I was so happy with SNL’s fervent support of Hillary. I think the opening skit says it all. Wolf Blitzer practically gets “excited” every time he says Hillary Clinton has lost a primary. And the Obama girls tie in was brilliant. If she truly supported Barack she would not have been on that show. Bitch is the new black!!!
Aaaaaaagh YouTube is down! The mass rioting will start any minute now… (it’s not on Veoh or anything like that, is it?)
That was wonderful. I have such a crush on Tina Fey. Maybe on Hillary Clinton now, too. She’s totes right about the nuns, too. I had a nun as an interim principal my freshman year of high school and because of her, I always had my shirt tucked in and my skirt to my knees. A bitch in the best sense of the word.
Oh yeah, if I didn’t already love Tina Fey to pieces, this bit on Weekend Update would do it. It was so straightforward and matter-of-fact, I almost cheered. And almost cried, too. I want this played over and over and over again.
I loved this clip. I do wish that Tina hadn’t been slapped by Steve Martin three times at the beginning of the show.
i thought the bit was brilliant!! Tina Fey rocks. I created some “bitch is the new black” and “bitches get stuff done” shirts/buttons/etc http://www.cafepress.com/gigglechick Hope you like!!!
Personally I found “bitch is the new black” in this particular context, rather…distasteful. And also, I didn’t vote for Obama because Oprah told me too. And I didn’t vote for Obama because I don’t like Clinton. I voted for Obama because I like him better. And while I agree with many of Fey’s criticisms of some women’s rationales, I dislike the implicit assumption that we’re traitors to our fellow bitches for voting Obama.
Love Tina Fey. Love Hills. She is so right – getting stuff done is what’s important. You don’t like Hills because she’s a “bitch?” Well bitches get stuff done!!
Tina likes to mock the Cult of Oprah, the mass of upper-middle class suburban white people who tune in religiously and look for Oprah’s shows to suggest clothes, music, new diets, etc. On 30 Rock, when her character Liz was questioned about religion, she replied, “I dunno. I mostly just do whatever Oprah tells me to.” Obama’s campaign has a tangible presence, which Clinton’s tends to lack. Oprah has a LOT of power and when she throws her vote behind a political candidate, there ARE going to be some people who vote for that political candidate BECAUSE of Oprah. If you’re on the fence and you aren’t particularly political or even if you ARE political and feel that both Dem candidates are fairly evenly matched, then it’s very likely that an endorsement by someone influential can give you the little nudge over to one camp or the other. I go back and forth between the two, myself. I feel that they are both quite similar on the issues, both have similar drawbacks to me, and neither one would offend my sensibilities if made Commander and Chief. Not like, say, John ‘Ten Thousand Year War’ McCain and Mike ‘Erase The Constitution and Use The Bible In Its Place’ Huckabee. Both Dems equally offended my delicate self-esteem when I found out I wasn’t able to go to their Cleveland State debate because I am neither important nor a CSU student, even though I knew it was stupid to have my delicate self-esteem offended when neither of them actually get to make that decision personally. I’m easily influenced between the two. If I were a member of Oprah’s flock, I probably would support Obama. I respect Oprah and she’s a smart person. Obama is certainly campaigning in Ohio more. I’ve seen 5 different commercials for his campaign multiple times over the past week and I’ve only just today seen 1 Clinton commercial, which makes the unpopular kid inside me feel like one of three things must be happening: (1) Clinton is giving up up so that’s why she isn’t showing commercials; (2) Clinton thinks she is too good to bother campaigning for Ohio votes; or (3) Clinton thinks she’s already got the state so why bother. Now I’m sure that the truth is much different — it may just be that I don’t watch local channels enough to see her ads. I tend to only watch local channels during prime-time and not every single day, so that probably contributes to it. But the hurt-feelings-kid inside me was going to support Obama, just because he’s the cool kid and essentially he was waving hi to me in the halls. Is this a totally awful reason? YES. It is. But for me (and I know lots of people disagree), they are both good choices. Like deciding between Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and Dulce De Leche Ice Cream. Both are good choices, but in the end, you can’t have both. Today I’m supporting Clinton. Because Tina Fey is right: bitches DO get stuff done. And I want to get stuff done. I respect tough cookies and sassy broads, because that’s the way I want to be, so why not put one in charge? (Not that I find Clinton to be particularly sassy, but you know, she could secretly be. And she’d have to be a tough cookie to even try running.) I’ll probably change my mind six times more before I get to vote in 2 weeks. Does that make me an irresponsible voter? Probably, I guess. But again, they’re pretty much on equal ground for me. And either way, I think they are good choices. And I would vote for either one in the general election. And I would be damn proud to say that I got to vote for the first woman president or the first black president. Anyways, whatevs. I respect that other people completely disagree and are offended by Tina’s piece. That’s the price of doing business, I guess.
