September 22, 2008 6:13 AM
Saturday Night Live "spoofs" Palin incest
In the Sarah Palin Outrage of the Day series, this one really brought me to tears. Where has our country gone that this madness of double standards can continue? They cloak their attacks in "humor" - but can you imagine such a "skit" directed at Obama?
NBC jokes: Todd Palin has sex with daughters
'Saturday Night Live' skit suggests Sarah's husband guilty of incest
Posted: September 21, 2008
By Joe Kovacs
© 2008 WorldNetDailyA week after a high-profile send-up of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live," the NBC comedy show returned to making fun of the Alaskan governor in a skit where New York Times reporters sought to probe the possibility Palin's husband, Todd, was having sex with the couple's own daughters.
"What about the husband?" asked a Times reporter during a mock assignment meeting for the paper. "You know he's doing those daughters. I mean, come on. It's Alaska."
The assignment editor for the Times, portrayed by actor James Franco, responded: "He very well could be. Admittedly, there is no evidence of that, but on the other hand, there is no convincing evidence to the contrary. And these are just some of the lingering questions about Governor Palin."
The skit featured a photo of one reporter and an on-screen message that stated, "In 2009 [reporter] Howland Gwathmey Moss, V was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his Times series on unproven, yet un-disproven incest in the Palin family. Sadly, he was to die 3 months later, run over by a snow machine, driven by a polar bear."
The final shot showed an image of a New York Times page, with headlines that included:
"While No Direct Evidence of Incest in Palin Family Emerges, Counter Evidence Remains Agonizingly Elusive" and "In a Small Alaska Town, Doubts Still Linger."
The sketch seemed to be designed to mock how out of touch journalists from the Big Apple are when it comes to their knowledge of Alaska, with left-leaning, Manhattan-dwelling reporters mistaking a snowmobile for a "baptizing machine," a crucifix and a NordicTrack exerciser in photographs held up for them.
Some viewers expressed outrage.
"It is time the Palin family brought out the big guns. They need to sue General Electric, NBC, 'Saturday Night Live,'" said Al Barrs of Bascom, Fla. "This is clearly criminal and defamation of character of an entire family and state. All the above needs to be taken to their knees big time once and for all."
"What if somebody did one with this kind of humor on Obama and his daughters?" asked Jim Cash of Chattanooga, Tenn. "What an uproar there would be. This line of humor is tasteless and moronic and about as low as they could go. There simply must be an uproar over this. We cannot let this just pass."
But others, such as Ana Jimenez, believe the episode was all in good fun, since the program is a comedy show.
"Anyone that watched Saturday's show and believed the skit in which it was suggested that there was incest in the Palin household needs to have [his] head examined," said Jimenez. "The purpose of the joke (tacky and crude as it was, I did not care for it at all by the way) was to show how out of touch journalists are - not an attack on the Palin household. Sheesh, get a grip!"
NBC's website for "Saturday Night Live" normally contains video clips of the show's comedy routines, but, interestingly, the clip of the incest sketch was never posted online.
The show opened with a brief skit making fun of truth-enhanced TV ads John McCain was approving for his campaign. One ad claimed that since Barack Obama was in favor of universal health care, that meant coverage for everyone in the entire universe, including terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.
The Politico reported the opening scene was crafted with the help of former castmember Al Franken, a Democrat currently running for the U.S. Senate from Minnesota.
The season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" last week featured comedic actress Tina Fey returning to the show to portray Gov. Palin in a joint appearance with Hillary Clinton, played by Amy Poehler.
Note: The contact link for NBC is here.
Reported at WorldNetDaily - because you won't hear about it in the Mainstream Media. Though this has been reported on in some conservative blogs, the footage as of this morning is not even available at YouTube - though I will continue to search through the day and add it when I find it.
I've never advocated protest calls because I feel that I provide information and it's up to my readers if they want to take action. But even those of you who've never emailed or called to complain about anything might want to contact NBC on this.
Obama supporters who say they don't want to be identified with such things as Sarah Bernhard should realize that by voting for Obama you do give your tacit support to this outrageous media behavior.
