Should NBC have let Donald Trump host 'Saturday Night Live'?
For NBC鈥檚 late night comedy 鈥楽aturday Night Live,鈥� cameos by presidential candidates are pretty much expected.
But a presidential candidate as host? That is more surprising. And as the Associated Press put it, 鈥淒espite a 40-year history of lampooning politicians while inviting some to mock themselves as on-air guests, booking a presidential candidate to host the NBC sketch-comedy show .鈥�
On Saturday, leading GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump hosted Saturday Night Live, as protesters聽.聽And although Trump drew few laughs, some say his hosting appearance was a smart political move for the real estate mogul. Trump shaped the show to his advantage, and NBC let him.
Before the show, Trump told Fox News鈥� Bill O鈥橰eilly that he refused to participated in some skit ideas because they were 鈥渢oo risqu茅鈥� and 鈥淚鈥檓 leading in Iowa, I want to stay leading in Iowa.鈥�
鈥淚 walk into the room, there are 100 [writers] 鈥� and they鈥檙e all about 17 years old, OK? They鈥檙e all young and all up in your face,鈥� Trump told O鈥橰eilly. 鈥淏ut they come up with many, many skits and you think you like.鈥�
According to a measurement by Variety, Trump was on screen for 鈥� far less than past hosts鈥� time on screen, with Amy Schumer clocking in nearly 26 minutes for the Oct. 10 episode 聽she hosted and Miley Cyrus starring in almost 22 minutes for her Oct. 3 episode. 聽
Maybe NBC was conscious of Trump鈥檚 limited experience performing scripted comedy, or maybe they were hyper-aware of the FCC鈥檚 that requires television stations to grant equal air time to other presidential candidates who request it. Either way, Trump seemed confident that his SNL appearance would garner high ratings for NBC 鈥� no matter how they were won.聽
Trump鈥檚 episode gave SNL its biggest ratings since 2012, . Saturday鈥檚 episode beat the previous ratings high from the season premiere a few weeks ago with host Miley Cyrus by 47 percent. The 鈥楾rump effect鈥� is also evident in GOP debates, where the first three debates hit , a statistic that took 13 debates in 2011.
With the majority of Americans having , the ratings are could be less of a signal towards political success and more proof of Americans fascination, morbid or otherwise, with the billionaire presidential contender.聽
Hank Stuever, the Washington Post's television critic, called Trump's appearance "almost certainly inappropriate" for the network, as well as unfunny.
"Having Trump host 鈥淪NL鈥� is a tacit nod of approval 鈥� of his message, his antics and, yes, his campaign to be the Republican presidential nominee," wrote Mr.聽Stuever.
"Bring back the old America," he writes, "the one where our preeminent vehicle for topical satire would have ably skewered a hateful, nonsensical, vainglorious presidential candidate, rather than invite him into the club and give him more of the empty-calorie media attention he seeks."
