On Saturday Night Live, have they ever lampooned New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo?
As it turns out, no, they haven’t.
And it’s not because being governor of New York is too obscure to merit mention on a national television show. SNL repeatedly lampooned Cuomo’s predecessor, David Paterson, for being blind.
Classy.
But Cuomo has never come been the target of SNL’s scorn.
It’s all in on attacking his potential presidential political opponent – Donald Trump – but it’s never laid a glove on him.
Which has no connection, I’m sure, to the fact that Andrew Cuomo feeds Saturday Night Live between $10 and $12 million each year in taxpayer subsidies.
This is in the news now because of some details in Andrew Cuomo’s recently released proposed budget. It doesn’t seem to include the specifics for Saturday Night Live, or any other show, but it does call for another $420 million this year to subsidize the motion picture and television industry.
Andrew Cuomo, jockeying to be the leader of national progressives, funnels more tax dollars into the entertainment industry than anyone else in the world.
And the entertainment industry is wildly progressive.
And I’m sure that’s a pure coincidence.
Or not.
(Photo credit DOMINICK REUTER/AFP/Getty Images)
Because it turns out that the two most Democrat-leaning states in the nation – California and New York – pour about $750 million a year between them into the television and motion picture industries. That’s more than any other states, and seemingly more than all other states combined.
And ironically, those television and motion picture industries, getting all those tax dollars from Democrat politicians, create programming and take public positions that politically benefit Democrats and socially stigmatize Republicans.
What a crazy coincidence.
Republican waitresses and welders get taxed to subsidize Democrat movie stars.
And we’re supposed to pretend it never even occurs to us to ask whether or not there’s a connection between the money Democrats give movie stars and the endorsements movie stars give Democrats.
Like Saturday Night Live, which seems of late to revolve completely around mocking Donald Trump. Is nobody at all curious about what implicit strings come attached to the massive amounts of money Andrew Cuomo gives the show each year?
And what about Stephen Colbert, who used to be funny on TV, but now does a daily anti-Republican screed on CBS. When he wanted the Ed Sullivan Theater renovated to accommodate his show (and ego) the taxpayers of the state of New York – led by Andrew Cuomo, Democrat – were ripped off for $5 million to pay for it.
Does no one in society or the so-called watchdog media wonder if there’s a connection between money from Democrats and hatred for Republicans?
Is it just a coincidence that they all share a shrill political philosophy?
Doesn’t anybody worry that the pouring of all this money into the mind-shaping organs of our society might be intended to propagandize public opinion? From topics on variety shows to story lines in sitcoms, to pronouncements from millionaire entertainers, how do we know none of that is bought and paid for?
How do we know that the $420 million Andrew Cuomo is giving Hollywood this year isn’t intended to buy anything? He pushes his progressive agenda every way he can, and his Hollywood cronies do a great deal to help. Are we completely sure that’s not the result of his incredible generosity with taxpayers’ money?
Is this anything other than not biting the hand that is feeding you?
Many are upset that this one industry is so disproportionately and lavishly benefited by taxpayer underwriting. But shouldn’t people also be upset by the seeming conflict of interest, in which a Democrat governor gives more than $10 million to a show that savages all things Republican? Why are taxpayer dollars in such astronomical amounts plowed into a business that blacklists anyone who’s not a progressive?
Doesn’t that bother anybody?
Are no reporters or attorneys general intrigued by that? Isn’t the United States attorney the least bit curious?
To me, it smells like political payola.
You wash my back, and I’ll wash yours. You preach my gospel, and I’ll pay your bills.
With taxpayers’ money.