You gotta love the New York Post. (You don't really.) They're writing an article about people who were offended by a Saturday Night Live sketch involving legally blind New York Governor David Paterson, and they go with that headline. Oh, but there's more. Here's their lede:
Gov. Paterson didn't see the humor in a "Saturday Night Live" bit that mocked his blindness.
This immediately put me in mind of Tim Kazurinsky, an SNL alum who used to do a bit on Weekend Update, centered around the Post's crass headlines. He'd have a field day with this one, I thought. In fact, I contacted Tim, and he did, in fact, have a field moment, if not a whole day. Here's what he said:
I don't think Paterson was truly in a BLIND RAGE over the sight-challenged aspect of Fred Armisen's funny portrayal. I think Peterson was more enraged over the cocaine-related portions of the piece. Problem is, if he complained about that ....the New York Post headline probably would have read:
DAVID PATERSON "SNORTIN' MAD" OVER SNL SKIT.
Paterson's office had this reaction to the skit:
Paterson's spokesman, Errol Cockfield, said, "The governor is sure that 'Saturday Night Live,' with all of its talent, can find a way to be funny without being offensive," Cockfield said.
"Knowing the governor, he might even have some suggestions himself."
Hopefully, the writers at SNL are working on a bit centered around the fact that Paterson's spopkesman is named Errol Cockfield.
The Paterson bit happens in two parts, first during the Weekend Update newscast, then Fred Armisen's Paterson wanders into frame while Amy Poehler says her farewell to the show. Here are the clips. Let us know what you think.
I wonder what Gov. Patterson's reaction was to the parodie SNL did of Sarah Palin? Did he find them offenssive? Did his staff protest the way she was treated?
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Bas
4:26PM Dec 15th 2008
"find a way to be funny without being offensive" - gee, get over it. It's SNL, not a Bill Cosby routine. He's not the first politician they've made fun of,
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belle
5:13PM Dec 15th 2008
No one seem to mind about all the crap they gave Sara Palin.
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Sarah Ono
5:06PM Dec 15th 2008
SNL is an equal oppertunity offender...its the American way. People are too serious these days. To be offended is a choice and why choose to be offended?
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Francis Xavier Pope
5:05PM Dec 15th 2008
SNL is all about satire and being offensive is part and parcel of satire. So all of the tight-asses who get into a dither over one SNL skit or another are in effect telling the writers that they are being successful at their jobs, which is to offend tight-asses.
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Ranger
5:42PM Dec 15th 2008
Blind folks weren't upset. They weren't watching anyway.
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Ranger
5:42PM Dec 15th 2008
Get over it. Paterson is an idiot who fell into the job after the scumbag Spitzer got caught screwing the hooker. And besides, blind people didn't see the show.
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Cube
6:42PM Dec 15th 2008
In my mind, the skit would have only crossed the line if he was chopping up lines, on a sheet of braille, while screwing a Kenyan midget.
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Clif Kuplen
6:51PM Dec 15th 2008
n my mind, the skit would have only crossed the line if he was chopping up lines, on a sheet of braille, while screwing a Kenyan midget.
xxx
....whose mumbabwe has shrunk to the size of a flashlight...
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Ryan
6:55PM Dec 15th 2008
I think the point is this is what SNL has come to...
The writers suck so bad these days all they can come up with is making fun of Blind people...
I was not offended but I was not laughing either...
I turn it on from a time to time to see if the show has gotten funny again but I am realizing it is just not gonna happen...
What a bunch of talentless ass clowns...
I miss the good ol days...
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Boycott
7:14PM Dec 15th 2008
Democrats and blacks can't take it but, they want to dish it out. It was ok for them while they were bashing Sarah Palin which was undeserved and so not funny. Who watches this crap anyway? I never thought they were funny when I'd see bits and pieces of it on FOX. When I saw what they deliberately did to Sarah palin but, would not do to Obama or Biden, I said then I would never support watching a bias station like that. Let them hurt from the low ratings.
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Cube
7:16PM Dec 15th 2008
Hey! I'm a democrat and I love making fun of srung-out blind coke heads who are governors. Please stop the stereotyping. Fucking Repulicans. All the same.
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Boycott
7:19PM Dec 15th 2008
Goodbye Amy. You weren't funny or had much of a career anyway. Don't let the door hit you in the a-- on the way out.
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Scott
7:23PM Dec 15th 2008
From the show that gave you Al Franken.....
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Greg
7:22PM Dec 15th 2008
I agree...this guy needs to lighten up. I'm not sure it's in the greatest taste to make jokes about a disability he/she can't help or change. When they exposed gidgit palin for the ignorant bimbo she is no one made jokes about her learning disabilities.
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Night Owl
7:27PM Dec 15th 2008
I can't wait to see the satirical of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. I suppose the liberals will take offense to any mockery of that buffoon as well.
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jack
7:30PM Dec 15th 2008
like most dumbocraps... they're all blind... just like the 3 monkeys.. see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.... but they can't even do that. watch the head monkey throw feces at the visiting stinky tourists.
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Ella
7:32PM Dec 15th 2008
The skit wasn't funny because they were making fun of his blindness, it was funny because they were drawing attention to the fact that he's completely unqualified for his post. Who seriously thought the man would have ever be governor?
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Fallaya
7:32PM Dec 15th 2008
Just because he happens to be Black does NOT mean all Blacks feel the way he does. The point the governor was trying to make was that he felt it was inappropriate to make fun of him due to his DISABILITY, not his RACE! I agree with him. It's was in poor taste, and he is owed an apology, as well as all other visually-impaired American, WHITE OR BLACK!
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tojo
7:35PM Dec 15th 2008
When asked, do black men commit more crimes then anyone else? He remarked, " Is the Pope Catholic"? Doe's a bear shi t in the woods?