‘SNL doesn’t care if Paterson’s offended’
February 3rd, 2009
By Elizabeth Benjamin, New York Daily News Daily Politics blog:
[New York Gov. David] Paterson has made it clear he doesn’t like being the butt of jokes on late-night TV (unless he’s making them himself), but that didn’t stop “Saturday Night Live” from lampooning the governor yet again.
Just like last time, SNL’s Fred Armisen focused on the governor’s visual impairment and made passing reference to his youthful cocaine use.
… In a span of 4 minutes and 55 seconds, Armisen made no fewer [than] three blind jokes, starting off by rolling onto the set in a wheeled chair and colliding with “Weekend Update” host Seth Myers.
The comedian also referred to upstate New York voters as “goonies,” “freakshows,” and “mouth breathers.”
Paterson, who is legally blind, had no immediate comment.
Video here. Earlier post here.
Other headlines:
Dave turns a blind eye to ‘SNL’ jab — New York Post
‘SNL’ takes another shot at blind governor — NBCnewyork.com
(NBC.com photo)
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February 7th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
SNL can’t find anything other than his disability to riff on for Gov. Paterson so he should help them out by developing some flamboyant mannerisms or outfits. It is clear they are not going to come up with anything else on their own.
February 4th, 2009 at 11:13 am
I usually like SNL’s political parodies but this is reprehensible. Making fun of someone’s behavior is fair game. Making fun of an immutable characteristic over which they have no control is not. There is no difference between mocking someone’s race and mocking someone’s disability and if Seth Myers, et al can’t comprehend that then they shouldn’t be on the air.