Al Gore Gets Two Film-Promo Segments, Not Just One, on 'Saturday Night Live'

On May 13, Saturday Night Live allowed Al Gore to plug his global warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, not once, but twice. As Noel Sheppard has already reported, Gore opened the program with an "alternate" address from "President" Gore. This bizarro-Gore reviewed the achievements of stopping global warming, balancing the budget and providing universal health care. The second segment that the former Vice President appeared in was even more sanctimonious. Weekend Update co-host Tina Fey introduced the sketch at 12:15AM EDT:

Fey: "Okay, so thank you for being here and, uh, global warming is a scientific fact. It’s happening. We’re not going to debate that. So for tonight’s point/counterpoint, Vice President Gore will take the point that global warming is bad. And Amy will defend her personal point of view that global warming is awesome."

Get the format? Al Gore again plays the Smart Guy who lectures the ignoramus, the person who, for some reason, refuses to believe him. First off, despite the declaration from Tina Fey, renowned scientist, not everyone believes global warming is a "scientific fact."  Secondly, Amy Poehler, the other co-host, plays a right-wing moron. Her character appreciated global warming because, "I look good in shorts, ya’ll."

Some of you may be wondering, what’s the big deal? Saturday Night Live invites guests on to promote their movies all the time. Well, this is a political documentary that wishes to advance a policy agenda. At one point, sans any laughs, Gore shows a picture of a glacier. He states:

Gore: "Well, Tina, these photos speak for themselves. And this is not a joke. This is a glacier in Argentina 70 years ago. The same glacier today."

Did SNL bring on Michael Wilson, director of Michael Moore Hates America, to promote his film? No, certainly not. But they have no problem giving almost ten minutes to Al Gore. Look for more blatant media fawning as the film nears its May 24 release date. Full transcript below:

Saturday Night Live

Weekend Update

12:15 Eastern Time

Tina Fey: “The global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth opens in theaters nationwide May 24^th. Here to debate the issue of global warming, one of the film's creators, former Vice President Al Gore.”

Al Gore: “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having me, Tina and Amy. It's a pleasure to be here on this unseasonably warm night.”

Amy Poehler: “I know. I love it, right?”

Fey: “Okay, so thank you for being here and, uh, global warming is a scientific fact. It’s happening. We’re not going to debate that. So for tonight’s point counterpoint, Vice President Gore will take the point that global warming is bad. And Amy will defend her personal point of view that global warming is awesome.”               

Poehler: “What can I say? I look good in shorts, ya’ll.”

Fey: “Mr. Gore, opening remarks.”

Gore: “Well, Tina, these photos speak for themselves. And this is not a joke. This is a glacier in Argentina 70 years ago. The same glacier today.”

Poehler: “What’s the problem? That looks awesome! Now I want to swim in that gorgeous lake. Okay, my turn. This is Jessica Simpson eight years ago. This is Jessica Simpson today. Much, much hotter. And the world is a better place for it.”

Gore: “Amy, you are completely missing the point.”

Poehler, smiling: “Am I?”

Gore, talking over phony EPA memo with everything blacked out but eight words: “Yes. The truth about- The truth about global warming just has not been getting out. Look at the way the current administration edited this 2005 Environmental-- Environmental Protection Agency report on global warming. Established scientific fact is blacked out as conjecture or unsubstantiated or looney tunes. All that’s left is, ‘Everything is great. Drive big car a lot.”

Poehler: “I don’t know. I mean, I take my car on the subway. So-”

Gore: “Amy! What about all the hurricanes?” Poehler: “Okay. We all know that the reason we are getting these hurricanes is because of gay marriage. That’s a fact.”

Gore: “Amy!”

Poehler: “Amy, you ignorant slut! I beat you to it!”

Gore: “I was not going to say that.”

Poehler: Ahh. See, I flipped it. I win. I flipped it.”

Gore: “Amy, just go see the movie.”

Poehler: “Okay, can I take my own air conditioner?”

Gore: “In the- Whatever it takes.”

Fey: “Al Gore, everybody.” (Applause)