Fairness in Politics and Humor | 09/28/2008 6:22 am

Tina Fey Nails Palin. Again. Saturday Night Live Interview Skit with Amy Poehler as Katie Couric (VIDEOS)

Katie Couric’s interviews with the Vice Presidential candidate last week … and Sarah Palin’s performances in them … were highly controversial. Yet in the midst of the drama of the financial crisis, they played somewhat under the general news cycle radar. However, last night’s Saturday Night Live brought the Couric-Palin interviews front and center through a skit starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler that was devastating in its breathtaking evisceration of the Vice Presidential candidate’s answers to Couric’s questions.

Below you’ll find videos of both the real Katic Couric - Sarah Palin interviews in which the correspondant asks Palin to explain why Alaska’s proximity to Russia gave her foriegn policy credibility and the Saturday Night Live skit (complete with an embedded ad thanks to NBC Universal’s use of revenue-generating HULU versus You Tube…sorry).

Here are our questions: Was Palin’s performance with Couric Vice Presidential? Was Couric fair in her questioning? Was SNL’s portrayal fair? And as a comedy show, does SNL have a mandate to be "fair" anyway? And, no matter what side you come down on l’affair Palin, how talented is Tina Fey?

Original Couric-Palin Interviews (click on-screen text prompt at end of first interview to go to second interview, which includes at the end a Kissinger video on direct negotiation with Iran):

191 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

And the big rush for their announcement today is The ASIAN MARKETS! They forget to mention they are going to borrow this 700 Billion from China and Japan. They re-worded (I am not happy with Nancy Pelosi) to read their will be reasonable caps on the salaries to be determined at a latter date. Heard them say that they plan to be it up on the internet before they vote, meaning the whole proposal. That what they figure will get them out of public hearings. At this point they all should go home in shame. None of them believe we have a brain in our heads, nor do they represent what THE PEOPLE WANT.

By Jennifer Dooley on 09/28/2008 2:32 pm

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I live in Nancy Pelosi’s district and in the past have been a big supporter, however in the next elections am supporting whoever runs against her. Lassie, OK by me. Pelosi has absolutely failed in her Constitutional responsibilities and in her duty to lead an actual questioning/hold them to the fire/oppositional party.

By Step away from the BLOG! on 09/28/2008 6:16 pm

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like how many know the SSA’s monies, for years, have been plundered for everything from supporting The Coast Guard to funding National Parks, and ‘what-else’? the Fed is like an anaconda—-every time you breath-out, it tightens—-

By gulliver fourmyle on 09/29/2008 5:11 am

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yep—-that deal, ‘irreversible-not-subject-to review’ says it all—-what else is new? people will learn to read before chimps land on the moon?

By gulliver fourmyle on 09/29/2008 5:02 am

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The Bailout Proposal is up on Line… Text of Draft Proposal for Bailout Plan http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/business/21draftcnd.html

By Jennifer Dooley on 09/28/2008 4:14 pm

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Sorry this is the shot version, try getting through to Speaker.Gov….Not happening! If I find a link before wow post one I will be back…One place they post it…I hope it gets reposted a lot….Or few will get to read it!

By Jennifer Dooley on 09/28/2008 5:01 pm

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Discussion draft of the bill’s full text (PDF) can begotten at CNN . http://www.cnn.com/ It’s under the picture! click it for the PDF

By Jennifer Dooley on 09/28/2008 5:43 pm

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First, Tina Fey is amazing….how amazing?…..She gets a 10 from me! As far as the fairness of SNL, it wasn’t long ago that we blogged here on the fairness of the New Yorker in portraying Obama as a terrorist. There were many that felt it was way below the belt. I was among those. However, as I read the opinions of the conservatives here, I saw that we can’t control what the media puts out there in jest to sell some extra copies. SNL is just doing the same. They are actually getting public attention for the Palin skits which are, in my opinion, hilarious and closer to the truth than the New Yorker. Lastly, I think Palin did as well as she could with Katie and I think all of the questions posed were absolutely fair for a VP candidate. We need to know how she thinks or doesn’t think on her feet. Palin would not be my pick for VP and that opinion was strengthened in hearing her responses in this series of interviews.

