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« Cheers & Jeers
Cheers: SNL's Barack Obama Speaks!
Fred Armisen as Senator Barack Obama on Saturday Night Live by Dana Edelson/NBC Photo
Cheers to Saturday Night Live for pulling out all the stops with its first post-strike episode. Fred Armisen's Barack Obama impression was surprisingly subtle: The hardest part, Armisen tells TV Guide exclusively, was "figuring out the volume of his voice. It seems to be a combination of loud and not so loud at the same time. Even when he is being emotional, there is a calmness to him." SNL scored big with delightful cameos from Obama Girl, Steve Martin and Gov. Mike Huckabee (whose future may not lie in the White House but at the Chuckle Hut). Plus, the Annuale commercial parody was an instant classic, and Bill Hader's spoof of Daniel Day-Lewis was dead-on. And how cool was it to see Tina "Bitch is the New Black" Fey return to the real 30 Rock, but this time as guest host? Welcome back, Tina — and SNL!
Related:
• Saturday Night Live's Ratings? Seriously Good
• Read and react to Bruce's opinions on American Idol, Top Model and more!
• Share your own raves and rants about other shows on the Reader Cheers & Jeers discussion board.
• We may feature your Cheer or Jeer on TVGuide.com or in TV Guide magazine!
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Feb 24, 2008 1:02 AM
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Bitch is the New Black!
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Feb 24, 2008 1:09 AM
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I was hoping there would be a Cheers for SNL here when I woke up this morning! Everything you mention is dead-on!
Mike Huckabee, I guess, joins Bob Dole as former presidential candidates who turn out to be hilarious! Why is it always Republicans??? (Sorry, Al Gore, try as you might, your funny still comes off as wooden.)
Maybe Saturday TV Funhouse can put Dole and Huckabee to work as the Ambiguously Humorous Ex-Presidential Candidates!
And yes, unscrewed, bitch is the new black! (Once you go bitch, your life is so rich!)
TV Gord
P.S. I won't bother going on and on about how wonderful my grilfriend, Tina Fey, was. I'll tell myself when she arrives with the Sunday New York Times here at the Soho loft we share, so we can do the crossword puzzle in bed together. `In ink.
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Feb 24, 2008 9:21 AM
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Glad you agree, TV Gord!
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Feb 24, 2008 9:33 AM
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At first, I didn't think it was Bill Hader at all... That voice was amazing... But then the spoofs came and I was like - Oh my God, he is so good!
A great episode of SNL, Tina Fey's a legend! 
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Feb 24, 2008 2:39 PM
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I also agree for the most part.
Tina Fey was excellent!-
Having a cameo by the Obama Girl was a great idea, but it's obvious that her 15 minutes are over. A cardboard Oscar celebrity stand-in could have mustered at least as much stage presence. I thought FA did a good job as Obama, but the fact is, Obama IS a little wooden-no unusual characteristics to exaggerate for laughs.
Huckabees' bit was funny-but didn't that ultimately make him look like an idiot? how many more millions is he going to waste on a lost cause?
I don't want him in charge of the budget!!!
Who is the new cast member who played Rachael Ray?
Great addition-is she permanent?
Gord-are you sure you can handle Tina?
That's a WHOLE lotta bitchin' going on! 
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Feb 24, 2008 2:41 PM
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When Weekend Update kept going on and on and still no Tina, I was thinking, "They can't seriously keep her away from that desk, can they?" But having her do Women's News was priceless. "Bitches get stuff done!" and "Bitch is the new black!" indeed!
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Feb 24, 2008 3:08 PM
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Who is the new cast member who played Rachael Ray? Great addition-is she permanent? - Mr. Furley
Her name is Casey Wilson, and, right now, she's just a featured player.
Her Rachael Ray was HYSTERICAL and DEAD ON!
I loved the "Digital Short" with the grandsons inserted in real movies! "The Transforming Robots" -- I was rolling on the floor!
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Feb 24, 2008 8:25 PM
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I have to say this SNL has had a deep impact on me, because I just awoke from my afternoon nap, and I just had a powerful dream that was just like an SNL sketch!
