‘Saturday Night Live’ mocks Toronto Mayor Rob Ford for endless stream of apologies

It’s been a rough week for Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. But don’t worry, he had a press conference to apologize for his actions — and then another press conference to apologize for his first press conference.

The scandal-ridden politician was the focus of the cold open during this week’s Saturday Night Live. The fake Ford, played by Bobby Moynihan, appeared on a Canadian broadcast news program. The host asked the Mayor what he wanted to say to his voters.

“Ooh, just that I goofed up, eh?” the Mayor explained.

Faux Ford wasn’t too worried about his public image though. The Mayor pointed out that he had held a press conference earlier in the day to apologize for using crude language earlier in the week. But during his appearance before reporters, fake Ford also brought chapstick for them to put on before kissing his a**.

But the Mayor realized his mistake and apologized at anotherpress conference shortly thereafter. That presser didn’t go well either, however, as Ford’s crack dealer showed up to make a deal.

And then just a half hour before his appearance on the news, program, fake Ford has held another press conference — during which he body slammed the podium after telling reporters to more lewd things.

After realizing that the Canadian broadcast anchor didn’t believe him, faux Ford resorted to appearing on a show where people would believe him — CBS‘ 60 Minutes, which recently came under fire for airing an interview with a ‘Benghazi witness’ who told lies about the attack.

Watch the cold open below:

Red Alert Politics

‘Saturday Night Live’ mocks Toronto Mayor Rob Ford for endless stream of apologies

Celebrity apologies are meaningless

The fate of black women in popular culture is rarely nuanced. Black women are the help or the put-upon wife or the strong black single mother or the sassy friend/co-worker/stranger or the overly ambitious single woman. Like most representations of all women in popular culture, the black woman can be described with one short phrase. Depth is not necessary. This is a matter of supply and demand. In entertainment, as in life, audiences don’t seem terribly interested in people who deviate from stereotype, people who challenge what we think we know about one another.

When “Django Unchained” was released, I considered the movie the top of a very slippery slope, an illustration of how badly portrayals of black Americans can go awry in irresponsible hands. I have since wondered where that slope might end. Earlier this year, I thought the bottom of that slope might be Tyler Perry’s appalling morality tale “Temptation,” the conclusion of which is an adulterous wife losing everything, being brutally beaten, infected with HIV, while her solid, faithful husband finds happily ever after with a beautiful new wife and son.

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Salon.com

Celebrity apologies are meaningless