Did SNL Scrap an Anti-Obama Skit in Favor of an Anti-Fox One?
- Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:00pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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If you watched “Saturday Night Live” on Saturday (or if you just watched the highlight on The Blaze), you saw the popular comedy show open with a bit mocking Fox News and its morning show, “Fox & Friends.” But The Daily Caller is now reporting the anti-Fox skit may not have been originally on the docket as the show’s opening sketch.
The Caller got its hands on a script allegedly for a skit that was supposed to mock Obama and his seemingly endless reminders that he ordered the killing of Osama bin Laden.
“I hope you had a safe and joyous first anniversary of his killing,” the script, featuring Fred Armisen as President Obama, says of Osama.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to be at home this year, as I had to fly to Afghanistan, to remind President Karzai that, exactly one year ago, we killed Osama bin Laden, and that the decision to do so was a gutsy one,” he continues. “And was mine.”
He then goes on to name appropriate gifts in honor of the one year anniversary.
The script, which the Caller notes was authored by comedian Jim Downey, is available below:
Obama Address Cold Open – May 6, 2012
So why was the skit scrapped?
The Caller says “it is not clear why.” But before you go concluding it was to be favorable to the president or heap condemnation on Fox — both options that are conceivable — let me let you in on a little secret: I went to college in New York City just blocks away from the SNL studios, and I had several friends who made it a habit of watching the dress rehearsals for the show. On several occasions, they would remark how the final episode that aired on Saturday night differed from what they saw earlier — and several times skits were cut.
It could simply be that the Obama skit just wasn’t a hit with the dress rehearsal crowd, and since it would have been the first one people saw, the producers could have scrapped it for something else.
But again, that’s just a guess. And that might still be a glimpse into the public’s perception: an anti-Fox skit is more palatable than an anti-Obama one.
UPDATE:
Tommy Christopher over at Mediaite has a theory, too:
The sketch that was allegedly pulled from this past weekend’s show simply wasn’t funny, and while regular viewers of SNL know that doesn’t always keep a sketch off the air, this script’s premise had already been done by the show, and done better, in the aftermath of the actual bin Laden raid.
Christopher also links to a past article that describes Downey as a “right-wing writer,” which might explain how the script was leaked. Still, Christopher also notes that Downey has said glowing things of Obama (like vowing to vote for him).
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Comments (48)
The Third Archon
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 9:53pm“So why was the skit scrapped?”
Report Post »Because making fun of Obama isn’t as funny as making fun of FOX, which is just NATURALLY laughable.
mrmarkjohnson
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 7:01pm“Funny” is a matter of opinion. Trashing FoxNews is funny to liberals. Taking jabs at Obama is not funny. Whether or not it was pulled for being not funny or to protect their political candidate is irrelevant. It’s the same thing. The crowds pulled in off the streets of NYC are not representative of America. It would be stupid if that’s how they prejudged their skits.
Imagine polling Jon Liebowitz‘s audience about which political skits were funny and which weren’t. It would be pretty one-sided.
Report Post »AppalachianAmerican
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:37pmSNL still on the air? Ironic that the “best of” editions as collections of specific comedians funniest skits, are more popular than the weekly shows themselves. Used to love watching SNL 25 years ago. Not so much today. Very dry and biased.
Report Post »babylonvi
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:03pmThe NBC family of stations are merely a propaganda arm of the DNC. Once you understand that, you understand why they do what they do and ALSO who no one is watching.
Report Post »GIRTHMAN
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 4:22pmI thought this show went off the air years ago … ha whaddya know
Report Post »Master.Debater
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 4:04pmI didn’t know people still watch SNL.
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 4:02pmI Don’t watch their lefitst tripe anymore. I watched in the days of Belushi and Chase. Now…they are almost pure leftist bullcrap. To he11 with them.
