Franken Hatched Mac-Mocking SNL Skit

He now seems more comfortable cracking jokes

(NEWSER) - Senate colleagues expecting humor from funnyman and freshman lawmaker Al Franken have gotten just the opposite, though insiders say the Minnesota senator is getting into the groove and loosening up a bit. Since taking office last year, Franken has snapped at administration officials , Joe Lieberman , and Republican legislators. Now, he’s the model of bipartisanship with numerous across-the-aisle bills, and he’s even making jokes. More»

Or latest sketch just a 'vehicle to make anal sex joke'

(NEWSER) - Saturday’s SNL cold opener—which poked fun at Obama’s deficit spending—conclusively marked the show as an “occasionally humorous right-wing propaganda organ,” writes Ethan Porter of True/Slant . SNL’s been obviously anti-Obama since the primaries, pausing only to mock Sarah Palin, who's far less popular than Obama. “The show, fat and rich in its old age, reflects the politics of its executive producer, Lorne Michaels, who maxed out to McCain in 08.” More»

But doggone it, people like him

(NEWSER) - Al Franken the comedian is finally becoming Al Franken the senator, and his Senate colleagues were quick to demonstrate yesterday that, doggone it, they like him, writes Dana Milbank in the Washington Post. The only humor at a welcoming press conference was (apparently) unintentional, as Majority Leader Harry Reid intoned, “When people find out he's a smart guy who's serious about issues and a hard worker, they'll be pleasantly surprised.” As for Franken, Milbanks says, "His brief speech was so boring it was laughable." More»

Three new members join comedy show's cast

(NEWSER) - The election may be over, but SNL still has 14 episodes to fill. Lorne Michaels says the show will be in one of its periodic "rebuilding" periods, but he has much praise for three new faces. Here's the lowdown, from USA Today:

• Abby Elliott: The daughter of former cast member Chris Elliott is only 21, but Michaels says "her sense of humor was clearly there."

Meyers spills the beans to Palin at afterparty, aide tells blogger

(NEWSER) - Saturday Night Live has lined up Barack Obama for Nov. 1—the weekend before the election, blogger Martin Eisenstadt says he’s hearing from an aide to Sarah Palin. In boozy glee over the successful Palin appearance Saturday, SNL political writer Seth Meyers blurted, “just wait til you see what we have cooked up for Obama’s appearance right before the election,” Eisenstadt paraphrases. More»