The Summer of 08

by Leo of Mars

The summer of '08 began with an ending and ended with a beginning. George Carlin died.  As a tribute NBC re-ran the first episode of Saturday Night Live from 1975 to commemorate Carlin's passing. He was the show’s first guest host. Though I never agreed with much the uber-hippie had to say, I could appreciate his wit and sharp (if misdirected) mind. However, the audience of that first show did not receive his monologue with any enthusiasm. They were so quiet that about half way through the show, he quipped, “If I’ve told you these jokes already, let me know, OK.” Besides Carlin, another skit featured a man trying to pick-up a seven year old girl, based on the premise that Oregon had lowered the age of consent to seven years old.

One of the writers on that episode of Saturday Night Live was Al Franken. I could imagine Franken and Carlin talking after the show. Perhaps it went something like this…

FADE IN

INT – Backstage lounge CARLIN is in front of a mirror removing make-up as FRANKEN enters.

FRANKEN George, I thought you were great!

CARLIN Yeah, well the audience didn’t. Where the hell did they get those rubes. Did they think they were here to see Billy Graham?

FRANKEN It’s hard to fill the audience for a new show. They probably bussed them in from Kansas. Carlin laughs

CARLIN Kansas, yeah. A bunch of losers clinging to their guns and religion.

Franken takes out a note pad and writes something down.

FRANKEN How about my skit with the guy trying to pick-up the seven year old. Pretty funny, huh?

CARLIN Seven is definitely to young, but twelve or thirteen now your talkin’

FRANKEN They didn't think that was very funny either.

CARLIN How do you get these people to change.  They're as dense as rocks.

FRANKEN Changes have to be forced down from the top. We need to ban prayer in school, enforce mandatory sex education, and give condoms to junior high school girls.

Carlin looks up and raises his clenched fist

CARLIN Right on, baby!  Hey Al, you should run for the Senate.

Franken smiles at the thought.

FRANKEN Oh, yeah, that'll happen.  That'll happen when a black brother runs for president!

They both laugh. long and loud.

FADE OUT

Which brings us to the beginning.  John  McCain chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.  She clicks with the American people.  Whether McCain/Palin wins in November or not, Sarah has begun a career as a national politician.  The right wing of the Republican Party won't let her go away.  It's been so long since we had hope.  We thought George Bush was a Conservative, but he turned out to be just another country-club Republican like his father.  Sarah didn't go to an Ivy League college.  That's to her credit.  If you could reassemble that Saturday Night Live audience from so long ago who found George Carlin too mean, too snide and too cynical for its tastes -- those people who wanted to smile, not sneer -- I bet they'd like Sarah Palin, too.