[Note: please read all comments before posting a new one. If you have an objection to what I've said, there's a good chance that it's already been addressed. For instance, if you want to say "Look, you dumb__s, it was supposed to be satire and you're too stupid to see it," there has been some discussion of this in the comments already so I probably won't post the same kneejerk reaction]
Bottom line: "Jokes" about dads "doing" their daughters - no matter what the point are inexcusable. Am I the only one whose stomach turned on hearing this?
Posted in Campaign 2008, Media Bias | Permalink
Comments
Thank you for your passion on this. I saw a clip last night on FOX and was just horrified by it. It seriously brings me to tears what they are doing to this woman, because this woman is me. She stands for everything I do. They are mocking all of us conservative Christian woman.
I saw that the Emmys were on last night and I used to enjoy seeing all the pretty dresses, etc- but not anymore. I can't even stomach seeing so many of the liberal left act like they are "important." And see people fawn over them.
But then, I see the Drudge report that says 60,000 people came out in Florida to see Sarah. YES! I pray the numbers at the polls will speak loudly.
Posted by: Praise and Coffee | September 22, 2008 7:43 AM
Actually, I don't mind the Saturday Night Live version of this - and this is why. This whole line of attack did not come from SNL - it actually originated from a poster at the progressive blog Daily Kos. During that first weekend after the announcement of Palin there were several beyond the pale rumors started and this was the most vile of them...that the oldest daughter was impregnated by the father and they covered it up by pretending Sarah was pregnant.
When I see this skit on Saturday Night Live, all demonstrates to me is a burlesque depiction of how the Media has really been acting for the last several weeks. I think it helps us more than hurts us.
Posted by: King of Fools | September 22, 2008 9:12 AM
Is there any way we can get a list of the sponsers for SNL? That really is the only way to change some to this. Money talks. A nationwide boycott of both SNL and their sponsers might help.
Posted by: Becky | September 22, 2008 9:51 AM
I sent an e-mail to NBC, and even though I don't watch a lot of television, I refuse to turn on NBC or any of its affiliates all the way through the November election. Thanks again for keeping updated. This is horrible.
Posted by: Karen | September 22, 2008 10:39 AM
I'm sorry, I'll have to see the skit before I can have much of an opinion, but this sounds EXACTLY like a joke that was made by one of my favorite conservative cartoonists, the point of which was that the media is making completely unfounded and cruel accusations and acting like the Palin's should prove them wrong. And as King of Fools pointed out, people really did make this accusation towards the Palins. Unless I see the skit and it's clear that I'm misinterpreting, I'm glad that someone is roasting those who take every ridiculous rumor as credible.
Day By Day:
http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/2008/09/03/#004806
Posted by: Michelle | September 22, 2008 10:50 AM
(PS, on that cartoon, you have to scroll down to the second one. The first one is always today's strip.)
Posted by: Michelle | September 22, 2008 10:52 AM
Thanks for posting the link to NBC. I mailed them the following (though I've edited this one slightly).
Though I am fully aware SNL prides itself on making fun of anything (supposedly!), the jerks not only crossed the line, but obliterated it with their skit insinuating Todd Palen is scr..ing his daughters. Funny? NOT!
Would NBC have even DREAMED of turning that same bit into, oh....I dunno, shall we say a skit on OBAMA? Hey, that would have been a DOUBLE shot. Not only incest, but child molestation! How cool is that??? Yeah, fat chance, eh?
So long NBC. I will not watch a D..N thing on your sorry excuse for a network for the rest of my days.
Ben Burton
Posted by: Ben | September 22, 2008 1:34 PM
GE is a place to start a boycott...and use your remote to block NBC at home.
I just had a repairman here looking at my non-GE washing machine. While he was here I complained about my GE dishwasher (came with the house), that is brand new and the absolute worst dishwasher I have ever owned (this is house #5, I know my way around dishwaher brands).