Report Post »Tom K
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 3:39pmWatched S.N.L. from day (night) one. Would record it on VHS if I was going to be away on Saturday Night. Saw the show slowly deteriorate over the years as I became more conservative and the show continued to lean left. In the beginning, there was “some” equal treatment toward dems and reps but now the game has changed. Not watching your biased S.N.L. and not using your Chinese-mercury poisoned-light buld. Money and corruption ruins everything. ” G.E., we USED to bring good things to life ! “
Report Post »rfycom
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 3:11pmfunny as hell regardless
Report Post »James Daly
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 3:06pmFred does a really good Obama (everything Fred does is funny)…. that skit would have been funnier than the Fox and Friends skit. There’s a couple things I know about; one is politics and the other is comedy. The F&F skit was not funny. At all. In order to be funny, farce has to be something the audience is familiar with.. most of the SNL crowd won‘t be because it comes on in the morning and it’s conservative. Everybody knows Obama and that he was spiking the football 10 too many times. This was moved because they knew they were going to get a nasty call from the White House.
Report Post »hanblecheya
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 2:58pmI‘m surprised anyone watching SNL would even catch the symbolism as they don’t even know what channel fox is on. Besides, the word news in Fox News is the only four letter word they don’t know.
Report Post »HKS
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 2:34pmSpeak against da Fuhrer and it’s off with your head. NBC has been told. It’s good to be the king.
Report Post »Tom K
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 3:43pm@ HKS : The guillotines are staged and the F.E.M.A. camps are ready.
Report Post »DoomsdayProphet
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 2:30pmScript was actually funny. Decisions like this are what make SNL obsolete.
Report Post »Sniprfire
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 2:17pmSNL… another idea for you… You get your Actors to impersonate Al Sharpton, Spike Lee, Jesse, Paven, Bill Ayers, and his Harpe Wife, Black Panthers Shaka ZULE Mobumo, Ed Shultz,, Bill Maher together for your ongoing skit… OOOOO WEEE Whats Up Wid Dat??
Have Linsdey Buckingham, the Running Man, Biden with some GAFS …Holder handing out Guns
Nancy telling everybody to Not Read it..Just let us Pass the Bill ..
( Funndy Stuff Lorne)
Report Post »Sniprfire
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 2:11pmSoros has invested Big Money in GE Which has 49% in NBC which tells SNL… Knock off any bad skits on Obummer… Obummer Care must go through because GE Healthcare has alot at stake which affects Soros and his holdings…
Any Questions? Lorne you have lost my viewership of SNL until you have the Stones to lay it down on Obummer like you did the last 5 Presidents…
Report Post »Sniprfire
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 2:02pmLorne Green & LiB T@ards… for years you pound on both Bushes, Chaney, Palin… but NOT OBummer?? Whats up with that… I have a premise.. How about him being the Cliche King, The Sound Bite Pres, The Teleprompter Talker …everywhere he goes… he’s dropping Cliches, Sound Bites and has a crew with Teleprompter… Now that would be Funny…
Ohhh and the empty seats …. while he’s speaking… and all the Rich turning him down for Big Money Fund Raisers… You could combine it with Oooo Weee… Whats Up Wid Dat?? Skit..
Seriously the writing has gotten so bad and Obummer has so much Funny Potential…
Report Post »I will work for Free…. Have em rolling and talking about it the next day…
Call Me Lorne
BreeZee
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 2:55pm“Now, there ya go again”. You know (mis)nbc can’t make fun of the lying white/ black man child, winer in cheif. And you know you can‘t say terrorist cuz that war is over and don’t bad mouth islam, muslims or muhammad. “F” them all incluing snl.
I will not comply
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 1:43pmI Read the skit.Was the first time I had laughed at anything SNL has done in years!
Report Post »VoteBushIn12
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 1:59pmSounds like you only like to laugh at other people and not at yourself.
We call that narcissism.
Report Post »SimpleTruths
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 1:00pmThis was a no-brainer – Fox is comedy gold, simple as that.
Report Post »churchdog
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 1:18pmSpot-on. Doocy and Kilmeade are easy to mock. Gretchen is just eye-candy.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 1:23pmNo doubt you are referring to Francis FOX Piven.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 1:39pmYes. Fox News ( owned by conservative Murdoch ) and all conservatives are “comedy gold ” for The Democrat Characterization Squad and their Lefty Lap Dog Media . Heck, that’s just part of what the 99% number really represents : Alinsky’s styled Character Assassination coupled with the Blame Game . The Democrat’s political gold standard !
