SNL Producer declares Bush "off limits,"

September 27, 2001 4:11 AM

SNL Producer declares Bush "off limits," despite what it says in the link. In the wake of the Bill Maher crucifixion, Lorne Michaels has decided to play it safe, according to the paragon of journalism. Does this mean no airport metal detector skit?
posted by curiousg (28 comments total)

Okay, maybe it's just me, but nowhere in any of those links did I see Michaels being quoted as saying Bush was off limits. Is it, in fact, just me?
posted by toddshot at 4:18 AM on September 27, 2001

All I could find is:

"So far, Ferrell hasn't been penciled in for a Bush skit, Michaels said."

which doesn't really sound like Phleischer Phobia. Just sounds like he's tallying pros and cons.

Maher plummed the depth of American intolerance and stupidity and was rewarded with a measure which falls somewhere between shallow and aground. Enterprises which feel the need to swaddle the unenlightened and the fearful will duck and cover, with oozing encouragement from incompetent press secretaries. All is right with America.
posted by Opus Dark at 4:39 AM on September 27, 2001

Oops, should have been: "Maher plummed the depth of American tolerance and intellectual honesty and was rewarded with a measure which falls somewhere between shallow and aground."

Too.ornate.must.get.sleep.
posted by Opus Dark at 4:42 AM on September 27, 2001

Maher is smarter than the people complaining about him.

[minor note: plumbed]
posted by pracowity at 5:14 AM on September 27, 2001

...despite what it says in the link.

Then why post the link at all? You can't present facts that don't support your conclusion and then say, oh, but the conclusion is valid in spite of that.

The idea that our government can't still be a target of comedy, and that we can't still angrily disagree with the steps our government takes, flies in the face of everything our government is supposed to represent. I don't see why Bush should be off-limits.
posted by UnReality at 5:16 AM on September 27, 2001

It actually says in the article: As of Wednesday — still early for the notoriously last-minute SNL writers — no subject is out of bounds, Michaels said. He'll go with what feels right.

How does this translate into 'Bush off-limits'?
posted by mb01 at 5:26 AM on September 27, 2001

...according to the paragon of journalism.

To clarify, this "off limits" story was reported this morning on Fox News. Not my conclusion. It seems a reasonable topic for the continuing discussion of media self-censorship.
posted by curiousg at 6:11 AM on September 27, 2001

Oh sorry guys, now it's in "print". Apologies for giving a heads up on a story before its online. But thanks for jumping down my throat...SNL To Shun Politics, SNL Gets Out Of Politics:

When Saturday Night Live kicks off its 27th season this weekend, it will do so without its most popular character: President Bush.

posted by curiousg at 6:18 AM on September 27, 2001

Curiousg, people aren't jumping down your throat, they're just asking you to support your story. MetaFilter is a Weblog, not a Newslog.
posted by cCranium at 6:56 AM on September 27, 2001

I don't see why Bush should be off-limits.

He shouldn't be "off-limts" per se, but the writers and producers of SNL may recognize that it will be difficult if not impossible to do a skit that many would find funny in these times. I don't believe in sacred cows, but when SNL starts exercising a little artistic judgment, I'm all for it.

It will be nice to see them worry beforehand about whether a skit will - ahem - bomb rather than just air it and pray.
posted by mikewas at 6:59 AM on September 27, 2001

Is SNL even relevant in the arena of political commentary anymore? There are other outlets who do it much better and smarter. I wasn't really looking toward them for anything on this at all. I was just expecting more of Chris Kattan to be jumping around like a jackass screaming or some other character wheeled out for the nth time in a row.

I'll stick to the Daily Show, thank you very much.
posted by ice_cream_motor at 7:09 AM on September 27, 2001

Bush impersonator Will Farrell is quoted as saying "...this is not the time to make fun of anything political or topical." (on TV Guide) What else is there to make fun of? At a time when most US news organizations seem like part of some sort of Ministry of Information, comedy and satire may be the only way to even approach alternate opinions on current affairs. (cCraninium: discuss.)
posted by curiousg at 7:16 AM on September 27, 2001

What else is there to make fun of?

Rabbits wearing hats made of funny food?

People getting hit in the groin by footballs?

There's lots of stuff in the world to make fun of. Honestly, I don't think right now that it's a good idea from a business sense for mainstream media to mock the president.

