Vice President Kamala Harris was truly iconic during a surprise appearance on the Saturday Night Live episode that aired on Nov. 2. Maya Rudolph, who plays the vice president in the skit, looked into the mirror to give herself a pep talk, while the real Harris looked back.
“It is nice to see you Kamala and I’m just here to remind you, you got this,” Harris said to Rudolph in the Saturday Night Live skit. “Because you can do something your opponent cannot do, you can open doors,” referring to former President Donald Trump’s struggle to open a garbage truck door in Wisconsin. Dressed in an orange safety vest, Trump’s staged appearance was in response to President Joe Biden calling Trump supporters “garbage.”
“We know each other so well, we even finish each other’s belief in the promise of America,” said Rudolph and Harris.
Harris and Rudolph wore all black pantsuits with a pearl necklace and an American flag pin. This element of the production emphasized a comedic spin to Harris’ wardrobe as she is known for always wearing a pantsuit on the campaign trail.
Rudolph’s portrayal of Harris being a “momala” to the country added a more lively view to her political persona. These aspects of the production made this a great skit as the audience saw a fun side to Harris.
As Rudolph took Harris’ hand, they talked about how the “American people want to stop the chaos and end the dramala,” adding lighthearted humor to what has been widely believed as one of the most pivotal moments in our nation’s history.
In the midst of chaos of this election season, this skit talked about how American citizens just want to find peace in everyday life and potentially watch a fun romantic comedy — “like Legally Blondala,” Harris commented. I like this addition to the skit as it shows that voters are truly seeking to find peace and the election should not be something to be scared of. Harris feels more relatable and makes the skit more enjoyable to watch as she shows her witty side to the American people.
Trump had previously made snide remarks about Harris and has shown an unwillingness to pronounce her name right. SNL cleverly poked fun at this in the skit as Rudolph and Harris humorously riffed on different phrases incorporating the sound of “Kamala.” The duo even said in unison: “Keep camala and carry onala.”
Rudolph, as Harris, went on to say that she will be voting for herself in the upcoming presidential election. Harris quickly bantered, asking if she was registered to vote in Pennsylvania — a state that was considered one of the most important swing states, according to NBC News.
Harris’ appearance on Saturday Night Live showed how beloved she is by people in the film industry, as she was greeted with roaring applause. While many people loved Harris’ skit, others criticized the media network for not having Trump on SNL. According to an article by The Guardian, NBC gave equal air time to Trump following a complaint from Brendan Carr, a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission. The “Equal Time Rule” was created by the FCC to ensure that both political candidates are given equal time within political or campaign advertising.
“[Kamala’s appearance on SNL] is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time Rule,” Carr wrote in a tweet. “The purpose of the rule is to avoid exactly this type of biased and partisan conduct — a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to exert its influence for one candidate on the eve of an election.”
Harris’ campaign catchphrase is “We Are Not Going Back,” while Trump’s is “Make America Great Again.” The Saturday Night Live skit emphasized the importance of voting for Harris because voting does matter. On Tuesday, the American people have decided the fate of our democracy and the next four years by voting for president-elect Trump. I believe that this was the most important election in our nation’s history.