Nixon v. Harris: A Tale of Two Pop Culture Close-ups
Richard Nixon's iconic 'Laugh-In' appearance trumps Kamala's 'SNL' stumble
“Laugh-In” creator George Schlatter will never forgive himself.
The legendary producer jolted the 1960s with a humor showcase that made Goldie Hawn a star. Schlatter remains proud of that legacy, but he regrets letting a presidential candidate steal the spotlight on one fateful night.
Richard M. Nixon, running for the White House in the Fall of 1968, uttered the show’s famous line, “Sock it to me!” on an episode that aired two months before Election Day. Except Nixon said it like a question, flashing a hipness many assumed he lacked.
They were right. He didn’t want to do the show in the first place. He initially refused to say another “Laugh-In” catch phrase, “You bet your sweet bippy.”
The two sides eventually settled on, “sock it to me,” and the rest is history. At least Schlatter fears it is.
Right or wrong, he suspects the TV moment paved the way for Nixon’s presidential victory that year, saying it’s “something I’ve had to live with.”
You don’t get a chance to interview Hollywood legends often …
But this week I spoke to Mr. Laugh-In himself, George Schlatter, and he did NOT disappoint! And he’s still mad about getting Nixon elected! #SockItToMehttps://t.co/IibrwEtFXS pic.twitter.com/RLYAM0Q9zJ
— Christian Toto (@HollywoodInToto) December 7, 2023
Schlatter’s TV instincts proved prescient at the time, even if it took six takes for Nixon to nail the line’s inflection. The Left-leaning show realized the Nixon appearance would cause a sensation.
And it did.
The moment caught the zeitgeist in ways that any producer would crave. The unintended consequences are another matter.
Now, compare that to Vice President Kamala Harris’ close-up on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend. The presidential hopeful, who refused to visit Joe Rogan’s Austin studio while both Donald Trump and J.D. Vance dropped by, appeared on “SNL” to play herself.
Harris earned cheers from “SNL’s” hard-Left audience, but the sketch in question proved comedically inert. The cold open served as an extension of Harris’s campaign.
Comedy wasn’t on the menu.
The sketch is generating all the wrong headlines.
Some are accusing NBC of breaking the law with its overt electioneering. Others say the bit copied a previous “SNL” sketch featuring Trump from 2015.
NBC broke the law to promote Kamala Harrishttps://t.co/1XvB4Yxkaw
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) November 3, 2024
No one is talking about how funny the sketch proved. That’s because it wasn’t funny, nor was it meant to be. That wasn’t the point. “SNL” is a propaganda outfit in 2024, deploying satirical tools to promote the Democrats.
Plus, Nixon’s appearance mattered because it caught everyone watching flat-footed. “SNL” routinely invites Democrats on its program to boost their poll numbers. Audiences likely saw the Harris appearance for just that.
Nothing more.
Nixon uttered a single line in 1968. Four words. He made every syllable count, and he won that year’s Presidential election.
Will Harris do the same? Chances are if.she defeats Trump Nov. 5 the “SNL” closeup will play a microscopic role, if any, in the final countdown.
In fact, the cringe-worthy bit might have the opposite effect.
Nixon didn’t want to appear on Laugh In in the first place but I bet Kamala was begging to appear on the show and SNL still couldn’t make it a funny appearance.
It was a stunt, and should get their license revoked, or at least a hefty fine. But the FCC will look the other way since they are run by the democrat party like every other department of the US govt.