Apparently, the only time the president of the United States ever watches “Saturday Night Live” is when he’s parodied. Well, and the times he’s appeared on or hosted it.
If Donald Trump had paid even the slightest attention to the show’s previous 858 episodes over the past 43 years, maybe he wouldn’t have tweeted this: “A REAL scandal is the one sided coverage, hour by hour, of networks like NBC & Democrat spin machines like Saturday Night Live. It is all nothing less than unfair news coverage and Dem commercials. Should be tested in courts, can’t be legal? Only defame & belittle! Collusion?”
Seriously?
I’d point out that we ought to be concerned when the president doesn’t care about minor details like the First Amendment, but given the long list of Trump controversies and scandals — 17 investigations and counting — this hardly merits more than a footnote.
I’ll agree with Trump that not everything on “SNL” is funny. For every sketch that works, there are two, maybe three that don’t. But, funny or not, the show has always made fun of presidents. Chevy Chase portrayed Gerald Ford as a clumsy, bumbling fool way back in 1975, and the show has parodied Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and now Trump.
Of course, the seven previous presidents weren’t such thin-skinned narcissists that they publicly criticized the show and pushed the idea of making its jokes illegal.
(Photo courtesy Will Heath/NBC) Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump during the "It's a Wonderful Trump" cold open in Studio 8H on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.
One could argue that “SNL” has been easier on Trump than it was on his 2016 Democratic opponent. Then-”Weekend Update” anchor Norm McDonald referred to Bill and Hillary Clinton as “the president and the first b----.” And then called Hillary Clinton a b---- again. He made fun of her appearance. He repeatedly called her a “dirty liar” and a “compulsive liar.”
She was the first lady at the time, not a candidate or officeholder. And, gee, I don’t seem to recall the Clintons calling for the Justice Department to investigate “SNL.” Because they were aware of that pesky First Amendment.
By the way, McDonald’s treatment of Hillary Clinton on “SNL” also makes it clear that Fox News Channel media “expert” Howard Kurtz’s assertion that Melania Trump has been treated especially badly — that “no other modern first lady has been treated like this” — was particularly stupid.
Remember — 17 investigations and counting. Five former Trump advisers (that we know of) indicted and either convicted or pleading guilty.
So, no, it doesn’t seem outside the lines — let alone illegal — for “Weekend Update” anchor Colin Jost to joke, “Well, this last week was a pretty bad year for Donald Trump. Think about what’s currently under investigation for him. His campaign, his transition, his inauguration, his business and his presidency. So everyone check your cards, because you might have impeachment bingo.”
Every president gets made fun of. It goes with the territory. Only one recent American president has suggested that it should be illegal.
Shortly before the 2016 election, President Barack Obama said, “Anybody who is upset about a ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit, you don't want in charge of nuclear weapons. … This is a guy who, like, tweets, ‘They should cancel “Saturday Night Live.” I don't like how Alec Baldwin's imitating me.’ Really? I mean, that's the thing that bothers you and you want to be president of the United States?”
Trump isn't the only leader who wishes he could lock up his critics. It's illegal to criticize the head of state in several countries — including Venezuela, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Poland, Turkey, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iran.
And that’s no laughing matter.
