SNL Spoofs Tennessee Lt. Gov.’s Enthusiasm for Gay Man’s Racy Photos
By Trudy Ring
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NEW YORK CITY (Advocate Channel) — Saturday Night Live lampooned Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally in its Weekend Update segment, with Molly Kearney appearing as the anti-LGBTQ+ Republican who’s being slammed for hypocrisy because he complimented a young gay man who appeared nearly nude on Instagram.
“Randy by name, randy by nature!” Kearney, SNL’s first nonbinary cast member, said in character as McNally. In the sketch, “McNally” told Weekend Update anchor Colin Jost that he didn’t think anyone would connect the Instagram comments with him, as he used a screen name — “Lieutenant Governor McNally.”
The skit had McNally explaining his effusive praise of the young man, Franklin McClure, by saying, “I don’t discriminate. I comment on photos of all orientations. Orientations like from the side, from the front, from the back. There does not have to be a butt, but it helps. Whatever the photo, it’s my job to encourage my constituents.”
That goes back to the real McNally’s comment to a Tennessee TV station that he was “basically trying to encourage” McClure.
On SNL, Jost pointed out that McNally’s enthusiasm for the gay man could lead to some confusion about his beliefs. Tennessee has recently enacted anti-LGBTQ+ laws that include a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth and restrictions on drag shows, and it’s considering more, such as legislation that would undermine marriage equality.
Kearney as McNally responded, “I stand by my traditional values. I believe a woman should be in the home and a man should be 143 pounds of dancing to Dua Lipa.” The character went on to explain that he’s standing up for average people, “every Tom, Dick, and hairless.”
“I’m a proud conservative,” Kearney’s McNally continued. “I respect police officers, firefighters, any man who puts his body online for others.” Jost asked, “Do you mean on the line for others?” with Kearney replying, “What did I say?”
“Folks are calling you a hypocrite for endorsing anti-LGBTQ+ laws while seeming to enjoy queer content,” Jost noted, with Kearney as McNally pretty much admitted that “I publicly hate things that I secretly like.” The character closed by looking for MapQuest directions to a gay bar called Flaming Saddles and revealing why he’ll be leaving Instagram.
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