October 1, 2008
The Best of Sarah Palin
EDGE READ TIME: 14 MIN.
There's no stopping Palinmania. The Alaska governor pegged second to John McCain on the Republican ticket has gone in just a few weeks from Saint Sarah to Caribou Barbie. She wowed the public in Saint Paul a month ago, then went into candidate-protection program only to emerge in a series of underwhelming interviews.
Her sometimes incomprehensible answers from Katie Couric have led to much criticism, even from right wing pundits. David Brooks in the New York Times wrote: "She has not been engaged in national issues, does not have a repertoire of historic patterns and, like President Bush, she seems to compensate for her lack of experience with brashness and excessive decisiveness." No other than George Will said that she is "obviously not qualified to be President," and her Couric interviews were a "disaster."
And conservative columnist Kathleen Parker in the National Review Online wrote: "As we've seen and heard more from John McCain's running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn't know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion."
Even with the financial crisis, she's become a lightning rod of controversy and a headline grabber. And with a manner that suggests Eva Peron meets Fargo, she has become a butt of comics and satirists everywhere. On YouTube alone there are more than 41,000 videos featuring Palin. With the help of contributor Jim Duncan, we at EDGE offer the Best of Sarah Palin available on the web.
Watch them and laugh... or just weep as we wait for the Vice Presidential debate, which is being projected to have an audience of close to 100 million viewers. (We know we'll be glued to a television!)
Queen of the Alaska Frontier
Looking for a quick bio of Sarah Palin? Mason Storm wrote, sang and directed this video, to the tune of the theme from "Davy Crockett" that tells her story in song.
click here to see the music video.
Two Heads Better Than One
From the website
Don’t Cry For Me, Alaska!
If Sarah Palin hadn't been found, Hollywood would have invented her. But the real story is funny enough to produce this parody of her life story as seen in the movies. This trailer is hilarious.
Go Sarah! Go Hillary!
For Tina Fey, Sarah Polin has been a godsend, and she has run with it with two very funny skits on Saturday Night Live. Not only is the physical resemblance striking (from Day One, they've been separated at birth), but she gets that shrill voice and her mannerisms down pat. For the first video Amy Poehler plays a poised, if bitter Hillary Clinton.
"Get Back To Ya!"
Pundits, comics and satirists have had a field day with Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin. It led to a new Saturday Night Live skit that featured Tina Fey reprising Palin and Amy Poehler playing a continually befuddled Katie Couric. One of its funniest moments has the VP nominee giving a near incomprehensible response that's all but lifted from the actual transcript, all but leaving Palin hoisted on her own petard.
Gershon Does Palin!
Move over Tina Fey! Ex-"Showgirls" diva and rocker Gina Gershon made this hilarious parody that was seen on the website
Sarah With a Mullet
Before she was governor and VP nominee, Sarah Palin had a stint as a television anchor. It was back in 1988, when Palin (judging from her hair) could have found her way onto a "Dynasty" episode. Who knows, if she had stayed in television, she could have been interviewing the Vice Presidential candidate this week. Interestingly, word is that the Republican National Committee went to some lengths to remove this humorous piece of television history from YouTube. Fortunately, others have saved it.
Matt Damon Rips Palin
Everyone on the Republican side thinks that anti-Palin fervor is part of the great liberal media conspiracy. Whatever. We are still waiting for Bo Derek or Chuck Norris to make videos criticizing Joe Biden; in the meanwhile, we have Matt Damon giving his comments on Palin. Let's just say he's not a big fan.
Boys Will Be Palin
It was inevitable that there would be a number of drag parodies of Palin. In the first comic Kevin Nalts offers his take on Palin in a variety of distressing hairstyles. In the second America's answer to Dame Enda - Ester Goldberg - admonishes critics of Sarah Palin. We love Ester!
Ain’t Nothin’ Like The Real Thing
No interview has gotten the attention lately as much as Katie Couric's two part interview with Sarah Palin. It appears to be the gift that keeps on giving -- just watch any late night comic! On the plus side, it is giving Couric the career boost she has needed; on the down side, well, there's Palin's answers, some of which appear to have been written by parodist.
Here are both clips:
Sarah Goes A-Hunting!
And, lastly, Sarah Palin's hunting skills has led to the creation of any number of parodies, including a number that feature Palin killing Bullwinkle. Here are three:
Head of State
From the site www.collegehumor.com comes this funny and slickly made video that presents a trailer for an imaginary Hollywood comedy called "Head of Skate." Palin as the hockey mom-turned-President? No so far fetched... who would have thought that the "Kindergarten Cop" would become Governor of California? Next to Palin, though, Arnold looks like Al Gore.
To see the video, go to www.collegehumor.com/video:1831461
