Trending |
US Elections 2024

Kamala Harris's Saturday Night Live appearance draws criticism on eve of US election

Social media users say the SNL skit was in bad taste under the shadow of Israel's war on Gaza supported by the Biden administration
By Firdevs Bulut
Published date: 4 November 2024 22:45 GMT | Last update: 4 hours 55 min ago

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on NBC television’s Saturday Night Live this weekend ahead of Tuesday’s general election, drawing strong reactions from a wide audience online.

In the skit, Kamala Harris appears as herself as the mirror-image double of actor Maya Rudolph’s version of her in the show’s cold opening. 

In sync, the vice president and Maya Rudolph say supporters need to “Keep Kamala and carry-on-ala” - which became a motto repeated by a large audience online - and declared that they share each other’s “belief in the promise of America”.

While many on social media celebrated the skit and shared supportive messages about the positive image of the candidate, pro-Palestinian supporters felt differently. 

New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch

Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters

Social media users shared their frustrations with the vice president appearing on one of America’s most renowned TV spots and creating flippant mottos ahead of the election, while the Biden-Harris administration was getting so much flak for Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. 

Social media users also criticised the strategy of US politicians using celebrities to build their images. One user defined it as “dystopian,” adding that the marketing of the vice president as a “fun” candidate does not erase the fact that she is “the vice president of a regime enabling a genocide”.

One viral tweet raised the ethics of SNL hosting Kamala Harris, accusing the show's network, NBC Television, of being part of a larger financial push behind the candidate. 

The top three shareholders of Comcast Corporation, which owns the NBC Television network, are Vanguard, Blackrock, and State Street Corporation, which are among the largest asset management companies in the world. 

Many online expressed their frustrations with what they say was US politicians trying to distract the public with celebrity skits and TV shows, while the US is getting ready for a crucial election during ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon supported and funded by the current US administration.

One tweet shared the news that popular American pop singer Lady Gaga will be attending the final rally held by Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, and expressed frustration that millions of dollars in campaign money are bringing these celebrities forward rather than doing “anything for any worthy cause”.

Equal time rule 

A US government communications regulator said that Vice President Kamala Harris’s appearance on Saturday Night Live violates “equal time” rules that govern political programming.

Brendan Carr, a commissioner with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), said on X that Harris’s appearance on SNL “is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule”. 

According to FCC guidelines, the “equal time” rule is designed to provide comparable time and placement to opposing candidates in an election race.

Following Carr’s remarks, an FCC spokesperson issued a statement: “The FCC has not made any determination regarding political programming rules, nor have we received a complaint from any interested parties.”

Protest outside NBC Studios

Within Our Lifetime, a Palestinian-led community organisation in New York City organised a rally outside NBC Studios before Kamala Harris’s appearance on SNL. 

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators along with some supporters of Kamala Harris attended the rally, demanding an end to Israel’s war on Gaza and the unconditional support of the Biden-Harris administration to Israel. 

As voting day approaches for the US presidential election on November 5, US support for Israel’s war on Gaza has loomed large over the campaign with both candidates finding it impossible to avoid the subject.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris promised to end the war on Gaza and Lebanon during a rally in swing-state Michigan on Sunday. Former US President Donald Trump was in Dearborn, Michigan on Friday as part of outreach to Arab and Muslim voters in the hopes that the Republicans can swing the state in their direction on Tuesday.

Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.