As a forty-year old black female, I have a problem with the word Bitch. It’s been used by black men to demean black women, and I just don’t think it’s funny. To me it’s like saying “niggas get things done.” There are other ways of promoting feminism and womanhood than playing into the stereotypes.
I love Tina and enjoyed this clip. My only problem with the word bitch is that some folks I know love to play it up, act in ways no one should, male or female, and then for some reason think that all is excused by saying “I’m a bitch, deal with it!”. Anyone know what Tina is working on now?
I loved this clip. I do wish that Tina hadn’t been slapped by Steve Martin three times at the beginning of the show. There was a theory put forth on the YouTube comments that that bit was a continuation of the theme of the cold-open skit, a subtle jab at Obama’s tendency to cheerlead us (“You can do it/ We can do it!”) while he takes punches at women (Fey), Latinos (spanish mouse) and Asians (drunk Chinese lady). If that’s true, it’s very subtle. (And Fey was adorable, as per usual.) I can see you being uncomfortable with the underlying message, but Martin is renowned for his goofball physical comedy and has spent a large part of his acting career slapping and being slapped, so it didn’t ping too strongly with me.
YES!!!!!!!!!!! Tina Fey—THANK YOU! Freakin’ Awesome!!! It is about time that someone in the media came out to show their support for Hillary. We are SICK of the male dominated media: Biased, BORING, weak, unimaginative, unoriginal, undaring, and tediously predictable. Get OFF Obama’s jock. Hillary 08!!!!!!!
There’s been an awful lot of blog fervour regarding comments Obama has made while backhanding Clinton on the basis of her gender: “claws come out”, “periodically feeling down” and a general policy to not comment on the sexist shit flying at her because it benefits him. The Latino/Asian thing I’m far more fuzzy on; I seem to remember some charges cropping up after Super Tuesday (in regards to the California primary?) but I can’t seem to find blog entries to support this, so it’s highly possible the person who put forth the theory was hyperbolizing or had their own axe to grind, and it just pinged as plausible with me due to reports that Hilary was doing better amongst Latino men than white men. I apologize for repeating that without more to back it up.
There’s been an awful lot of blog fervour regarding comments Obama has made while backhanding Clinton on the basis of her gender: “claws come out”, “periodically feeling down” and a general policy to not comment on the sexist shit flying at her because it benefits him. I’m sorry–what Obama said with the “claws” and “periodically” was wrong, and I’d like to smack him up side the head for saying it. But it pales in comparison to the racist, fear-mongering shit the Clintons have done to Obama. This latest thing with the photo of him in Muslim dress just stinks. I don’t see how any progressive feminist can condone that kind of behavior. But I’m sure lots of readers on this blog will, though. BTW, Obama did release a statement condeming David Shuster’s offensive “pimping” comment. He has addressed “some” the sexist media coverage.
Yeah, nice way to lump sum us. I said lots. I didn’t all readers of this blog. I consider myself a reader of this blog, and I obviously have a problem with the race baiting and xenophobia the Clinton campaign has engaged in.
I didn’t like this. I agree full-heartedly about how Clinton has been attacked with sexism, but Tina is accusing Obama supporters of casting their vote either out of sexism or blindly following Oprah. Excuse me?! Instead of casting the sexism blame on Obama supporters, what about right-wing media coverage and sexism ingrained in the culture as a whole? Not to mention I have an uneasy relationship with the reappropriation of the word bitch. I don’t think it has successfully been reappropriated fully yet, like the term queer, to just use it as empowerment. It is still used ALL the time as a term of degredation, abuse, and violence. I think it was here that I read a commenter who said it is the word used when a woman is beaten, raped, and/or abused in other ways. I’m just not on this bandwagon yet because I don’t think the bandwagon is there yet. Bitch is still used too frequently as a sexist insult for me to think it is effective for empowerment yet. But I am a bit on the fence on this, because in the clip, Tina does turn the term around to say something positive.
“Bitches get things done”? No doubt about that, Tina. But HRC has spent $140 million on one of the most poorly managed presidential campaigns with 11 losses in a row to show for it.
I’m going to agree with whatsername, felicia, and marissa and say that I found this unfunny and distasteful and inappropriate.
I didn’t think this was that compelling. “Bitch is the new black”? I mean, really. Obama and his supporters might be talking about “claws coming out” et cetera, but this sentence is just as loaded.
“Bitch is the new black”? while i do usually love Tina Fey, i think this is very insensitive. if a Black woman wants to say this, that would be different, she’d have experience in both groups. but for any white person in the USA to compare their situation to that of Black people in America seems very insensitive. regarldless of the fact that on the merits, she may be right. just like John Lennon saying “woman is the nigger of the world.” maybe factually correct, but very insensitive coming from a white person.
