There’s a debate raging over whether Democratic presidential candidates should dip a toe in the Fox‘s den (see what I did there?) by appearing on the notoriously right-wing network — and Samantha Bee has no problem letting everyone know which side she’s on.
The Full Frontal host first went after Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who decided to hold his Fox News town hall on the same night as the Game of Thrones finale. “Buttigieg seems like a smart candidate, but this was the worst-scheduled media event since Jay-Z decided September 11th, 2001 to release his iconic album … ‘9/11 Will Never Happen.’”
After playing the clip of the audience giving Buttigieg a surprise standing ovation, Bee said, “What a touching reception for a candidate on a network that doesn’t believe his sexual orientation entitles him to eat cake.”
“Fox town halls have become a dilemma for Democratic candidates,” Bee added. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was the first to say she had no interest in doing an event with the network, calling it a “hate-for-profit racket.” As Bee put it, Fox is the “first profitable racket Trump has ever been involved in.” Sen. Kamala Harris quickly followed suit, causing some pundits to suggest they are “scared” of taking their message to a potentially unfriendly audience.
“First of all, if you want to talk about being afraid of the opposition, the Republican president’s own press secretary has done fewer press briefings this month than Gene Simmons!” Bee exclaimed. “Oh my God, are we invading Iran with the KISS Army?”
To all Democrats struggling to figure out what to do in regards to Fox, Bee said, “This is obviously a complex issue” before stopping herself. “Oh wait, it’s not. You do not have to go on Fox News!” And while there are apparently some Democrats and Independents who watch the channel, Bee said she found that fact “shocking” because “the only time I watch Fox News is when I want to rage-horny before date night with my husband.”
From there, Bee underscored just how nasty most of Fox News’ coverage on the Democratic candidates can be, from calling Warren “Pocahontas” to “mistakenly” putting Harris’ photo up on the screen in place of a wanted murderer. She also noted that “at a certain point, if you play along with Fox, you don’t look bold or bipartisan, you just look stupid,” adding, “Nobody is impressed by how Charlie Brown reaches across the aisle to Lucy’s football.”
Although Bee admitted there may be a “strategic” reason for some candidates to go on Fox, she reminded them that it’s “not morally the right thing to do.”
“When you go on Fox News, no matter how lit your town hall game is that night — you are legitimizing them,” she argued.
Leslie Jones was on fire during SNL’s Weekend Update last night. The inspiration of her rant? Alabama’s extreme abortion ban, which was passed by 25 white state senators who, as Leslie aptly points out, look like “the mugshots of everyone arrested at a massage parlor.” Or “the casting call for a Lipitor commercial.”
“You tell ‘em, Leslie,” Colin Jost says.
“Shut up. You flat white privileged latte,” she responds.
Leslie ended her hilarious and ultimately very moving speech with a rare serious moment.
“You can’t tell me what to do with my body. You can’t make me small or put me in a box. I’m six-feet tall and 233 pounds. Ain’t no box big enough to hold me.”