His reply was that GE products are made to break down and be replaced...that they are not quality products at all. I wonder how many plumbers, repairman who are offended by what they see happening on the networks are also sharing this view with their customers?
Check out the ratings of the Emmys last night...lowest EVER. People are starting to react in ways that are not going to help the media outlets or their owners through this economic mess.
We all have the power to make a big statement....especially on election day!
Posted by: Kelly | September 22, 2008 1:37 PM
When will American citizens finally be fed up with this hate and DO something. Stand up, fight for America. Put a stop to it. The media isn't allowed to tell the truth on Obama, and can say ANYTHING about Gov. Palin and her family..I will never, ever watch NBC MSNBC any magazines that are affiliates etc,in the future,not just through the elections, EVER. I don't care who they have on. EVER.
Posted by: Fred | September 22, 2008 2:13 PM
Maybe I'm not correctly interpreting the skit, but it seems to me to be making fun of how the media is jumping on Palin, and how ridiculous some of the accusations are that have been flying around.
Posted by: Elizabeth B. | September 22, 2008 2:29 PM
I believe General Electric owns NBC, so I started there. I wrote to them letting them know I have already blocked NBC from my programming list, and now as a homeowner of 35 years who has purchased many GE products, I will no longer do so, as long as they continued down their current path of political influence. When I went to SNL I also saw that Blackberry.com has an ad on their videos. They were second on my list. There are some good alternatives to a blackberry.
Posted by: Rae | September 22, 2008 2:30 PM
I understand the few comments that mention the whole point of the skit being to somehow make fun of how the media is going too far as they have attacked Palin from every angle. However, the skit goes too far to put up garbage suggesting that a hard working Dad and husband of 20 years would be doing someting of that nature. You can find better comedy than that. I don't care what the point of the skit was--where they took it was outrageous.
Posted by: Karen | September 22, 2008 3:52 PM
Fred,
That strikes me as a convenient excuse to give voice to what (no doubt) the majority of the principles of SNL already believe. Hyperbole can be a good comic tool. However, some things are simply to abhorrent to be parodied.
There's a jillion things they could have come up with that would have made the point and been funny. Like having him as the mad snow boarder who had mowed down Al Gore (preferably in an August snow storm in Alabama...oops, no, the lefties would say that is just more proof of how global warming affects the climate in weird ways!) and other Dems. I KNOW they did use that as a parting shot, but it could have been developed more thoroughly.
Incest references are beyond the pale, ESPECIALLY since everyone knows the 17 year old daughter is pregnant. This isn't cutting edge humor, but something more suitable for Hustler Magazine. (BTW, did ya know that the November 2006 issue of that rag has Obama as its a..hole of the month?! I'm sure Flynt hopes no one notices. lol)
Posted by: Ben Burton | September 22, 2008 3:59 PM
I love Sarah Palin, and I enjoy the blog, but is this post serious? It was a joke about the NY Times. It seems like we are just looking for stuff to get riled up about lately so we don't have to examine the real issues facing this country. We need to go back to Reagan Replubicanism not turn every little Palin jab into an attack against the sanctity of the world.
Posted by: Joe | September 22, 2008 4:07 PM
Barbara,
When you said things would get ugly, I just had no idea.
I "get" the joke - in that it *is* about the NYTimes and the media, etc., etc...
But the topic of incest is just going way too far. So many other ways they could have made their point/joke... This was beyond distasteful.
Blech!
If I had not stopped watching tv years ago, I'd definitely boycott!
Thanks for keeping us informed, Barbara. I'd heard about this on Rush originally and came to see what you knew.
Posted by: Kari | September 22, 2008 4:23 PM
Joe,
I'm serious as a crutch. Not a wimp either. Loved Reagan, too! But if you're gonna sit there and tell me that the media isn't WAAAAAAY in the tank for Obama, I have to question your...motive.
Let me ask ONE MORE TIME...do you honestly think they would just as readily have done this same skit using B. Hussein as the foil??? HEELLLLL no!
