Comments on: Sarah does ‘SNL’

By: Jim Veihdeffer

Jim Veihdeffer — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:44:42 +0000

I think it was a good move for Palin, albeit a last gasp of desperation. Clearly, it’s a risk going on SNL when they’ve been regularly making you a big girl’s blouse for the past few weeks. One can well imagine how the handlers huddled heatedly, debating the pro’s and con’s of such an appearance. In the end, the show and Palin did exactly the only thing they could — they didn’t try to make her funny…they let the professional humoristas do the funny business and portrayed her dilemma in a humorous context.

By: Richard K

Richard K — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:01:19 +0000

Len, you missed the point. It wasn’t about Palin. It was about SNL ratings – and increasing ad rates. Highest viewership in 14 years.

This is marketing as differentiated from public relations.

By: Diane Wallace

Diane Wallace — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:36:12 +0000

My own opinion is that it was truly funny stuff – the best SNL I’ve seen in a long time.

However, it would have been far more funny if it wasn’t so scary – her past television appearances (with the exception of one “debate”) were screaming disasters. What I’d have loved to see from this potential White House resident is a serious interview with a statment like “I don’t think those last interviews were representative of what I can do, so let’s do this for real…” followed by an intelligent conversation about some issues. If she had more of that sort of thing behind her I could have better stomached her appearance last night.

I thought this was a seriously misguided/misplaced-in-the-campaign attempt to show that she has a sense of humor and is a “real person”. We know that already – I’d have liked to see some real depth in her.

The entertainment was priceless, but not the best PR move, in my view.

By: Stephanie Sheppard

Stephanie Sheppard — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:48:15 +0000

As a religious SNL viewer, I was highly anticipating Palin’s appearance – but I was so disappointed! She didn’t do anything on the show; she hardly said any words besides “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.” Although I do think going on the show was a good PR move and showed that she doesn’t let SNL jokes bother her, I felt like it was a missed opportunity.

A skit of Palin impersonating Tina Fey in 30 Rock for example, would have been hilarious and driven the ratings through the roof. It seemed as if she wasn’t trusted to read any lines or make a splash.