After repeatedly mocking New York Gov. David Paterson for being blind, “Saturday Night Live” used the governor’s appearance on the show’s season premiere Saturday to make amends.
During the show’s “Weekend Update” segment, the real Paterson made an appearance to take some jabs at Fred Armisen’s impression of him and set the record straight.
“While I have a good sense of humor, jokes that degrade people just for their disabilities are sophomoric and stupid,” Paterson said before rattling off a litany of his accomplishments.
“Governor, we are really sorry,” responded former cast member Amy Poehler, who served as Saturday’s guest host. Cast member Seth Meyers echoed the sentiment saying, “I think I speak for everyone here that we’ll be more respectful of the blind.”
For nearly two years, SNL has portrayed Paterson, who is legally blind, as aloof and incapable. Before appearing on the NBC show Saturday, Paterson had spoken out several times saying that the show’s criticism of him as a result of his disability served only to belittle what people with disabilities are capable of.
We shouldn’t forget that every week Saturday Night Live portrays people with disabilities in a negative light. Take the Lawrence Welk skit. The Kristen Wiig character has a physical disability and she is portrayed as bizarre, ugly, untouchable and unloved. The other characters cringe when she goes near them. This gets a big laugh. When will Loren Michaels wake up and stop the sophmoric use of the word retarded and portraying people with disabilities as freaks. The fingers should be pointed at him.
When actors/comedians/TV and radio personalities are called out for these kinds of slights, their excuse is always that it’s “just humor” and that they are “equal opportunity offenders.” (As though being mean and hurtful to everyone makes it OK.) I suspect that SNL’s writers will continue to write skits that demean people with disabilities and that their cast members will continue to perform those skits and the audience will continue to laugh at them. When Seth Meyers said “I think I speak for everyone here that we’ll be more respectful of the blind.” what he really means is that while we may not pick on the governor of NY, we will continue to make fun of people with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, speech impairments, physical disabilities, mental illness, etc. – in the name of humor, of course.