willing to battle on behalf of this White House, but the comedians are off the reservation – choosing honesty over ideology. The comedian’s punishment? Fact checking and discrediting attacks from their former pals. In no time, surely good members of Congress will call for a Comedy Fairness Doctrine. Perhaps all broadcasts of comedy material should be reviewed by the White House before delivery? Maybe an appointed, diverse community board of writers should be created in New York and L.A? If the comedy seems particularly biting to the President or the Democrat Congress, President Obama’s appointed board members may add and subtract punch lines to maintain a sense of humorous equilibrium.
Sure it sounds absurd. It did to talk radio hosts once, too. Not so funny now, is it?
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