History UsefulNotes / SarahPalin

* The AlternateHistory novel, [[http://www.readchristiannation.com/novel/ Christian Nation: A Novel]] by Frederic C. Rich, has Palin being president after John McCain and [[OppressiveStatesOfAmerica America goes downhil from there]].

-->--'''Sarah Palin'''

* The US President in ''IronSky'' is an IronLady expy of Palin.

Sarah Louise Palin (born 1964), the former Governor of UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}, was [[AscendedExtra abruptly thrust]] onto the pop culture radar by becoming Republican presidential nominee John [=McCain=]'s running mate during the 2008 United States presidential election against Democrats BarackObama and Joe Biden. She was the second female vice-presidential candidate from a major party in US history (the first being Geraldine Ferraro in 1984), and the first from the Republican Party. In July of 2009, Palin [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere resigned her position as governor]] with 18 months remaining in her first term, one of the official reasons being saving the costs to the Alaskan budget of defending herself [[FrivolousLawsuit against detractors]]; said detractors have naturally offered a [[MoneyDearBoy different explanation]]. Since then she has toured the country as a paid speaker and founded the conservative political action committee [=SarahPAC=].

From that point onward, Palin's public persona has largely been defined, rightly or wrongly, by her SoBadItsGood [[{{Malaproper}} absurd]] [[YouKeepUsingThatWord politispeak]]. Politicians in general are considered AcceptableTargets, and the Couric interview turned Palin into a lightning rod for it. When she appears or is referenced in most fictional media, she will take on these traits largely [[RuleOfFunny because it's funny]]. Incidentally, her popular culture portrayal reached an extent that lines Tina Fey would say while impersonating Sarah Palin would be taken out of context and attributed to Palin ''as though she herself said them''. There are shows out there which try to treat Palin as a more serious, dignified individual, but these simply don't have the same PopculturalOsmosis value largely because they just aren't as entertaining to most of the kind of people who would read ThisWiki. It's a matter of contention whether she were the youthful and energetic shot in the arm that [=McCain's=] campaign needed to TakeALevelInBadass or whether she were [=McCain's=] PoisonousFriend whose popularity and fanbase came at the expense of his own.

* ''College Humor'' has a video where her running for vice president is just a {{Disney}} movie of a hockey mom becoming president called "Head of Skate," ending with a hockey match between her and VladimirPutin. This likely came from an interview where Creator/MattDamon slammed her "hockey mom" persona, saying that her whole story (typical suburban wife and mother sliding up the political ladder to president) sounded like the plot of a bad Disney movie.

* She's played by JulianneMoore the {{HBO}} film ''GameChange'', (based on the book of the same title), which depicts the 2008 election.

* Wrestling/{{TNA}} had at one point a Knockout who was a Sarah Palin impersonator, called The Governor. She was played by Shannon Claire Spruill aka Daffney. She debuted in a story arc where Angelina Love and Velvet Sky tried to win her favor, believing she was the real Sarah Palin. Eventually, The Governor, Taylor Wilde, and Roxxi Laveaux ambushed the two and beat them up, mocking them for thinking she was actually Sarah Palin.

* The AlternateHistory novel, [[http://www.readchristiannation.com/novel/ Christian Nation: A Novel]] by Frederic C. Rich, has Palin being president after John McClain and [[OppressiveStatesOfAmerica America goes downhil from there]].

* Palin's most popular appearance in media is the aforementioned ''SaturdayNightLive'' sketch. It defined most of her character traits in media from the point it aired, and PopculturalOsmosis has taken it so thoroughly to heart that some of the scripted lines (spoken by Tina Fey) are assumed to be Palin's real responses in the Couric interview, particularly "[[BeamMeUpScotty I can see Russia from my house!]]"[[hottip:note:Obviously the real Palin never said this, but she did apply similar logic when asked about her foreign policy experience (Alaska is the only state to border Russia).]]

* ''College Humor'' has a video where her running for vice president is just a {{Disney}} movie of a hockey mom becoming president called "Head of Skate," ending with a hockey match between her and VladimirPutin. This likely came from an interview where MattDamon slammed her "hockey mom" persona, saying that her whole story (typical suburban wife and mother sliding up the political ladder to president) sounded like the plot of a bad Disney movie.

* Creator/AntarcticPress had a field day with her with a number of comics that made fun of her such as ''[[http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/version_01/viewitem.php?id=5544 Sarah Palin Rouge Warrior]]'', ''[[http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/version_01/viewitem.php?id=5651 Steampunk Palin]]'' and ''[[http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/version_01/viewitem.php?id=5661&bk=store.php?id=Sarah+Palin+vs+the+World Sarah Palin vs The World]]'' (''yes'' a parody of ScottPilgrim, go fig), among other parodies and Expies.

