Reflecting on Chevy Chase’s Impact on Political Satire

November 8, 2025, will mark 50 years since Chevy Chase first impersonated President Gerald Ford on Saturday Night Live, portraying him as a bumbling figure. Nowadays, we anticipate political satire on shows like SNL, but back then, Chase’s portrayal was quite groundbreaking. Before this, mocking the president on television faced significant hurdles like censorship and pressure from the White House.

In the early ’60s, NBC wouldn’t allow sketches about President John F. Kennedy on The Art Carney Show due to what they deemed inappropriate. A spokesperson stated that “this decision was based on a matter of taste.” When Lyndon Johnson took over, the networks were still cautious. NBC even brought in a British parody show, That Was the Week That Was, which criticized Johnson, but the show’s producers often clashed with NBC censors over its jokes. They even attempted to ban political humor leading up to the 1964 election.

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which began airing on CBS in 1967, also attracted opposition from President Johnson when it targeted him in sketches. A particular skit led Johnson to call CBS Chairman William Paley directly, urging him to “get rid of those people.” In response, the show curbed its critique of the president.

With Richard Nixon’s election in 1968, the Smothers Brothers decided to halt political jokes for a time. Ironically, they still had comedian David Frey impersonate him. However, the show’s controversial content ultimately led to its cancellation in 1969. In their last episode, they read a letter from Johnson, who claimed that being the target of satire was part of leadership, yet it felt somewhat disingenuous considering his past interferences.

Frey continued to impersonate Nixon in comedy albums even after his show ended, although networks remained reluctant to air ads tied to his Watergate-related content.

Shifting Dynamics in Political Satire

Given this history, SNL must have recognized the risk in allowing Chase to portray Ford live. Chase’s skit did more than poke fun; it depicted the president in absurd situations, such as holding a glass to his ear instead of a phone. Surprisingly, rather than failing, the show flourished.

This sketch transformed the public’s relationship with the presidency. Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, events like Kennedy’s assassination and Nixon’s Watergate scandal diminished respect for the office. Ford’s decision to pardon Nixon was controversial, even though it seemed wise in hindsight.

When Chase opened SNL in 1975 as Ford, it marked a significant shift in how the media portrayed presidents. This sketch not only ended an era of elevated respect but also brought politicians to the forefront of public ridicule. In many ways, it made the president more relatable and distant at the same time. Constant mockery distances politicians, and these days, if a president is absent for even a brief period, unfounded theories about their removal can easily spread.

Today, the envelope has only pushed further. Comedians like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel continue to tackle political issues, facing occasional pushback from those in power but, generally speaking, their work has become an integral part of American culture. The widespread mockery initiated by Chase and SNL is here to stay, and, oddly enough, perhaps that’s something we should be thankful for.