While Hurricane Sandy devastated much of the East Coast and reports estimate 1.4 million are still without power, the cast of “Saturday Night Live” brought much needed levity in the wake of one of the most horrific storms to hit the United States. With spot-on impersonations of abrasive New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, sedated big-gulp hating Mayor Michael Bloomberg and an expressive, yet distracting sign language interpreter featured during the show’s opening, the cast tastefully injected humor into a widely humorless situation.
“We don’t get sad in New Jersey, we get even, so sleep with one eye open, Sandy!” Christie (played by Bobby Moynihan) said during the press conference. “Also, to the mayor of Atlantic City Lorenzo Langford who refused to evacuate – you are a silly, stupid, son of a b**ch.”
After beginning the press conference with a somber address about the Hurricane, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (played by Fred Armisen) thanked President Obama for his fast assistance but warned, “Your motorcade causes traffic headaches. I endorse you for president but if you come here, I will have you arrested.” Bloomberg also thanked his staff and his sign language interpreter Lydia Callis, who pulled her ears out wide on her head every time Bloomberg said “President Obama.”
Bloomberg then cited his own ridiculous policies as laudable “preventative measures” before Sandy hit New York City, “…measures such as the ban on large, sugary sodas that had it not been in place, we would have seen many obese New Yorkers float away helplessly down the Hudson River.”
Bloomberg turned the press conference over to Christie who had some choice words for Atlantic City mayor Lorenzo Langford. “Well, screw you, screw your city and screw all the people that listened to you,” he said addressing Langford, who apparently ignored Christie’s warnings to evacuate. “I’m gonna come rescue you and then I’m gonna beat you to death because that’s the Jersey way.”
Politics entered the sketch, but only after the Hurricane Sandy business was out of the way.
After berating Langford, Christie then transitioned to a mellow endorsement of Obama’s handling of the disaster, but quickly followed up with his political support of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. “Again, I’ll be a good soldier, I’ll vote for Romney, but I’m gonna haaaaate it,” Christie said. “Did you hear me? I will hate it.”
