Palin To Join Fey On Saturday Night Live?

The VP Candidate Says Comedienne "Is A Hoot," And Would Like To Appear Side-By-Side With Her On SNL

(AP)  It seems like the inevitable comedic summit of this fall's presidential campaign: the real Sarah Palin coming on "Saturday Night Live" to meet her look-alike impersonator, Tina Fey.

"All in good time," said a cagey Lorne Michaels, longtime executive producer of NBC's "Saturday Night Live," which has been rejuvenated this fall by Fey's three skits as the Republican vice presidential candidate.

Michaels said on Wednesday he wasn't actively seeking Palin, but that the McCain campaign called after the first skit, when Fey's Palin appeared with Amy Poehler's Hillary Clinton on the show's Sept. 13 season premiere, to say they enjoyed it.

"Saturday Night Live" has a long history of political walk-ons. Michaels prefers keeping this sort of news a surprise until it happens, an opinion reinforced when word leaked that Barack Obama would be on that same show and the Democratic presidential candidate had to cancel at the last minute. "I think we looked stupid," he said.

There are three more first-run "Saturday Night Live" episodes before the election. Starting Thursday, NBC is also airing three prime-time editions of the show at 9:30 p.m. EDT.

Palin told reporters on Tuesday she'd love to appear on the show with Fey.

"I love her, she's a hoot and she's so talented," Palin said. "It would be fun to meet her, imitate her and keep on giving her new material."

From the moment Palin was selected as John McCain's running mate, Michaels said he barely had time to consider the idea of Fey impersonating her. Others did it for him.

"The next day the doorman in my building said, `What a gift, you're going to have so much fun with Tina Fey,"' he said.

Fey needed some convincing, primarily because she was busy with her Emmy Award-winning role as harried late-night show producer on "30 Rock." The day of "SNL's" season premiere, she was shooting an episode of "30 Rock" with Oprah Winfrey as a guest.

"There are certainly people here who could have played her and played her well," Michaels said. "But the audience would have been disappointed if it had not been Tina. They cast her."

During that first impersonation, Fey got laughs simply by nailing Palin's accent. She described global warming as "just God hugging us closer."

Michaels knew he wanted Fey back for the Oct. 4 show, two days after the vice presidential debate. But Palin's interview with CBS' Katie Couric was so priceless, they had to write a sketch around that, he said.

In one answer to a question by Couric, played by Poehler, Fey gives a circular response of campaign cliches that reaches a dead end. Asked for specifics on how a McCain administration would spread democracy, Fey's Palin said, "Katie, I'd like to use one of my lifelines."

Through the first three weeks of the season, "Saturday Night Live" has averaged 8.3 million viewers, or 49 percent more than last year, according to Nielsen Media Research. The skits have also drawn tremendous Web traffic, with 9.3 million people watching an online clip of the "Clinton-Palin" segment. The "Couric interview" has been seen by nearly 7 million people, NBC said.

"She's made `Saturday Night Live' look, for the first time in a long time, like it's playing in the same satire league as Comedy Central," said Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.

Fey has been off "Saturday Night Live" for two years, but was the guest host last winter in the first show back from the writers strike, where she made a vivid defense of Hillary Clinton.

"With all her years on `Weekend Update' and even more as Liz Lemon on `30 Rock,' she's become someone the audience trusts," Michaels said. "She's credible. And I think none of that would have mattered if her take on Sarah Palin hadn't been fresh and funny."

While the comic impersonation is tough, Fey's character is likable, much like Will Ferrell was in his days talking about "strategery" as George W. Bush, he said.

Richard Greene, a public speaking coach and author of "Words That Shook the World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events," said if he were a Democratic official, he'd be pulling any favor he could to keep Palin off "Saturday Night Live."

"She is so charming and so media savvy," Greene said. "When she has a script, she will completely seduce America."

Michaels is enjoying the ride, letting Fey know that she only has to impersonate Palin through Nov. 4.

But what if she is elected the next vice president?

"I think we'll find somebody else to play Sarah Palin," he said. "I don't think she's going to be playing Sarah Palin for the rest of her life."

[kevzgrl]

It has finally happened, SNL has "jumped the shark" - just imagine, you can''t get the REAL George Bush on the show, so you put a female version on. She is so dumb, she can''t even recognize when she is being made fun of FOR her stupidity, so she will come on and yuck it up thinking it''s all just a joke - the joke is really on HER, because it is exposing even more just how stupid she really IS. Box of rocks, people - box of rocks.....