Report Post »Sniprfire
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 3:46pmReally… How about that Tub of Lard Wind Bag Ed Shultz and his ideology that We Should Pay for Everyone…
Now thats FUNNY!!
Report Post »BenInNY
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:49pmJon, story aside – the site is really starting to need copy editors. I know I’m a bit picky when it comes to grammar and usage, but spell check will be the death of the language.
Report Post »“…on the doc it as the show’s…” Docket?
Oh, and the constant misuse of “a” and “of” bracketing the word “myriad,” yikes.
I know it’s equally sad that I feel the need to point it out, but it’s as jarring as blatant product placement in television shows–here’s to you, Bones. I may need to end this minor rant before delving into the eating and drinking sound effects used in commercials at high volumes. By the way, if anyone who worked on the Magic Mesh ad is reading this: I hate you.
Heh, I tried so hard to stop writing in the middle of that :)
(I wander if their are any grammer an speelin erars in this coment)
amd1044
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 1:33pmCANCEL ALL OF MY APPOINTMENTS.
Report Post »Someone providing free news content to me on the internet made a couple of errors!
disenlightened
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 2:18pmPardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 4:25pm:o)
Report Post »boston-rightwinger
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:46pmI did not realize SNL was still on. Since i stopped drinking heavy on Saturday nights, the skits became less funny. They would have had a hit with this Obama skit, but i guess they have lost their guts.
Report Post »Chrison
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:45pmJust a guess, but maybe it was decided the skit might offend a few muslims?
Report Post »Best_Patriot
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:26pm95% of the stories on the Blaze are complaints. Too much WHINE with this CHEESE.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:37pmHey, WORST patriot… you are always here complaing about the BLAZE, so take your own advice and HIT THE ROAD!
Report Post »magnum357
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:43pmSo why are you here? whiner!
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 1:01pmThen ask for your money back and get the hell out of here.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 1:26pmHey Horse,
That’s because there is a lot to complain about over the last three years.
Report Post »Best_Patriot
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 2:59pmHaha, it always cracks me up when tea folk make fun of someone’s handle and avatar, as if it’s somehow personal. “Worst Patriot?” Wow! and “Horse,” great!
I’m just here to point out that all you do is complain and/or fret about the most obscure, inane stories. If that’s what makes you happy, carry on then.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 3:44pmHey Horse,
In this life, you tend to get back what you put in.
I would call you Horse’s A$$, but it seems that you are not able to get that part of your picture to appear in your avatar. They do tell you that you should use a square image, so as to avoid part of it being cropped off.
Carry on Skippy
Report Post »chazmo
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 5:01pmGo somewhere else then… Why put up with it? You must love giving Glenn money.
Report Post »Dr. Joel Fleischman
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:16pmWORST_Patriot aka Encinom
It always amazes me when Occufolk like you come in from HuffPo, Daily Kos, and Democratic Underground to troll here and make complete fools of yourselves…
Report Post »Best_Patriot
Posted on May 8, 2012 at 8:56am@Dr. Joel Fleischman, it always amazes me when people like you make wild generalizations about people they clearly do not know, outing themselves as completely clueless to this original poster.
Report Post »spirited
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:24pmMost likey, it was two-true-taboo.
It would have outraged:
1. Muslims
2. Barack Obama & his gang
>Besides, the open-minded (not) viewers might cease to watch future SNL shows.
Report Post »PATRIOTMAMA
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:16pmOf course an Anti-Fox skit would be more palatable to a NYC rehersal crowd than an Anti-Obama skit. DAH!!!! Still fits with the liberal agenda esp in NYC. Was just there for a few hours for New Year’s Eve and that was even enough to see the liberal control over that city. It’s like the CA of the East.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:06pmNBC ! Perhaps the SNL writers tried to be funny .. but it is NOT allowed to mock “The One” on NBC.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:15pmAll too true CatB – we have here PC run amok.
Report Post »spirited
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 12:25pm;^> Didn’t want the OWS crowd to break their windows.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 1:40pmSPIRITED: or have an ACORN or SEIU mob serenade them with bull horns.
Report Post »