Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Since network television has apparently been given a mandate to feature as many conservative demagogues as they can in innocuous, humanizing settings, ABC welcomed one-time governor of Alaska and forever lightning rod for controversy Sarah Palin to their revamped version of the game show Match Game. While Match Game was a success over the summer for the network, transitioning into the fall season with new episodes was going to require something of a hook. Hence, apparently, Sarah Palin, though it’s odd that Palin’s appearance wasn’t advertised much, if at all. Not a single promo during Sunday’s Emmy Awards, for example.
Regardless, there Palin was, sitting in the chair that, in the old days of Match Game, was reserved for the rotating series of special guests and outliers. Which seemed to fit. The famously liberal Baldwin gave Palin a rather gracious welcome, recalling the time the two of them shared a stage on Saturday Night Live back when she was running for vice-president in 2008.
Palin did a decent enough job getting into the spirit of the show. She answered “Wonder Woman’s undergarments” when the question clearly called for it. She took the predictable question mocking her mostly in stride, joking that she was going to “filibuster” the question, “Sarah Palin takes her pets to the best groomer in Alaska. Once a week, they manicure her moose, clip her caribou, and buff her BLANK.” (Palin’s answer? “Alaskan golden nuggets.” The audience: “BOOOOO!”)
Palin did get one political jab in at Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. When prodded by Baldwin with the question, “Hillary Clinton just opened up as the new magic show on the Vegas strip. For her final trick, she makes everyone’s BLANK disappear.” Palin’s answer? “Brains.” (Audience: “BOOOOOOOOO!”)
