Queen Latifah As Gwen Ifill: SNL Lines Up VP Debate Sketch

TMZ reported today that Queen Latifah would be appearing on "Saturday Night Live" this weekend in the role of VP debate moderator Gwen Ifill:

Well-placed sources tell TMZ Queen Latifah is getting in the middle of the Sarah Palin/Joe Biden VP debate by portraying last night's moderator, PBS journalist Gwen Ifill, on "SNL" this week.

A rep for "SNL" confirmed the news to Huffington Post, saying, "IF we do a VP debate sketch, we have lined up Queen Latifah to play Ifill."

"SNL" has no black female cast members, and only one black male cast member, Kenan Thompson. Fred Armisen, who is of Venezuelan, Japanese, and German ancestry, currently plays Barack Obama on the show.

Comments

[Joulanda]

Great job Queen Latifah. The face expressions i'm sure are the expressions of Ifill's thoughts during the debate. I laughed way too hard. Great Job!

[Hare]

SNL Thank you I wante the shout out line and you did it...even better, Those third graders helping Palin didn't help much. Back to HW kiddos.

[Wistful]

Tina Fey is unbelievably good. Unfortunately, Joe Biden's character didn't fit at all, his was a total bust in every way, Biden has never talked or sounded or looked that way. Sarah Palin on the other hand, does look and sound exactly like Tina Fey's impression, Fey was was spot-on!

And as long as Gwen Ifill is being slammed for her book, which was announced several months ago, please note that she is a big fan and supporter of Condi Rice also,

And how about the upcoming debate being moderated by Tom Brokaw? An advisor to the McCain campaign and Republican partisan hack! It shows too by gosh, last week's MTP was outrageous! And, he doesn't support on single Democrat.

It will be interesting if the cable shows make as big a fuss out of Brokaw's partisan leanings BEFORE the debate as they did about Gwen Ifill.

[Joulanda]

I have to disagree. The Joe Biden guy had me in stiches. He was completely laugh out loud funny. I watched it with a few people and they were hurting from laughing so loud. I hope they continue to use this guy he was very funny.

[kiran888]

Gwen Ifill couldn't keep control of that unruly child. This is what the GOPS want in the white house an immature unprofessional idiot!

[PTAPittbull]

I think they knew that the moderator had wrote a book about obama ahead of time
and used it to an advantage by saying well moderator your biased so i don't have to answer any of your questions and will instead regurgitate roavain talking points aka lying about taxes bring everything back to oil in Alaska and getting her wink on. Now she in ohio screaming ayers and revering wright " you go girl"
do your thing "smear machine" palin... her husband scares me too he never talks just kinda looks defiant
and decides to move the capital of the united states to wasallia on crystal meth street..

[MawMaw4Obama]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/4/173439/799/199/620173

A little humor.

Watch 2nd video. lol lol lol

[KristaJulieva]

This is cool for one week, but by my count in the 33 year history of SNL they have had TWO women of partial or full African ancestry in the cast: Maya Rudolph and Ellen Cleghorne. For a long time SNL had a big problem with not having enough female writers and performers and not giving them quality material to work with; they've made great strides on that front in this decade. But there is still a really inexcusable lack of racial diversity on the writing staff and in the cast. Now, Lorne Michaels' concern first and foremost ought to be getting the most talented, funniest people--but there are plenty of African-American men and women in comedy who could hold their own, or more, on the show. So make some hires: partly to get someone to play the Obamas, but for plenty of other reasons too.

[JohnKevari]

KEVARI SNOWFLAKES

Am I the only one who thinks Darrell Hammond's impression of McCain isn't that good?

kevari.blogspot.com

[GSMRaleigh]

uh...yeh.

[WendyKa]

I hope they show how she allowed Palin to run the debate on her own terms. Ifill was WEAK and caved to the Right Wing pressure about her book.

[GayGrandpa]

I wish Lorne would go after Bill O'rielly...the Barney Frank To Bill O'Reilly: "Your Stupidity Gets In The Way Of Rational Discussion" could be a lot of fun...perhaps all his skits should be political satire...for a while.

[GayGrandpa]

It is a little late for me after a long week to stay up for a program that has fallen flat...I will watch the skit on the next day and I won't be a fan until Lorne Michaels finds his chops again...the last time I watched it was painfully unfunny! At this age the one thing you regret most is losing sleep for stupid reasons.

[jcwtts1]

Is anyone else disturbed by the SNL trend of playing black people with people who are not black. Don't get me wrong the guy playing Jesse Jackson is fan friggin tastic. On the other hand, the guy playing Obama is weak, he doesn't have Obama down at all and I'm a little concerned that they are going to leave him with the role. Playing the President is a career making move going all the way back to Chevy Chase playing President Ford. The key to SNL is funny and the guy playing O isn't. I think part of what is happening is the guy playing him is hesitant to push because he could be called racist. Just rally, hire a black comedian for SNL, and let him loose. Everyone can be made fun of but the trend towards black face is worrisome.

J.

[KarlaElisa]

Too bad Eddie Murphy won't return and do it. He'd be great.
Or how bout Chris Rock?

[NotMcCain]

Yes, too bad Eddie Murphy or Will Smith won't do it. They bring the charm--the one thing Obama and Palin have in common--and which the current guy imitating him completely, totally lacks.

Tina Fey succeeds not just because she looks like Palin, but more because she's got the personality and mannerisms down so well. The SNL Obama-guy doesn't "get" Obama at all. "I'm boring and take myself too seriously" is the extent of his effort.

Untrue--not to mention, worst of all, unfunny.

[KSmith08]

Bring them out! I only watch SNL for the political skits everything else is too white and corny for me but Tina Fey playing Palin is hilarious. Keep up the good work! SNL needs some black performers on there show. What happened to Finesse MItchell. This is the time for affirmative action/equal opportunity employment. Do you know how many viewers they would gain if they had someone funny acting as Senator Obama.

[KSmith08]

Bring them out! I only watch SNL for the political skits everything else is too white and corny for me but Tina Fey playing Palin is hilarious. Keep up the good work! SNL needs some black performers on their show. What happened to Finesse MItchell. This is the time for affirmative action/equal opportunity employment. Do you know how many viewers they would gain if they had someone funny acting as Senator Obama.

[blissiseasy123]

I can't wait to watch Queen Latifah go after Palin, and I hope they put Palin in a pastel dress and French braids, like the FLDS brides at the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas. LOL Watch the video here:

http://www.bankingonheaven.com/

X-POLYGAMIST WIFE

[JTyroler]

Hopefully Queen Latifa doesn't break her ankle. I think Sarah Palin may have been one of the better things to happen to SNL.

[JakeRedd]

Ifill: Governor Palin, how do you propose to fix the economy?

Palin: I aint talking about that! I want to talk direct to the American people about things that really concern them.

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

like hockey and lipstick../

[josephebacon]

Hey, don't forget the SPECIAL SHOUT OUT to the 3rd grade class!

[AZterritory]

We would be so pucked . . . .

[mario59]

I'm gonna talk about what I wanna and I betcha it's what Americans really are gonna wanna hear. It ain't gonna be what you wanna hear but I don't wanna talk about anything I don't wanna cuz I'm gonna be the queen of america, okey doakey?

[markfavs]

"In what respect, Charlie?"