Here's the premise. Barack wins the Democratic nomination, and reporters are covering the riots in the streets. Hillary suppoerters are looting Dolce and Manolo stores. McCain supporters are smashing windows at Hammacher-Schlemmer and grabbing all the mid-life crisis "toys" they can gather in their spindly arms.
All of a sudden, the girl from Juno shows up and brings everyone together with her feelings of youthful hope and naive exhuberance. Sadly, the Hillary and McCain supporters unite and ground her, and go back to their lootings, as all the black people in the SNL cast (hey, where's Maya???) stand by watching and look disgusted.
...aaaaaand scene...
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Feb 24, 2008 8:49 PM
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Good lord, Gord!
What on earth did you eat for lunch?!?
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Feb 24, 2008 10:29 PM
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I think he must have smoked it!!!
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Feb 24, 2008 11:53 PM
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Really.
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Feb 25, 2008 2:14 AM
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Anyway....I liked Casey Wilson for the most part but I thought that her Rachel Ray left something to be desired. There is something about Ray's pixie-on-crystal meth personality that may defy parody, her real personality being too close to it in the first place.
I continue to be underwhelmed by Kristen Wiig. Her talent and committment are obvious but she just doesn't make me laugh. At least her regular charcters were MIA and that was a relief.
I hope the the little Keenan Thompson was allowed to do this time around did at least show that he is more versatile than some think.
Andy Samberg continues to grow on me. But I could have used more Maya and definitely more Jason Sudeikis. Fred's Barak wasn't bad but I still would like to see Maya given a shot at it despite Lorne Michael's (or one of the others powers that be) apparently having decided she hadn't quite nailed it.
Huckabee was great. Even though I could never imagine voting for someone who, in the 21st century, finds evolution incompatible with belief in God, I find him to be perhaps the most personally likeable of all the candidates of either party. He's comedy skills, though, are better than his grammar. "Exit out" Governor? Do I have to over and over once again yet another time re-explain what redundacy is?
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Feb 25, 2008 2:27 AM
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DaMess: I agree somewhat about Kristin Wiig. I find her performances to be interesting little character studies, but not necessarily funny.
Her main recurring character (is her name Penelope?) was semi-amusing the first time -- in a hey-I-knew-someone-like-that kind of way. Subsequent editions, however, have just seemed repetitive.
But that's what SNL does -- ram recurring bits into the ground until you're sick of them. (Hello, Cheerleaders!)
I disagree about Kenan Thompson. Yes, he can be funny sometimes, but I think he's somewhat limited in what he can do. His characters all seem remarkably similar.
In regard to wanting "more Maya" -- how about any Maya? She wasn't on last night's show at all, was she? She's having some kind of contract impasse with the show.
I disagree with letting Maya play Obama. I think Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan filled my chick-as-dude stunt-casting quota for the next several years.
Having Amy Poehler play Dennis Kucinich is one thing, because there was definitely no future to be concerned with there. But Obama is going to be around for a while, and I don't think Maya as Obama would be a good longterm solution.
Fred Armisen was pretty good, but I'm not sure it wouldn't have been better to bring in some fresh blood to play him.
As far as Jason Sudeikis, I can take or leave him. He hasn't made a major impression on me since his debut. However, I like Andy Samberg. He often wrings laughs out of the most unlikely places.
I don't know if I'd call him likable, but Huckabee has definitely proven that he has a way with a funny line -- both on SNL and in speeches and debates.
However, America would have to be insane to ever elect him to the office of president.
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Feb 25, 2008 4:37 AM
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DaMess, I had to read your stuff about redundancy to my co-workers...after they picked me up after I doubled over from laughing so hard! Hilarious!
Chappy, I agree about Kenan. He seems to turn every portrayal into just another version of himself (mmkay?). However, Andy Samberg is the one member of the SNL cast I have never been able to tolerate. His smugness grates on my nerves. I haven't been so annoyed by an SNL cast member since Adam Sandler...and we all know he faded into obscurity after leaving the show. ;-/
P.S. Thanks for all the rave reviews for my dream. When I develop it into a movie, I'll be sure to use all of your quotes in the publicity.
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Feb 25, 2008 7:35 AM
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