SNL's inability to find a good Obama impression speaks to racism or political bias

BE-ELECTED
by Chad Rubel

Saturday night's episode of "Saturday Night Live" was the fourth live show in a row, a rare occurrence for the show and, in part, a way to make up for going dark during the writers strike.

For all we write about "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and the "Colbert Report," the truth is that they are on basic cable.

The returning SNL episode on February 23 drew 6 million people, while The Daily Show drew about 1.6 million people before the strike, and the Colbert Report drew about 1.15 million. Also, the MSM gives more credibility to SNL's work since it is on a network.

FOX's "Mad TV" is a network sketch show but they generally don't do political content. So "Saturday Night Live" on NBC has a prominent position in the political landscape. And it is in earnest that Lorne Michaels find someone who can do a legitimate Barack Obama impression.

Obama is very likely going to be the Democratic Party nominee, and perhaps the next president of the United States. We are talking 5-9 years of work for someone who can pull it off.

Just so we're clear, I like Fred Armisen. He has a versatile knack for offbeat characters, and his impressions have been fun. But his version of Barack Obama isn't good.

Visually, it's rather good. But when he speaks, it doesn't work. And Obama is more about when he speaks then what he looks like.

Yes, I did write about this subject before, but then, some issues were raised that aren't as relevant now.

This isn't about race. If Armisen could sound like him, with his vocal inflections and patterns, we wouldn't care about his origins. This isn't even about gender. Maya Rudolph, who was a long-time member of the cast who didn't come back after the writers strike, might have been able to pull it off. But we won't get a chance to see her attempt.

It does affect the writing. Skits have come across as pro-Hillary Clinton in part because Amy Poehler does a rather good impression of Clinton. And if you are pro-Hillary Clinton, consider this. If Obama does win the nomination, the skits will end up being pro-John McCain.

Darrell Hammond already does a solid John McCain, as we saw in the last episode. The show did a "NBC Special Report" about discovering that McCain is old. The fact that they buried the skit in the last half-hour may speak to the politics at SNL. Without a credible Obama impression, the show will have a huge bias in favor of McCain.

To give you an idea of the contribution from African-Americans, here is the entire output from the last episode:

Two songs from musical guest Mariah Carey, one with her and T Pain.

A response (three weeks after Tina Fey) to her "bitch is the new black" from former cast member Tracy Morgan.

Kenan Thompson in one skit (about an hour into the show) had 3 lines: "Um, excuse me, can I pay for these?" "It's for my blemishes. Do you mind?" "Here's $10. Keep the change."

"Mad TV" hasn't had a problem employing and using talented African-American performers: Phil LaMarr and Debra Wilson in the early years, and Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele among others in recent years.

Yes, Lorne Michaels has his discretion to choose the cast members he wants. And he has developed quote a track record since 1975. But he and NBC have to understand that the Obama issue won't go away. And if Morgan's appearance was meant to be a concession to the anti-Obama criticism the show has received, it isn't enough.

This isn't 1975 anymore. Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford didn't fit in looks, voice, or mannerisms. Except for the falling down part, Chase's impressions weren't remarkable. But the impression wasn't designed to be direct, and in the era of Rich Little, perhaps a way of changing things up from the status quo. And while Dan Aykroyd's Jimmy Carter didn't always look like him, he did have the sound and inflections.

As we have learned from the recent impressions of Ronald Reagan (Harry Shearer, Joe Piscopo, Randy Quaid, and Phil Hartman), George H. W. Bush (Dana Carvey), Bill Clinton (Hartman/Darrell Hammond), and George W. Bush (Will Ferrell, Chris Parnell, Will Forte, Hammond, Jason Sudeikis), vocals and mannerisms are more important.

After the soft treatment the show gave George W. Bush, we looked forward to a more accurate treatment of the next president. If that is Obama, SNL needs to show it is capable of stepping up to the challenge. To say otherwise implies that there isn't someone of color who can do an impression. And we know that isn't so.

If it's a Clinton-McCain matchup, Poehler and Hammond are ready to go. But Obama is in the lead and has a really good chance to be around for a long time. And "Saturday Night Live" isn't ready for Obama, and hasn't been for a year. Since it isn't ready by now, and is having trouble getting ready, the only impression left is either racism or political bias.

Technorati Tags: Be-Elected Chad Rubel 2008 race Barack Obama Hillary Clinton John McCain Fred Armisen Saturday Night Live