* ''{{Sinfest}}'' included a long story arc involving Squigley wearing a beehive hairdo and running for Vice President.

* Palin's most popular appearance in media is the aforementioned ''SaturdayNightLive'' sketch. It defined most of her character traits in media from the point it aired, to the extent the Couric interview did not. "I can see Russia from my house!" is from the sketch, not the interview, though the interview had her applying more-or-less the same logic to the foreign policy question (Alaska is the only state to border Russia).

From that point onwards, Palin's public persona has largely been defined, rightly or wrongly, by her SoBadItsGood [[{{Malaproper}} absurd]] [[YouKeepUsingThatWord politispeak]]. Politicians in general are considered AcceptableTargets, and the Couric interview turned Palin into a lightning rod for it. When she appears or is referenced in most fictional media, she will take on these traits largely [[RuleOfFunny because it's funny]]. Incidentally, her popular culture portayal reached an extent that lines Tina Fey would say while impersonating Sarah Palin would be taken out of context and attribtued to Palin ''as though she herself said them''. There are shows out there which try to treat Palin as a more serious, dignified individual, but these simply don't have the same PopculturalOsmosis value largely because they just aren't as entertaining to most of the kind of people who would read ThisWiki. It's a matter of contention whether she caused [=McCain's=] campaign to TakeALevelInBadass by adding needed enthusiasm to it or if she was [=McCain's=] PoisonousFriend who hurt him with more people than helped.

Incidentally, anyone looking for a nuanced and balanced political discussion of Palin's influence in America is on the wrong wiki. Your typical Palin reference in most media will either involve Alaska, that she has a child with Down Syndrome, parodying her style of political speech (including the fact that [[AmericanAccents her accent]] sounds ''exactly'' like Marge Gunderson in ''{{Fargo}}''), her being more attractive than the typical politician, or some combination of the four. Her actual political value, as far as we can tell, has very little to do with these things.

As just a few moments' worth of internet research can handily show (or just look a few inches up or down from this sentence), Palin has a {{hatedom}} white-hot enough to be seen from space, yet it seems just as many people [[LoveItOrHateIt love her]] -- possibly ''because'' she can unintentionally make left-wingers froth at the mouth even better than Ann Coulter can on purpose. So please, for the love of God, when discussing her, '''[[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment think before you edit]]'''.

The PopculturalOsmosis does not seem to be slowing down either, as a recent reality show about Alaska stars Palin and was [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative TLC's highest-rated premiere]]. Unfortunately for Sarah, it was not renewed for a second season.

* In a DeletedScene from the ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' episode "The Camel", Tom gives Leslie a copy of Sarah Palin's ''Going Rogue''. Leslie becomes excited when she finds out that she's mentioned in the book and described in glowing terms. However, when the page goes on to talk about Tom being incredibly sexy, Leslie realizes that it's a prank.

Unlike most politicians on the TV Tropes wiki, Sarah Palin isn't notable for her politics so much as her effect on pop culture. However, early on she was an asset to the [=McCain=] campaign, despite the apparent last-minute choice and lack of thorough vetting. She made a strong, well-received speech at the Republican convention and gave the [=McCain=] campaign a much-needed bump in the polls. However, when she was interviewed by Katie Couric of Creator/{{CBS}} Evening News (this was only Palin's third interview since being selected as running mate), she confounded viewers with her incoherent answers. This ended up turning her into huge comedic fodder for programs like ''TheDailyShow'', and this was cemented with a ''SaturdayNightLive'' sketch starring TinaFey that parodied the interview... without even having to [[QuoteMine change very much of the dialogue]].

The former Governor of UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}, Sarah Palin was [[AscendedExtra abruptly thrust]] onto the pop culture radar by becoming Republican presidential nominee John [=McCain=]'s running mate during the 2008 United States presidential election against Democrats BarackObama and Joe Biden. She was the second female vice-presidential candidate from a major party in US history (the first being Geraldine Ferraro in 1984), and the first from the Republican Party. In July of 2009, Palin [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere resigned her position as governor]] with 18 months remaining in her first term, one of the official reasons being saving the costs to the Alaskan budget of defending herself [[FrivolousLawsuit against detractors]]; said detractors have naturally offered a [[MoneyDearBoy different explanation]]. Since then she has toured the country as a paid speaker and founded the conservative political action committee [=SarahPAC=].

