Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Fey as Palin Winks Her Way Into Our Hearts Once Again
By
Billy Parker
Published Oct 5, 2008
Modified Oct 5, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Billy Parker
Published Oct 5, 2008
Modified Oct 5, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
It's been a long time since one cast member on Saturday Night Live has grabbed almost all the attention focused on the show and Tina Fey technically isn't even a cast member right now. But for the third time in four weeks since the show returned, Fey was front and center in the opening sketch as the doppelganger she seems to refine and heighten a little every week, Sarah Palin.
While Fey will deservedly get most of the praise for the cold opening parody of Thursday's vice presidential debate, her co-stars are rising to the challenge when put alongside Fey's folksy and friendly (and now winking) portrayal of the governor. This week it was Jason Sudekis as forcibly good-natured Joe Biden, showering John McCain with praise as a man he would take a bullet for and noting "the way my face lights up when he enters the room," while simultaneously attempting to take him down as a man who "is bad at his job and mentally unstable." Queen Latifah also got in on the fun, popping in to play moderator Gwen Ifill as being restrained in a tight-lipped role because of her ties to Obama.
Elsewhere in the show, Fred Armisen nailed the cartoonishness of Barney Frank in a sketch about the bailout and Andy Samberg took on Mark Wahlberg telling a goat to "say hi to your mother" in a sketch simply titled "Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals."
Up next for SNL is the first of their live prime time election specials this Thursday night. The commercials for that are now sure to include Fey's line of the night in response to a question about gay marriage: "I believe marriage is meant to be a sacred institution between two unwilling teenagers."
Tagged
andy samberg
barney frank
fred armisen
jason sudekis
joe biden
mark wahlberg
queen latifah
sarah palin
saturday night live
snl
tina fey
Billy Parker
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .