The real Sarah Palin debuts on SNL

Sarah Palin can't seem to stay out of the spotlight, whether it be on the campaign trail or on NBC's 'Saturday Night Live.' Oh wait, that was Tiny Fey playing her all this time? It was, until Saturday when the Vice Presidential candidate of the GOP showed her face at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Saturday's latest episode of 'Saturday Night Live,' full of humor through political and social criticism, had me double taking more than usual. Fey's Palin may have made millions of Americans laugh, but really, it made millions of Americans think as well. In case you missed the first appearance from the actual Palin, here it is:



The cast of 'SNL,' in particular, head writer Seth Myers, Poehler, and 'SNL' alumna Fey are the ultimate in current political dissenters. Fey's version of Palin has garnered quite a bit of attention, and for good reason. For many Americans, Palin may feel comfortable. For others, it's difficult to see this type of persona fling itself into politics. She seems archaic to many Americans, and it's a beautiful thing to live in a country where citizens are able to take those voices of dissent and broadcast them nationally. It's even better when bloggers are able to make these videos go viral.

Later, in the "fake news" portion of the show, Palin returned and "chickened out" of a rap she was to perform while an uber-pregnant Amy Poehler took over, doing the gangster rap inspired by the Vice Presidential candidate. At every moment during the rap, I wondered if Poehler was going to be sent into labor. Luckily, she made it through without her water breaking.

Here is that sketch:



Seeing Palin on the program said something to me about who she is a politician. She certainly isn't the first public figure to appear on SNL following negative portrayals, but she was the first I've noticed roll her eyes while a cast member portrayed her. Did you notice that in the cold open, too? Perhaps it was for effect. Perhaps it was planned. But, it looked a little too real.

Beyond that, as Poehler does her thing, thugging it up during 'Weekend Update,' Palin blindly waves her hands in the air, raising the roof. I'm sure she approved everything Poehler said, or well, sang. I assume it's always better to be a part of joke than just sitting there watching it from the campaign bus, but this made me wonder if she really gets it.

Ultimately, her appearance left me a little disappointed. And, after seeing her on the show I kept wondering, is it possible that Tina Fey is a better Palin than Palin herself?