Separation Of Entertainment And State

Saturday Night Live debuted its 41st season last weekend.  It was a lackluster show. Miley Cyrus was both host and musical guest, which didn't help, but honestly, there wasn't a single sketch that really hit.

What's getting the most attention is Hillary Clinton's appearance.  She played Val, the bartender, who served Kate McKinnon's Hillary Clinton.  McKinnon has become a breakout performer, and her Hillary is probably the best political impersonation on the show since Tina Fey did Sarah Palin.

Nevertheless, the real Hillary's appearance made me uncomfortable.  I know this is what SNL does, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.  I don't need to see that a politician is a regular person (or a real person).  I don't care if a politician is a regular person.  He or she can be a heartless bastard who doesn't care about anything as long as they get the job done.

By the way, the sketch criticized her for being a little too slow in accepting gay marriage. Except this isn't criticism so much as Hillary looking like she can admit to mistakes.  What the sketch wouldn't suggest is her stance was cynical: she was against it when the public was against it--in particular her constituency--and changed her mind around the time they changed their minds.  If they were still against it, she'd still be against it.  Just like President Obama.  And you can bet when conservatives change their minds, Republican candidates will come around as well.

But forget about particular political points.  Ultimately, all Hillary's appearance does, quality-wise, is ruin the sketch, and not just because of her amateurish acting.  It ends up being about nothing except "hey, that's really Hillary." It was designed to show she could laugh at herself, but I'd rather have something I can laugh at.