The Democratic front-runner played a sympathetic barkeep named “Val” opposite Kate McKinnon’s celebrated impression of Clinton in Saturday Night Live’s season premiere on NBC.
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Approached what she accomplishes professionally, McKinnon says in impersonation of Clinton’s honest monotone: “In the first place, I am a grandma”. The show opened with a sketch about Donald Trump, with Taran Killam playing the mogul in all his bluster. Sure, she and McKinnon get in a few digs at the Keystone Pipeline, Trump, and Clinton’s early (but not too early) support for gay marriage, but Clinton makes Val a real character there behind that bar.
Clinton is never going to be a natural performer-if she were one, she wouldn’t have to appear in “look, I’m just like you!” skits-but she doesn’t need to be in sketches like this one. She appeared then with cast member Amy Poehler, who was then regularly portraying Clinton. If nothing else, she was a smart choice for the 41st season premiere from a publicity standpoint if not a comedic standpoint. “You’re easy to talk to, Val”, McKinnon’s Clinton said.
The skit also tackled her position on gay marriage, the legalization of which Clinton opposed during her 2008 White House campaign – a position she switched in March 2013. When we all know who the true president will be: Trump!
For her opening monologue, Miley came out (in a really bad swimsuit-type dress) and sang farewell to summer.
Miley Cyrus has hosted Saturday Night Live twice before, and each time was a frustrating excursion. Real Hillary Clinton introduced her and upstaged her. We’re talking Hillary today, not Miley, which is another way Clinton helped “SNL”. “I could have supported it sooner”, fake Clinton said. “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that”, Clinton replies.
Not a Taylor Swift fan? “All anybody wants to talk about is Donald Trump”.
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It’s not uncommon for celebrities, musicians, athletes, politicians, and others to make appearances in the venerated halls of Saturday Night Live after an SNL performer has made a name for himself/herself impersonating that person.
