SNL comedy sketch was Franken's brainchild

Posted at 4:38 PM on September 21, 2008 by Bob Collins (7 Comments)
Filed under: Media, Politics

Is Al Franken a comedy writer (his past life) or a Senate candidate (his current life)?

Franken, according to Gawker, was the big hitter on the Saturday Night Live skit on John McCain.

According to the Politico Web site:

Franken's input to the show blindsided his campaign staff, who have been forced to explain away some of the more crass and profane parts of his past writing and acting that have been used as fodder against him in a state known for its polite manners.

(h/t: Chris Worthington)

5:52 update - Headline rewritten

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Comments (7)

Your headline is wrong: Franken did not write the sketch.

I've been very surprised by that this has been even news in the last 24 hours. Al Franken had a phone conversation with someone at SNL -- he didn't write the skit. Yet the fact that the skit was written under the influence of Franken retelling his thoughts on McCain's ads and "stand by your ad" even though the initial conversation was not even about SNL turned into media catnip.

It's something that amazes me yet frustrates - it's non-stories like this that gets the media all excited.

What happened to last week's FLS Connect story? How about the latest ads this last week and how they're actually misleading Minnesota voters? What's the real story behind a Senator's effect on Medicare and the impact on taxpayers? And speaking of "stand by your ad," how about the story about an ad breaking FCC rules? What happened to that? ;-)

...yet Al Franken, who still communicates on the phone with former and current staff of his old employer becomes framed in a way that almost gives the impression that Franken is using SNL to attack McCain, which is not true. I mean, if that wasn't really the story here, what is the story? It's just media catnip.

Posted by Aaron | September 21, 2008 5:14 PM

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Aaron, "media catnip" is brilliant.

Posted by Bonnie | September 21, 2008 5:45 PM

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speaking Frank(en)ly it wouldn't bother me if he had written this skit. It is very close to what is happening in the campaigning and ohhhh so much more memorable

Posted by Minn Whaler | September 21, 2008 5:52 PM

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Instead of worrying about who wrote it, how about we concern ourselves with the fact that such satire is even remotely relevant?

Isn't that *really* the news here, Bob?

Posted by CaliGuy | September 21, 2008 6:21 PM

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Bonnie-

I can't take credit for "media catnip." I heard it first from Barack Obama. Listen to the first 50 seconds of this.

Posted by Aaron | September 21, 2008 6:31 PM

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I recommend people find their own value -- or not -- as they see fit.

Personally, my takeaway is a reminder of how utterly ridiculous -- not to mention ineffective -- the mandated tag line to political commercials is.

Posted by Bob Collins | September 21, 2008 7:30 PM

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Instead of whining about Al feeding some zingers to Lorne Michaels, wouldn't the most appropriate response be for Coleman's campaign to do an "ad parody" of Al Franken?

Lets see some of that humor conservatives are so widely renowned for!

Posted by Mark Gisleson | September 22, 2008 10:05 AM

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