Y’all are right about the black thing. I feel like a supreme moron, but I didn’t interpret the video to be using the term “black” as describing people — I took it literally, in the way that “is the new black” is usually used. I’m having a serious “d’oh!” moment right now.
I for one remember our black female Democratic nominees for POTUS. Since we’re tossing around offensive phrases, can I get a “ho, sit down” for Tina Fey?
[This latest thing with the photo of him in Muslim dress just stinks.] Agreed, whoever put that out does stink, but there is no proof that Clinton (or her campaign released the pic) to associate him with the so-called evils of wearing a turban. Obama himself even said during the debate tonight that he takes her at her word. I thought logically about it & it just doesn’t make sense for her to release that pic & the previous stuff to be so easily traced back to her (there are too many ways to get such material released anonymously)- b/c she’s smart enough to realize how much fall-out would ensue with blatantly racist & anti-Islamic slurs would backfire & do nothing but hurt her chances in the long run if traced back to her. Even if she was behind the previous assertions that he is Muslim (which she fired those staffers for), a second mistake of this nature is just too dumb or SILLY to make a second time. [I didn’t think this was that compelling. “Bitch is the new black”? I mean, really. Obama and his supporters might be talking about “claws coming out” et cetera, but this sentence is just as loaded.] The difference is: Clinton didn’t say it herself, it was an S&L skit. Obama has actually said that crap- claws, silly season, periodically, whining, etc. These are not “just words”. (sorry I couldn’t resist, and no, I don’t think Obama was plagarizing) On another note: I think I’m missing the point of why the notion of equating the oppression of being a bitch (a.k.a. nontraditional female), with the oppression of being black is so offensive. Can anyone explain exactly why this statement is so offensive? I’d really like to understand.
“Bitch is the new black”—WTF? I didn’t see the video (still haven’t; I’m on dial-up) but damn, how can that phrase not be interpreted as racist in this context? I took it literally, in the way that “is the new black” is usually used. Jill, I think I hear what you’re saying—that that phrase is usually used to describe fashion, as in basic black always being in style (at least I think that’s what the phrase means). But, some of us don’t know how it “is usually used”. I didn’t learn that phrase until fairly recently—from blogs. I’ve never heard anyone say it IRL, and I’m not exactly in the Vogue demographic. I passed this post by completely because it was just a video, and dial-up doesn’t get along with YouTube (long-ass download time. As in twenty-to forty minutes, depending on the length of the video). Now I’ve got a day-off, ‘cuz my daughter is sick. I have the time to download it, but from reading the comments here, I’m thinking it’ll just piss me off even more.
A couple of points that disturbed me: #37, 38: “X is the new black” is a construction that does not refer to race… it is a fashion trend term. It’s been popular for about 10 years in pop culture. I remember the Mini Cooper used it like “small is the new black” or something, for example. Regarding “bitch”: Since when is this a racial term? Bitch is used by all races, all people, all genders (“THe bitch is back”). You may want to question whether there is power in “reclaiming” that word — as some homosexuals complain about other gays using the word “queer” or “faggot” in a self-empowering way–but I think it’s weak to say Fey was being racially insensitive.
Jill, I think I hear what you’re saying—that that phrase is usually used to describe fashion, as in basic black always being in style (at least I think that’s what the phrase means). But, some of us don’t know how it “is usually used”. I didn’t learn that phrase until fairly recently—from blogs. I’ve never heard anyone say it IRL, and I’m not exactly in the Vogue demographic. I passed this post by completely because it was just a video, and dial-up doesn’t get along with YouTube (long-ass download time. As in twenty-to forty minutes, depending on the length of the video). Now I’ve got a day-off, ‘cuz my daughter is sick. I have the time to download it, but from reading the comments here, I’m thinking it’ll just piss me off even more. Yeah, you’re completely right — and it was my interpretation that was off. I feel unbelievably dumb that I didn’t catch onto the racial overtones of the skit.
Yea Tina Fey sucks and Hilary scares the hell out of me. I don’t want her anywhere near that 3am phone when it rings. “Bitches get stuff done?” Can’t you guys see that this is just a stupid catch phrase-sound bite that you are latching onto in some animalistic way simply to justify the shallow opinions you aren’t smart enough to express yourselves? I understand that her point was that being “bitchy” in the work place accelerates productivity of those working around you- but for her to imply that this is a required attitude for success or that the other candidates are soft is a sophomoric low-blow. Tina, you can be marginally funny at times, I guess, and I understand you want to use that platform to support Hilary- but can you at least be constructive in your support by citing specific examples of strengths in your candidate rather than spouting off chest-beating rants that don’t offer up anything of substance? Sure, your minions will bite, but the people who are on the fence with their vote won’t exactly be moved to jumping horses by this recent salvo of yours.