“Saturday Night Live” avoids President Joe Biden at all costs.
That’s hard to do when a show lives and dies by political gags. Still, “SNL” modern-day writers know the prime directive.
Protect Democrats. It’s a betrayal of the show’s bipartisan past, but it’s how the show operates in the post-Obama age.
For three-plus years “SNL” has focused mostly on President Donald Trump and the GOP while Biden served as President. The show occasionally pokes fun at Biden’s age, but rarely with the vigor that might leave a mark.
Not last night.
The show’s “cold open” torched Biden sycophants for pretending the 81-year-old leader is as spry and sentient as a man half his age.
He’s not. Anyone with access to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, understands that.
The press and mainstream comedians keep pretending Biden is of sound mind despite ample evidence to the contrary. Reality is starting to force them to tell the truth.
Finally.
One recent example?
Variety admitted Biden’s recent trek to “Late Night with Seth Meyers” was a disaster.
The “SNL” cold open showed key Democrats praising Biden’s sharp mind, endless stamina and even killer Parkour skills. It’s a sly parody on the party’s attempt to dissuade voters from noting the leader’s obvious decline.
Gavin Newsom is really committed to the act that 'Biden's age is great.'
It's so over the top and phony that it's clear he's making the play to replace Biden if anything happens.
“Here's my point: it's because of his age that he's been so successful."
pic.twitter.com/fzKEtii7UF
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) February 26, 2024
The “Inside Politics with Dana Bash” skit followed the low-rated CNN show addressing Biden’s age. Gov. Gavin Newsom (Michael Longfellow), Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (Ego Nwodim) and impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (Marcello Hernández) all say what a “beast” Biden is behind the scenes.
Heidi Gardner, playing CNN’s Bash, finally has enough.
“With all due respect, it doesn’t fit reality,” she said.
‘SNL’ and Biden: Is the Love Story Over?
The skit ends with Newsom attempting to Face Time Biden to prove his point. Except President Biden, played by Mikey Day, looks confused. When he tries to raise the volume on the call he hangs up on Newsom instead.
The far-Left Deadline.com decried the skit, calling it “Old & Tired Fast” in the headline.
Somebody needs to tell [‘SNL’ creator] Lorne Michaels that Biden age jokes and the adulation of his behind-the-Oval Office-doors wisdom, stamina and command of policy by Democrats are not worth anywhere near dime a dozen this election year at this point.
Translation: “SNL” cannot produce comedy that could hurt their party’s chances against Trump this Fall. It couldn’t be more transparent.
Deadline even dubbed the skit’s ending “anti-climatic.” Funny or not, the finale captured what “SNL” meant to say. There’s reality. And then there’s BidenWorld reality.
LastNightOn.com also poured cold water on the sketch but through a less partisan lens.
Overall, it was another forgettable cold open in Saturday Night Live season 49. It wasn’t quite on the level of last week’s complete misfire, but the Inside Politics parody didn’t exactly get the ball rolling like other openers this season.
The biggest surprise, besides “SNL” actually doing its job?
The press covered the sketch, magnifying its message in the process. TheHill.com, TheWrap.com and AOL all penned stories about the Biden mockery.
The Hill’s coverage softened the skit’s ending.
“Hey, hold on, I’m just going to turn up the volume — just gotta find a button. There we go —” he said before ending the mock call.
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