BTW, have you heard it mentioned ion the mainstream? If it HAD been about Obama, I'll guarantee you it would have made the cut on the Sunday Democrat forums like Meet The Depressed, Face the Humiliation (if you're a Republican), etc.
You know, they did one on Sarah the week before, making her look like a bit of a dunce, and I didn't hear or say jack about it. I am also aware of the magazine cover depicting the B. Hussein Obamas as radicals. No comparison (especially since they ARE radicals! :) )
Posted by: Ben Burton | September 22, 2008 4:31 PM
Ben,
We're not saying that the media doesn't have a pro-Obama bias, just that this joke isn't part of it. Like I said previously, this is a joke I have already heard -- from CONSERVATIVES! If, when the Daily KOS first started ranting about Bristol Palin, I had said, "Next thing you know those lunatics will be claiming it's Todd's baby," would you have directed your outrage at me? Because honestly, that's what they're saying. And it's not even hyperbole, because those lunatics really did claim it must be Todd's baby!
There are lots of outrageous and false things being said about the Palins right now (in the grocery store I saw that the National Enquirer is claiming Sarah had an affair, that their son is doing cocaine and oxycontin, and that Bristol has been kicked out of the house because of her pregnancy), but this skit wasn't part of it. If anything, this was a skit pointing out how ludicrous and downright dirty things have become.
Posted by: Michelle | September 22, 2008 8:29 PM
Joe ~ you thought the SNL skit about the Palin family and incest was a joke about the NY Times? Please clarify to me how incest is a joke in any form? I thought I would have to be an Obama supporter to get the humor but you seem to like Sarah and still find it funny. I find it offensive and I can't imagine the Palin family shrugging it off, although I do think Sarah will rise above this as she has all the other crap thrown at her and her family. She really amazes me at the ability she has to carry herself around cool, calm, collected, and apply herself to the task at hand. I admire her so much for not getting down into the muck with the naysayers. She never whines, she never complains about the unfair treatment she gets, she just ignores them all, she really is head and shoulders above the fray.
And in case anybody is interested General Electric is owned by the Bin Laden Group along with Time Warner Cable and many, many other companies in these United States. Scary.
Posted by: Eileen | September 22, 2008 8:57 PM
Politics--gotta love it or hate it. Just a week ago we were caught defending something a relative emailed to her whole mailbook list. Then this.
Looking at the whole thing without seeing the skit, I can't say for sure what my opinion of it is. However, even if they were pointing fun at the media being so wild to jump to conclusions, picking such a taboo topic as incest to illustrate that point still seems to be in poor taste. I mean, you could've had the Wall Street Journal reporting that Todd Palin had been abducted by aliens. But a topic like incest...well that's inexcusable.
I have been upset with NBC for the last six months. I have been a fan of the Today show for years. And yet, I can't watch it anymore because of the topic matter covered in the first two hours of the show, when my school-aged children are still home. I don't think my boys need to learn about ED or infidelity. They have really become un-family friendly which is a shame since my own grandmother watched with me when I was a youngster. Perhaps it really is time to turn off the TV for good.
Posted by: Ceci | September 22, 2008 9:14 PM
"Obama supporters who say they don't want to be identified with such things as Sarah Bernhard should realize that by voting for Obama you do give your tacit support to this outrageous media behavior."
I see some fault in your logic here.
Just because I support Barack Obama absolutely does not mean that I support "outrageous media behavior." Barack Obama himself said that family is "off-limits" in this and every election. It is not every supporter's fault that some people take criticism of the other party to unfair levels, just like it is not every Muslim's fault that some Islamic people are terrorists/mass murderers. I didn't write this sketch, and I didn't write Sarah Bernhard's stupid and unfunny speech. And just because I support a candidate does not mean that I support heinously untrue accusations and jokes that are not funny. Whatever happened to supporting a candidate for their policies and not for what has basically become tabloid news on TV?
Also, to be fair, this behavior occurs on both the right and left.
Just because some pro-life people bomb abortion clinics and kill people doesn't mean that someone voting for a pro-life candidate is supporting murder. See what I mean?
