WASHINGTON — Set ’em up, Hillary Clinton, and lend an ear to the troubles of a presidential candidate.
Democratic candidate Clinton appeared on the season opener of “Saturday Night Live” as a wise bartender named Val who pours a drink or two for, ahem, Hillary Clinton (played by “SNL” regular Kate McKinnon).
Most political candidates play themselves on “SNL,” often for just a cameo or to declare the show’s famous tag line, “Live from New York – it’s Saturday night!” Seldom do they go play a character in a sketch.
“So, Hillary,” Clinton asks McKinnon, “what brings you here tonight?”
“Well, I needed to blow off some steam,” McKinnon says. “I’ve had a hard couple of 22 years.”
Asked what she does for a living, McKinnon says in imitation of Clinton’s earnest monotone: “First, I am a grandmother. Second, I am a human, entrusted with this one green Earth.”
“Oh,” Clinton says, “you’re a politician.”
And just who is Val? Clinton deadpans, “I’m just an ordinary citizen who believes the Keystone pipeline will destroy our environment.”
From there the skit poked gentle fun at Clinton’s slow opposition to the pipeline, her late-arriving support of gay marriage, and her inability to take a vacation. Notably absent was a crack about her private email server, the source of months of criticism from Republicans.
Speaking of Republican candidates, at one point Clinton – the real one – mimicked Donald Trump with a hoarse, throaty rendition of his dismissive statement, “Uh, you’re all losers.”
In a nod to the past, former cast member Darrell Hammond showed up on a barstool as Bill Clinton, who takes a look at Clinton and McKinnon and says, “My god, they’re multiplying!”
Overall, the skit was friendly toward Clinton.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.