Hey folks. Quint here. It's funny... I've been going through that SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Season 1 box set and have, in a weird way, learned more about Gerald Ford as a person than in any history class I've ever attended. Chevy Chase made a career around his Gerald Ford-inspired prat falls, and without them it's quite possible NBC's Saturday Night would never have lasted. It is quite clear in these DVDs that Ford wasn't a popular President, at least with the youth movement. He lost a lot of faith and respect when he pardoned Richard Nixon and every week Saturday Night took the piss out of him, most directly with Chase's opening impersonations of him and later with the Weekend Update segment. However, instead of being offended, Gerald Ford sent his press secretary, Ron Nessen, to host the show in April '76 and appeared, via video, himself announcing "Live From New York, It's Saturday Night!" and stealing a little of Chase's thunder with a quick blip during Weekend Update: "I'm Gerald Ford and you're not." That to me says a lot about the man. He had a thankless task, taking over the reigns after a National disgrace, when the American people felt truly suspicious of and betrayed by their government. He had a tough job to do and he made many controversial choices, some that cost him a re-election bid against Jimmy Carter. It might have been Mr. Nessen's suggestion to "get in" with the hip young crowd... or Mr. Ford could have been a regular viewer and not minded taking some jabs. I don't know which is the real scenario there, but his appearance, which George Bush Sr. copied some 15 or so years later, was a landmark and truly funny. I'm sure you'll read more about the man's politics below. Please try to keep it civil. The Ronald Reagan talkbacks went pretty gonzo insane. Hopefully the Holiday spirit will still be with you guys when you deside to give respects to Mr. Ford. My thoughts are with his friends and family.
