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Alec Baldwin blogs in defense of Palin on SNL
By April MacIntyre Oct 20, 2008, 23:18 GMT
06/10/2008 - Alec Baldwin - 64th Annual Theatre World Awards - Arrivals - Helen Hayes Theatre - New York City, NY, USA © Anthony G. Moore / PR Photos
Frequent host of "Saturday Night Live", Alec Baldwin has penned a blog on the HuffingtonPost.com that defends Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin appearing on SNL this past Saturday night.
Baldwin chastised critics of the GOP vice presidential candidate who argued that she should not be given any platform outside of regular political speeches.
During the show, Gov. Palin got an earful from actor Alec Baldwin, who "mistakes" her for his friend and co-star from "30 Rock", comedian Tina Fey, before opening the program with its signature line, "Live from New York, it's 'Saturday Night!' "
The show opened with Fey in character as Palin taking questions in the governor's first news conference. Then the camera cuts to the real Sarah Palin, standing in a hallway with executive producer Lorne Michaels, observing the performance on the playback monitor.Sponsored Links: Facing Bankruptcy? Advice and Other Resources
"Yeah, Lorne, you know, I just didn't think it was a realistic depiction of the way my press conferences would have gone," she said, shaking her head disapprovingly.
"Yes, but it's obviously a heightened reality," Michael replied.
"Why couldn't we have done the '30 Rock' sketch that I wrote?" the governor asked, referring to Fey's critically acclaimed but low-rated comedy.
"Honestly, not enough people know the show," he responded.
Then Alec Baldwin rushes up to Palin and Michaels - greeting them as "Lorne" and "Tina."
"You can't let Tina go out there with that woman," Baldwin begs Lorne. "She goes against everything we stand for. . . . This is the most important election in our nation's history and you want our Tina to go out there and stand there with that horrible woman?"
"Tina, what do they call her, that Caribou..."
Palin doesn't miss a beat: "Caribou Barbie."
When "informed", Baldwin changed his demeanor to smooth as a "Cucumber" Frankie DeMarco from "Married to the Mob."
"I see," he said. "Forgive me, I feel I must say this: You are way hotter in person."
The Oscar nominated (The Cooler) and Emmy award winning star of NBC's "30 Rock" wrote a piece defending creative tolerance and fair play.
Alec Baldwin writes (from HuffPo):
"Saturday Night Live is a comedy show. It's not Meet the Press. It doesn't "ask the tough questions" or "set the agenda." It attempts, with varying degrees of success, to make people laugh. That's it. Whether they skewer and savage people in order to do so, they don't care. When you come on a show like that, you are prepared in advance to get worked over. Palin knew that. Palin came on to be a good sport. And she was. She was polite, gracious. (More so than some of the famous actors who come through there, believe me.)
However, I assume that, like Meet the Press, SNL feels an obligation to offer their special forum to any and all public figures and officials who are current. Headline making. And in SNL's case, would make for a hit show. Several people decried SNL for giving her a spot on the show. You're kidding, right? The woman is the Vice Presidential nominee of one of the two major parties in this country. Don't put her on SNL? With all of her exposure and the Tina Fey performance? What reality are you in?
If you think an appearance on Saturday Night Live would sway voters and actually affect the outcome of the election, you may have more contempt for the electorate of this country than the Republican National Committee does. And that's a lot of contempt.
