some mickey mouse operaton

This is about that longstanding dinosaur- 35 years old, Saturday Night Live. A show that still can be funny especially the years Tina Fey was head writer or later,when she did her Palin interpretation. Sometimes the host can trancens the material and occasionally the writing has a snap to it. However, the show is no longer subversive in any sense; it survives, and rather easily so as an institution as the only game in town. It is the establishment. SNL has no point of view. We'll make fun of Sarah Palin but be sure to provide her some high profile guest skits and let her be hip, grooving to Amy Poehler's (Palin edited) super rap. She's not mad at us, is she?

Never ceasing to make fun of anyone but without a point of view; we're making fun- no harm done, we'll go after the other side next week. Our writing will be lazy and always identify by name who we're making fun of, and we won't piss anyone off (except when a performer hits such a home run as Fey did, and it translates to buzz and ratings). We'll go after the governor of New York not much for any of his policies but because he looks funny. We'll go after certain politicians with one note echoes that often cater to a stereotype than an accurate take ( that Obama is too nice, Biden's a potential idiot...) and real good make up. It's more about the make up. Fuckin' great make up.

Akroyd's take on Nixon was certainly not a fond one, Chevy Chase's take on President Ford was certainly not respectful (even later day impressions of Bush Jr. by Will Farrell allowed a lovable side, and Dana Carvey who did a nifty take on senior later allowed himself to become buddies with). Bill Murray returned once as guest host but closed the show with something tragic that had just happened, announcing that the Soviet Union had invaded Poland...while people nervously laughed, Murray, standing with musical guests the Spinners, said something close to "this is no joke. i'm just sorry for the poor saps who are going to get drafted".
Or 1980 when Ronald Reagan was on his way to becoming President, Jimmy Carter's spirit was broken- he's toast baby- the SNL cast and the B-52's called up independent candidate John Anderson up to the stage...hey, you still have a good choice, folks.

Yesterday, six people were killed and and a Congresswoman was shot in the head in Arizona. Jim Carrey was sure to shout out the success of the Jets (football team just won a playoff game, hours after the shooting) but no mention of this horror. Send out a heartfelt plea at the end of the show at least! Perhaps this mention would not represent well in reruns, or while the joke of New Speaker of the House Boehner hitting Nancy Pelosi in the head with his gavel was appropriate to leave in, perhaps producer Lorne Michaels felt the issue was too sensitive. Someone hitting Pelosi in the head is pure comedy after the day's events and Pelosi also being the recipient of death threats.
Sorry but you guys sell your show as cutting edge and topical.

Some assholes need to be called out for the hateful attacks and words that have been used, regardless of whether or not this event was a product of it.

Remember when you had a skit with Richard Pryor applying for a job with Chevy Chase as his perspective boss that examined subtle and overt racism with an edge to the comedy that was as frightening as it was funny? No?

Just before John Belushi died, he was all set to portray the head of NBC programming, Fred Silverman as a crazed dictator; the script was written and rehearsed but Lorne Michaels pulled the skit. Perhaps that was the beginning of Saturday Night Live's retreat to embracing the corporation as desired entity; can't blame you, really but once in awhile regardless of ratings, take a stand. Enough with the ice water penis jokes, okay?

And hey, you used to have musical guests that weren't pulled only from the top 10 lists.