By Josie Sullivan on 09/28/2008 8:13 am

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Josie, Tina Fey is so on target with the nuance of Palin’s interview. But, if you recall, they also did a job on Hillary. And yes I did think the media was below the belt with Hillary (including SNL and all the late night comedians) especially with the sexist remarks. The New Yorker I felt had a horrible cover and tried to pass it off as satire, even if the cover story was a fair description of Obama’s rise to fame—imagine—he is a politician like everyone else. Gee, what a surprise (NOT!)

By Brooklyn Gal on 09/28/2008 10:12 am

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Morning Josie, Good to see you up and about this fine morning. And, are you on point, or what. Yes, Tina is a 10…maybe even a 15! I think the comedy shows have been totally fair during this election cycle. In fact, their take has been the obvious that few journalists have felt free to express with the exception of mostly McCafferty. And, Tina Fey repeated Palin almost verbatim with a few additions and when she asked for a “lifeline” I almost lost it! I think so much in this election is perception and I have looked to the comedy show for just this….Jon Stewart and Colbert have both been great as well as SNL. (McCain is going to regret his Letterman decision the rest of his life, too.) I am offended as a person and a woman by just the choice of Palin. She is the antithesis of everything I believe in and doesn’t have the mental capacity for a complex thought.

By Agyness O on 09/28/2008 12:25 pm

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Agyness, I’m not sure this idea has already shown up on another thread, but a fantastic way to show your support of women’s reproductive rights AND make a personal statement to Sarah Palin, is to make a contribution to Planned Parenthood in Sarah Palin’s name. It’s a charitable donation spin on the “be the light you want to see in the world” concept, and it feels very good. Here’s the link to the Planned Parenthood website: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ Go to “Donate” then click on honorary or memorial donations. You’ll need to fill in the address to let PP know where to send the “in Sarah Palin’s honor” card. I suggest you use the address for the McCain campaign headquarters: McCain for President, 1235 S. Clark Street, 1st Floor, Arlington, VA 22202

By Susan B on 09/28/2008 1:05 pm

“I am offended as a person and a woman by just the choice of Palin. She is the antithesis of everything I believe in and doesn’t have the mental capacity for a complex thought.” She doesn’t have the mental capacity for a chess game with a bright 6 year old. “Not only is Sarah Palin a fraud, she’s the tawdriest, most half-assed fraud imaginable, 20 floors below the lowest common denominator, a character too dumb even for daytime TV -and this country is going to eat her up, cheering her every step of the way. All because most Americans no longer have the energy to do anything but lie back and allow ourselves to be jacked off by the calculating thieves who run this grasping consumer paradise we call a nation…..so, a few months before Election Day they offer a two-bit caricature culled from some cutting-room-floor episode of Roseanne as part of a presidential ticket. And if she’s a good enough likeness of a loudmouthed middle-American archetype, as Sarah Palin is, John Q. Public will drop his giant-size bag of Doritos in gratitude, wipe the Sizzlin’ Picante dust from his lips and rush to the booth to vote for her. Not because it makes sense, or because it has a chance of improving his life or anyone else’s, but simply because it appeals to the low-humming narcissism that substitutes for his personality, because the image on TV reminds him of the mean, brainless slob he sees in the mirror every morning.” http://www.alternet.org/election08/100551/mad_dog_palin_/

By Step away from the BLOG! on 09/28/2008 2:24 pm

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So Alaska has a 20-story building?

By Steve R on 09/29/2008 7:11 pm

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I think Tina Fey probably had a difficult time coming up with something funnier than the actual Palin interview. Just doing it word for word would have been enough! Palin is like Christmas morning for Tina Fey, and you can tell she knows it since she is willing to show up for these SNL openings.

By DeBúrca obj on 09/28/2008 8:50 am

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Palin was so incredibly inept, incompetent and just appalling in the interview that all Fey needed to do to nail her 1000% was play it pretty straight and punch up the glowing eyes at the dummest parts as in drawing you learn a line has more weight if you ‘finish’ it at the end with a heavier push of the pencil/pen that others don’t necessarily detect you are doing put when they view the finished product it has more (subtle) impact. That’s what she did and that is artistry. Something else very funny this weekend that is spreading around the Internet. Ninja cat. I want this cat!! Does anyone know what kind of cat this is. Cute as can be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbwpgyRUv5g

By Step away from the BLOG! on 09/28/2008 2:08 pm