Not so much to be found in Obama supporters, but here is a clear cut example of the media elevating his candidacy to an unnecessary level of importance and/or untouchability. Of course, it could simply just be that the Washington Post is happy to gin up juicy controversy that brings the eyeballs in. I wonder which one it is...

Did 'SNL' Go Beyond the Pale With Fauxbama?

 Is Fred Armisen, who is not African American, "black enough" to embody Obama on "Saturday Night Live"?

...Obama isn't just any politician or celebrity. Which is why Armisen's DNA became something of an issue when he became "Fauxbama" in "SNL's" first show back since the writers' strike ended this month.

Oh. Fucking. Please.

Armisen and makeup have done a great job caricaturing the Senator, but Armisen's delivery needs work. He was pretty funny with flat one-liners in his first appearance as Obama, but in the "debate" sketch last night he was reaching for a deepening of his impression that, frankly, failed. He'll get it soon, but the notion that comedy has crossed a taboo line here is overreaction, if not outright fantasy. If Fred Armisen has enough chops and enough er, makeupability to mimic the light-skinned Obama, fucking who cares? It's Saturday Night Live. They're in it for the comedy, not the politics. Now suffice it to say if Red Eye(is it still on the air? Really?) did a sketch like that, it would be for politics and what passes for comedy on that execrable waste of programming, and that would be wrong.

We have to make a case by case judgment call on what is "offensive" per se and what is not, and I'm going to have to assume that given Lorne Michaels' history and his succinct explanation below, his motives are pure:

Michaels said that the show auditioned "four to five" actors for the Obama role, including Thompson. And the winner, he says, was based on merit. "When it came down to it, I went with the person with the cleanest comedy 'take' on" Obama, Michaels said.

Michaels said he liked how Armisen caught the tilt of Obama's head, the rhythm of his speaking style, "the essence" of his look. "It's not about race," Michaels insisted via phone. "It's about getting a take on Obama, where it serves the comedy and the writing. . . . Believe me, when we read 40 or 50 pieces [for the show] on Wednesday, no one says, 'This is a very good way of getting our political points across.' We're simply asking ourselves: Is it fresh? Is it funny? Fred just had best take on Obama."

tags: saturday  night  live  obama  armisen  

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