[gauthor]

Palin and media exposure a photo says a thousand words...


Go to www.docstoc.com and type in the search Sarah Palin or do a search of Sarah Palin Vogue magazine.


There you will find her photo on the cover of Vogue magazine.

All pretty and ready for bed, but not to go to sleep. OH MY, the McCain running mate is showing more skin than old John''s head.

Respect sure is not what Palin deserves.

The next Vice President or even the Presidency. Be very afraid for our country.


Palin remember being a super woman does not require you to undress for the public.

Remember, Tina Fey is making fun of you, what a brainless idiot you really are. You betcha, gosh *** it, dog gone it, big smirky smile Wink Wink is really getting old.

This new side of Palin as a racist and hate monger, finally the real you is coming out. Have you already or do you plan to join the the white sheets with the triple K''s ?

I have gained one thing from Palin and that is a new respect and admiration of Hillary Clinton. I thought she was something else when she was running for the Presidency and I won''t write about that here. Palin is everything wrong about a woman in power. Palin is really got some mental issues that she needs to address.

Shame on you for degrading and humiliating women all around the world.

[harbinger09]

Obama / Biden are presenting a False image of themselves and McCain / Palin to the American people.

In the end Obama / Biden will be found out.

Posted by stevemccoy7 at 02:47 PM : Oct 09, 2008



This is funny-- Within the past 6 weeks--McCain made Republicans embrace a former mistress as potential first lady, illegitimate teen pregnancy, an Airhead for a VP and now they must embrace socialism and helping out the poor with a 300+ billion dollar mortgage bailout--before its over, the Republican party will seem more liberal than the Democrats and the Republicans have to swallow it--because he is all that they have.

Paying for a public bailout,ignoring subpoenas, then supporting airhead females for VP and championing pregger teens indeed--what were those conservative values again? Hypocrites.

[harbinger09]

Don''t do it Fey. Palin and McCain are running out of money, so they are willing to try anything and everything to get free air time. they want to advertise their trash--let them pay for it like other candidates.

[wevehadenuf]

I hope everyone realizes this is all meant to distract you from real issues like the economy, the war, healthcare...hmm...is sarah palin going on saturday night live yeah not as important but she would probably like to waste your time. This woman has wasted my time attacking Obama on baseless grounds. She has wasted enough of my time by being a fake, phony, nonsensical hypocrite. You think you''re going rule the galaxy cause you fooled some Alaskans now try to fool the whole country with your wink. I''d much rather watch Tina Fey. This woman cares as much about the people as Bush has and probably less. Where has she been? What good has she done? Ok, she wants to drill for oil. What a humanitarian.

[usclimey]

There''s nothing more boring than having a battle of wits with an unarmed person. Tina should take some advice from George Bernard Shaw.

[mtminds]

Now we get to see who the real comedian is. Tina, it is time to step down and recognize a bigger jokester than you.

Now I think Sarah Palin should really be compared to Tammy Fey Baker. Those two have an awful lot in common, including the lipstick and makeup. SQueal!

[dan9111]

Palin is different because she is currently promoting and encouraging hate, fear and racism during her political rallies.

Posted by clorge

There is nothing nondiscriminatory about the Democrats. They have tried to separate, use labels, and create categories of privileged classes of people. Even today they promote laws and projects that seek to benefit specific groups. That is not EQUALITY, it is BIGOTRY. They just don''t call it that because they want the goodies and some economic working-class slaves to deliver them. Ron Paul is the only person who knew the reality.

[clorge]

There are plenty of decent politicians that SNL has spoofed in fun over the years that were good sports and showed up on SNL to join in the spirit of fun. Palin is different because she is currently promoting and encouraging hate, fear and racism during her political rallies. There is nothing funny about a hate-monger. I hope that SNL chooses not to showcase a person like Palin.

[martin9p2]

SNL should not allow Palin on the show just to pretend that she is a good sport about being ridiculed.

[stevemccoy7]

Obama / Biden are presenting a False image of themselves and McCain / Palin to the American people.

In the end Obama / Biden will be found out.

[sleepyric]

if she does, I will never watch SNL again.

[gangesdak]

Palin acts for her home base- Alaska. Them people like airheads as their head.

[pvperson]

It is the perfect place for her, being a joke and all.