It's been five decades since Lorne Michaels launched Saturday Night Live with Not Ready for Prime-Time Players, a show whose stars and characters became touchstones for all Americans, regardless of politics. But this weekend, Michaels decided to flush it all down the toilet.

On Saturday evening, Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at the birthplace of Ed Grimley and the Church Lady in a disgusting skit that also blatantly violated Federal Communications Commission election rules.

Isn't that something special?

FCC commissioner angers NBC over Harris' last-minute appearance on SNL: 'Clearly designed to evade rules'

Back on October 1, Michaels told The Hollywood Reporter that neither Harris nor her opponent Donald Trump would appear on the show, a statement that turned out to be all the honesty of Jon Lovitz, who said, “Yes, that's the ticket .”

Suddenly, three days before the election, Michaels decided that his comedy show, one of the few things all Americans still share, would become a full-fledged arm of the Harris campaign.

Live from New York…It's democratic propaganda!

I would be very curious to know exactly how this happened. Did Michaels change his mind and reach out to Harris? Or, more likely, was a panicked Harris campaign begging for her to star on the weekly show?

This is the same Kamala Harris who was unable to attend the Al Smith dinner at the invitation of Cardinal Timothy Dolan because her schedule was too tight. Suddenly, 72 hours before the election, she cancels a rally in Michigan to appear live at Father Guido Sarducci's home?

Live from New York…It's democratic propaganda!

Michaels has broken a real and serious trust here, which is part of what makes comedy work as social commentary. That's something SNL often strives for: fairness and the idea that all sides can be ridiculed. Such a blatant display of partisanship destroys that.

This is why woke comedy doesn't work. Instead of being an edgy and honest skewering of society, it's instead a long list of pseudo-religious shibboleths wearing a tacky cartoon costume.

The audience laughs not at the joke, but at the stupidity of those they disagree with.

It's also worth noting that SNL has produced some of Hollywood's most notable conservatives, including Dennis Miller, Rob Schneider and Victoria Jackson.

Lorne Michaels created “Saturday Night Live” 50 years ago, but it was never intended to promote the Democratic Party, writes David Marcus. (Rosalind O'Connor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

The reason comedians lean more to the right is because, unlike actors, screenwriters, or directors, they don't learn their craft at colleges or conservatories with progressive worldviews. You just sign up for a club and if people laugh they ask you back.

Comedians must also have the freedom in their work to push the limits of decency and question the things the left says shouldn't be questioned. This is why Dave Chappelle gets in trouble every six months.

In that sense, Michaels has not only done his audience the greatest harm since removing Norm MacDonald from the “Weekend Update” segment, but he has also harmed his own cast, whom he planned to feature in a super-expensive political ad.

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In response to the FCC violation, NBC gave Trump equal time on NASCAR and NFL broadcasts, but who at the network greenlit this mess in the first place? Whoever it is deserves to sleep in a van down by the river.

If there's any silver lining to Michaels' mendacity, it's that the Harris sketch was abysmal. Every time she looked in the mirror all I could think about was Stuart Smalley saying, “I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and damn people like me.”

Actress Maya Rudolph and Vice President Kamala Harris appear on NBC's “Saturday Night Live” on November 2, 2024 in New York City. (Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)

Michaels really should apologize to his audience and cast, either for his crazy decision to hand the show to Harris or for his cowardly acquiescence to their unfair and illegal request.

Whatever it is, he doesn't look great.

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If there's ever a time when Americans need an escape from the constant drumbeat of partisan politics, advertising and signs, it's three days before an election, but Michaels didn't care, trying to elect Harris was more important.

Michaels might think he's pumped up Harris like Hanz and Franz, but in reality he's just diminished his show's reputation. As Wayne and Garth would say, at least in this case, “He’s not worth it.”

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