You probably won't publish this, but I don't care. I just want to let you know that you can't make claims like this and expect people not to notice your faulty logic. Give people some credit for their own intelligence.
Posted by: Scott | September 23, 2008 12:11 AM
I very rarely respond to blogs in any form, but this is insane. I feel confident in saying that the skit was aimed at the sensationalist media and their willingness to post things to sell papers without needing facts. The reason I feel confident in this is simply because if the writers of the skit felt that the accusation that Todd Palin may have impregnated his teenage daughter had any shred of truth, then the skit would have no comedic value. They picked the most outlandish thing possible to satirize the depths these news outlets will go. The notion that these writers would say such a reprehensible thing with no moral hesitation is the core of the joke.
Poor taste? Perhaps. Somehow inflammatory towards the Palins? No.
Posted by: greg | September 23, 2008 12:39 AM
Ummm, did you see a different version of SNL than me? We rarely watch it but my husband was channel surfing this weekend so we watched a bit including that skit. Seeing it in entirety it was clear that the point was making fun of a smarty-pants reporter who had a know-it-all response to everything said by the skit's assignment editor and the mentions of "unproven but not dis-proven incest" and "polar bears" were mocking the big city East coast assumption that the rural West could be nothing but uncivilized and bestial. Barbara, I know you are tired and busy otherwise you surely would have seen that skit for what it was: IRONY about a distasteful topic introduced in the public arena prior to the skit in question. Definitely not child-friendly and not for those who think scolding the media is going to change what draws attention and sells advertising.
Sincerely, Alison
Posted by: Alison | September 23, 2008 1:17 AM
With the kid (who is the son of a Dem Rep) from my home-state of TN being exposed as a "person of interest" in the compromise of Palin's personal email, followed by the most recent tasteless taste of the Liberals on SNL, I say, "Everyone calm down!" A registered Independent, I have friends on both sides of the Fence: at this point EVERY SINGLE DEM I PERSONALLY KNOW is being swayed by these outside forces! At this juncture, with the mud (much less stronger/smellier stuff) being thrown, I think if I said "Obama?" today, they'd say "Who?" Intelligent, concerned folks...ALL are ashamed of being Dem....'tis all working against a party that's lost sight of ALL the larger pics and issues...seemingly far more interested in how much Brown Rhetoric they can sling?!? The Dem Party has lost control completely and will not be able to regain it if ensconced in White House! I, myself, have fallen offa th' fence into McCain's part of the pasture...all pastures currently being littered with (ahem!) 'land-mines'....do NOT want to be classed with these low-class liberal Democrats...issues, pundits, supporters--AND CANDIDATES included!
Posted by: eema | September 23, 2008 1:34 AM
Alison -
First of all, I need to point out that this trendy thing of starting comments with Ummm . . . smacks of condescension. As a communicator, I would heartily recommend that if you seriously intend to respectfully reach someone with a different opinion that you drop that habit immediately.
Second of all, to discount my opinion because I'm "tired and busy" is also seriously overstepping polite discourse. It is patronizing and - again - condescending.
And I'm not sure if you are accusing me of trying to sell advertising through drawing attention to my blog. Anyone who's been around here for a while knows I express what I think without regard to maintaining or drawing blocs of readers. I've lost many readers because of my conversion to Catholicism, conservative politics, etc.
I stand by my opinion. To those who posture themselves as somehow intellectually superior because they can see the IRONY/SATIRE I'd only suggest that this is the result of living in such a polluted culture where the most vile things can be done for "entertainment" purposes and the people who object are put down as "rubes" - too stupid and unsophisticated to get it.
This is falling into the liberal mindset. It's one thing for some of you not to feel personally offended by the skit. It's another to express through words, tone ot attitude that those of us who are offended as somehow inferior to you.
I've had people ask me - in an effort to put me down - what my educational background is. Hoping for a "gotcha: if I went to an "inferior" or Christian school. I studied at Carnegie Mellon and George Mason University, received my AMI Montessori teaching certificate after a year of study in DC, then finished up my BA in Philosophy at San Francisco State (magna cum laude) where I studied under some pretty radical people like Angela Davis (racism and sexism in film).