From where Lorne Michaels is sitting, he can either make fun of the way Bush pronounces "terror" and get a flood of nasty phone messages and letters and e-mail and media criticism or he can put Chris Kattan in shiny purple short pants to make people laugh at the silly man.

Besides, satire surrounding 911 has to be done right, and like ice_cream_motor said, I don't think SNL can do political satire properly. Fart and cocaine jokes are one thing, satire is another.
posted by cCranium at 8:29 AM on September 27, 2001

no coke, pepsi.
posted by newnameintown at 8:30 AM on September 27, 2001

Good Lord, just when you think people are ready to be serious and respectful, you come along and question, nay mock! a rabbit's choice to wear a hat of food. Intolerance, thou hast a friend in us. (lowers head)
posted by hug99 at 8:54 AM on September 27, 2001

I don't care who SNL makes fun of. It would be nice if the damn show was occasionally funny though.
posted by revbrian at 9:07 AM on September 27, 2001

I agree on the "business sense," and that's partly my point. Granted this is an unprecidented event, but I've never seen our country in such a state before. No jokes and wear your flag, or it's off to the gulag for you. All opposition will be crushed. (...And no, we've never done anything unsavory.)

Even after Reagan was shot, SNL did the Buckwheat Asassination (I don't remember how long after). Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a Crazy Rummie sketch.

Okay, I admit rabbits with random stuff on their heads are funny too.
posted by curiousg at 9:09 AM on September 27, 2001

I heard that political humor was the strongest topic SNL had these days. Is that true?

(It's odd that even if you don't watch SNL, there's something an SNL-related movie gives off that is detectable miles away. That new one with the veterinarian [imdb] Corky Romano, and the lead guy [imdb again] Chris Kattan... has also been in... hey whaddaya know, Saturday Night Live.)
posted by kurumi at 10:12 AM on September 27, 2001

Actually, I'm jonesing for a return to normalcy. Or at least a move towards that direction. Rumsfeld says victory will be when we're "...able to be free in speech and thought and activity and behavior." I would add, "without self-censoring ourselves for fear of bad press and pulled advertising". Last time I checked, Americans were allowed to think and speak contrary to what is on CNN (even comedians and entertainers). The way we were on Sept. 9th.
posted by curiousg at 12:00 PM on September 27, 2001

...Or Sept. 10th. Giuliani told New Yorkers: "You can go back to your normal way of life. And I think you honor the people who are missing and the people who died if you did that. After all, they died to protect our normal way of life."
posted by curiousg at 12:15 PM on September 27, 2001

I wouldn't be surprised if SNL avoided the Situation altogether, and I couldn't blame them for it; they'd be saving themselves a lot of headaches. But it would be yet another example of their irrelevance. My head is still reeling from the latest Onion issue. Satire doesn't necessarily mean returning to normal, or even making light of things – I think it's an important way of dealing with reality, even if reality is horrible at the moment.
posted by D at 1:32 PM on September 27, 2001

I could care less if there are any Bush skits. It's the Osama skits I'm looking forward to.
posted by abosio at 2:11 PM on September 27, 2001

I could care less if there are any Bush skits. It's the Osama skits I'm looking forward to.
posted by abosio at 2:13 PM on September 27, 2001

Who could really top the Sesame Street episode where Oscar the Grouch has to go through a metal detector at the airport? It is clear that his trash can is a TARDIS, the amount of stuff that came out of there. And the punch line is, of course, "HEY! Aren't any of you gonna help me put this stuff back in my can??"

Noggin sometimes runs this episode late at night for anyone who cares.
posted by ilsa at 4:46 PM on September 27, 2001

Um, this just got published in the NYTimes (28 Sep 2001). Is this how they're describing Maher's 'coward' remarks?

"In the most highly publicized case, a nationally televised talk show host was shunned by many of his advertisers and criticized by the White House spokesman for making what some considered an unpatriotic remark about American soldiers."

If I am right, perhaps the piece should be titled instead: In Patriotic Time, Dissent Is Muted Misrepresented
posted by mmarcos at 1:42 AM on September 28, 2001

I'm actually keen to see rabbits hit in the groin with footballs.
Particularly if the football bore an uncanny likeness to GWB's head. Now that would be some quality comedy.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 2:28 AM on September 28, 2001