Whether it’s a mere impersonation or the real thing, it
can’t possibly go wrong as long as we’re talking about Sarah Palin.
The faux Republican vice presidential candidate was a total
blast and Tina Fey’s glasses-wearing, accent-faking role helped boost “Saturday
Night Live’s” ratings, since television viewers could not stay away from the
weekly political spoofs. Thus, a real Sarah Palin on the show was expected to
outshine just any impression, notwithstanding its quality or creator. And she managed
to do so. Sen. John McCain’s running mate made an appearance on this weekend’s
episode of NBC’s late-night send-up program and lured an impressive audience
that could actually reach 14 million, which would represent the biggest number
for “Saturday Night Live” since Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan hosted the show
on March 12, 1994. In spite of the fact that a complete audience estimate will
be available only later in the week, the partial figures would make “Saturday
Night Live” the third most watched program of last week’s primetime shows,
following ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene
Investigation.”
Paradoxically, the flesh and blood Sarah Palin was
relatively quiet on Saturday compared to her outstandingly popular imitator,
Tina Fey, whose sketches have already helped the show taste a major drop of
success this fall.
Even though the two had only indirect contact during the
show, they shaped a thrilling “original vs. faux” scene when Tina Fey, who was
answering questions at a seeming news conference, acted as if she sneaked away
from the mic after seeing the real Sarah Palin moving toward her. If it weren’t
for the furtive fleeting looks they exchanged when they walked past each other,
you could have taken them for twins, because not only were they dressed alike,
but they also wore the same hairstyle.
Sarah Palin later accompanied Seth Meyers on his “Weekend
Update,” but she refused to perform a rap tune that had been conceived for her.
Nevertheless, Amy Poehler took Palin’s hip-hopper place and started singing,
“All the mavericks in the house, put your hands up,” while the Republican vice
presidential candidate offered a satirical boogie performance. “All the
plumbers in the house, pull your pants up,” Amy Poehler went on, as actors
pretending to be Eskimos, Sarah Palin’s husband, as well as a moose, filled the
rap-rocked stage.
Sarah Palin told WWOR-TV in New York on Sunday that she felt really
good, although she failed to show up at the after-party. She explained that she
would make other appearances on the show, as the atmosphere was more
“welcoming” and “friendly” than one could ever picture. Palin did say, however,
that without a sense of humor, the Saturday night experience would “grind on
you and wear you out.”
Now that this has been wrapped up, I sure wonder what “SNL” hits us with next.