* In the comic book ''Barack the Barbarian'', which casts all the major players of the '08 election in a ''ConanTheBarbarian''-type universe, she appears wearing a {{Stripperific}} outfit.
* ''AntarcticPress'' had a field day with her with a number of comics that made fun of her such as ''[[http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/version_01/viewitem.php?id=5544 Sarah Palin Rouge Warrior]]'', ''[[http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/version_01/viewitem.php?id=5651 Steampunk Palin]]'' and ''[[http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/version_01/viewitem.php?id=5661&bk=store.php?id=Sarah+Palin+vs+the+World Sarah Palin vs The World]]'' (''yes'' a parody of ScottPilgrim, go fig), among other parodies and Expies.

* The US President in ''IronSky'' is an IronLady expy of Palin.

* She hosts a travelogue called ''Sarah Palin's Alaska.''

* An expy of her shows up in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird''. She sets the army on street gangs, but is not prepared to go as far as they would like until [[spoiler: TheDragon stages a terrorist attack, where she will either call them off or authorize the Dadalus which is used in a bid to destroy the entire city.]]

* She's played by JulianneMoore the {{HBO}} film ''GameChange'', (based on the book of the same title), which depicts the 2008 election.

[[NamesTheSame No relation to]] Creator/MichaelPalin. Or {{Bayonetta}}, despite the resemblance...

The former Governor of {{Alaska}}, Sarah Palin was [[AscendedExtra abruptly thrust]] onto the pop culture radar by becoming Republican presidential nominee John [=McCain=]'s running mate during the 2008 United States presidential election against Democrats BarackObama and Joe Biden. She was the second female vice-presidential candidate from a major party in US history (the first being Geraldine Ferraro in 1984), and the first from the Republican Party. In July of 2009, Palin [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere resigned her position as governor]] with 18 months remaining in her first term, one of the official reasons being saving the costs to the Alaskan budget of defending herself [[FrivolousLawsuit against detractors]]; said detractors have naturally offered a [[MoneyDearBoy different explanation]]. Since then she has toured the country as a paid speaker and founded the conservative political action committee [=SarahPAC=].

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', Chris dates a girl with Down Syndrome who briefly makes reference to her mother being the former governor of Alaska. Notable largely because when Palin herself found about this, she indignantly called it a "kick in the gut" to families with Down Syndrome in general, claiming it to be DudeNotFunny material, and then tried to claim that she was defending the Down Syndromed actress who read the line. The actress who played the character, who is in her forties, was nonplussed about this criticism, telling Palin to "get a sense of humor," and claimed she [[DontYouDarePityMe didn't need anyone to stand up for her grown-ass self]]. In an open letter the actress later wrote, she accused Sarah Palin of using her Down Syndrome son as a political prop that she carried around "like a loaf of French bread."

* And of course, the [[ParallelPornTitles Porn Parody]] "Who's Nailin' Paylin?", using a look-alike actress (Lisa Ann) in the role. In a porn version of the ColbertBump, this also heavily boosted Lisa Ann's career, and led to her appearing as a Sarah Palin lookalike at the 2012 Republican Party national convention in Tampa, Florida.
** And on the gay side, we have ''Getting Levi's Johnson'', which, although primarily focusing Bristol Palin's ex-fiancee, ''also'' features Lisa Ann as "Serra Paylin," dispensing ridiculous advice and commentary to Levi (Chris Steele) between scenes.
* In ''{{Kickassia}}'', when WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick becomes the Vice President of the titular nation, she starts to dress and talk in a style parodying Palin.
* In the comic book ''Barack the Barbarian'', which casts all the major players of the '08 election in a ''ConanTheBarbarian''-type universe, she appears wearing a {{Stripperific}} outfit.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', it is revealed that her quirky image is actually [[ObfuscatingStupidity all an act]], and that she is actually a brilliant British [[SpyCatsuit catsuit-clad]] jewel thief taking part in an unspeakably elaborate heist, along with [=McCain=] and Obama.

* ''College Humor'' has a video where her running for vice president is just a {{Disney}} movie of a hockey mom becoming president called "Head of Skate," ending with a hockey match between her and VladimirPutin. This likely came from an interview where MattDamon slammed her "hockey mom" persona, saying that her whole story (typical suburban wife and mother sliding up the political ladder to president) sounded like the plot of a bad Disney movie.
* A ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' parody on Website/YouTube.

* ''AntarcticPress'' had a field day with her with a number of comics that made fun of her such as ''[[http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/version_01/viewitem.php?id=5544 Sarah Palin Rouge Warrior]]'', ''[[http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/version_01/viewitem.php?id=5651 Steampunk Palin]]'' and ''[[http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/version_01/viewitem.php?id=5661&bk=store.php?id=Sarah+Palin+vs+the+World Sarah Palin vs The World]]'' (''yes'' a parody of ScottPilgrim, go fig), among other parodies and Expies.

[[redirect:SarahPalin]]