I remember the days well when I looked down my nose at people whose opinions reflected any moral valuation of the subject at hand. And I ADORED edginess and anything that would offend the masses.
Funny how liberals claim to be for the masses, yet hold them in such disdain - using and exploiting them but not respecting their everyday qualities and choices.
I am no more busy and tired today Alison, than I usually am. How about you?
eema- your comment gives me a lot of hope :)- and that is why I'm running these. The Democrat party is connected to this outrageous stuff. Obama has been a guest at the Daily Kos convention.
And Scott - how long has it been since an abortion mill bombing? You have to go back pretty far and find a very isolated incident to make your point, even as conservatives suffer a DAILY ONSLAUGHT of ridicule and misrepresentation in the mainstream media. It's your logic that is faulty.
Posted by: barbara | September 23, 2008 5:41 AM
Calling this comedy is like calling porn "art."
Posted by: praise and coffee | September 23, 2008 7:50 AM
I think we should always vote for the victim, the more someone is a victim, the more we should vote for them. Victimhood can be an excellent, religious, and lucrative way of life. Horray, because someone made a joke, I now have a victim to vote for. Oh, and also to keep "those people" out of the White House, because we are good Americans who want to preserve our "Heritage." You know what I mean.
Thank God there are people like barbara, who know how to keep certain others (of course not in the racist way but the, well we all know which way) in their respective places and preserve the old ways. Babs Uber alles!
Posted by: HackPupit | September 24, 2008 1:22 AM
Barbara, today I AM much more tired than usual so I'll have to wait until I can read more carefully to ponder more than the first paragraph of what you've had to say to me, but I do want to tell you that I meant no disrespect by my comment, including the "ummm." It was merely an attempt to translate what I might say to an aquaintance in person into writing, intending by casual language to show that I didn't consider the difference in opinion a big issue but that I did want to express my POV. But since it didn't come across that way to you, I apologize. And I'll say to you that as a regular reader of your blog, occasional commenter (but never before on a politically-themed post) and new reader of your books, I had no idea what hot water I could land in just by commenting!
Perhaps I'll just return to my normal routine of reading the posts along the lines of parenting and education and leave this debate here to the political junkies. (By the way, I do vote.)
Posted by: Alison | September 24, 2008 1:53 AM
For the record - I normally delete comments like HackPupit's but it does such a good job of illustrating the uselessness of giving a forum to people who are not dialoguing but demagoguing.
The bottom line is that if you object to anything Obama stands for and choose to vote for the other candidate on the issues, you are a racist. Life must be so simple for people with such a lack of nuance.
Actually, Obama is only half black. And there are many fully black people I would vote for president, but the Democrat party savages does not believe people can be black and conservative.
As far as victimhood, the Left has enslaved large blocs of people into voting for them based on cultivating and appealing to their victim status. Life is unfair and you are never getting all you want/need/are entitled to. Vote for us and we will give it to you.
HackPupit, you're obviously a drive-by. No one who knows me would accuse me of racism. But who you are is how you live your life - not just the words you speak. It means not saying you're for the common people, then making fun of them when you are with the elite crowd - a la Obama.
I prefer my candidates authentic.
And yes, I do like to defend my heritage if that means to you keeping incest a taboo subject.
Posted by: barbara | September 24, 2008 5:53 AM
Regarding SNL Palin Incest skit, would SNL have done the same skit with Obama as the subject?
Posted by: James Kelly | September 24, 2008 6:42 AM
I am a conservative republican. My disdain and utter disgust for Obama's politics could not possibly be any stronger than it is now, at critical mass. It does not surprise me that people of the liberal persuasion are capable of such humor. I would be the last person to try and curtail the right to free speech. If you do not like the message, just don't listen. I don't listen to those that I have little respect for. Let them joke all they want. Freedom is what I fight for. Freedom for idiots and others alike. Fail Obama, FAIL!
Posted by: E | June 30, 2009 11:44 PM
