Did Saturday Night Live's Mock of President Obama as 'Do Nothing' Leader Go Too Far?

Saturday Night Live launched their October 3^rd 2009 broadcast with a scathing political opener, portraying Barack Obama as a timid, apathetic slacker. Resident chameleon Fred Armisen who's amusingly channeled everyone from The Sopranos cast to a hairier version of The View's Joy Behar, sat grinning in a fake Oval Office as an equally fake President Barack Obama. However, the searing jokes lobbed to blast Obama's presidential performance, or lack thereof, were all too scathingly real.

Armisen began by offering a smirk faced, loser's congratulations to Rio for snagging the 2016 Olympics. Next, he set up the empty scorecard of our President's performance review.

"Now last year I was elected with a mandate to bring this country change we could believe in, and as time has passed it has become clear that this promise is troubling to some people. There are those on the right who are angry, they think I'm turning this great country into something resembling the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany, but that's just not the case, because when you look at my record, it's very clear what I've done so far... and that is... Nothing!"

The live audience applauded vigorously and their hearty laughter roared forth generously. Clearly, this NYC audience approved of the somewhat shocking skit. During the 2008 campaign trail, Tina Fey played rough political football. Her blisteringly goofy portrayal of Republican John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin earned her fan praise, as well as an Emmy Award, but disturbed many on the conservative right as going way too far. SNL appeared to many as running a bit too partisan preferential to the Democrats. Obviously the harmonious honeymoon has ended, and Lorne Michael's long running comedy club prefer to inject a little sass and Presidential performance review into their weekly comical equation.

If you missed Fred Armisen giving Saturday Night Live viewers a sarcastic slant on the current White House, check out SNL clips on YouTube and other video hosts. Watch the supremely acidic skit. Is Barack Obama truly a do nothing leader? Is SNL going too far or premature in their performance review? Should our president be given more acclimation, orientation and job tenure, then have the mighty Hollywood muscle of a true comedic institution lay into him? One thing's for sure, Obama's gotta be feeling a little bit like Sarah Palin right about now.

Sources

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL3QeUF6CKQ