Cold Opening: Census Visits Reagan - Saturday Night Live

In Bel Air, an enumerator for the Census Bureau pays a visit to Ronald Reagan. Aired 03/24/90

[aeyb]

To quote Homer S.:”He sure did say ‘well’ a lot.”

[mrmojorisin]

Many of you don’t “get” the skit. It’s not making fun of cognitive decline. It’s brilliantly spoofing Reagan’s outrageous performance when he was questioned in the Iran Contra hearings. His answer to every question of substance was some version of “I don’t remember, ” because it’s legally difficult to prove that such an evasion is a lie. During Watergate, Nixon repeatedly counseled his underlings to tell investigators, “I don’t remember.” (It’s on the tapes). And to show I’m nonpartisan (at least here), I’m pretty sure Clinton used the “I don’t remember” bit several times when he got caught with his pants down. Historians will tell you all three presidents were lying.

[VoyagesDuSpectateur]

The skit is referencing Reagan's selective amnesia in the Iran-Contra hearings. SNL could do the same skit today mocking AG Jeff Sessions' convenient bouts of memory loss in the Russia hearings.

[moviebuff]

I remember watching this skit on a rerun when I was a kid. I didn't realize it was supposed to be Regan. All I remember was the Guy from Small Soliders playing a suspicious guy.

[willyjoerockhead]

Reagan's alzheimer was not known until 1994...years after this skit.

[charlesgreen]

“Well...that’s a very good question...I, I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that”...

[djfallon]

Bet they didn't realise he had Alzheimer's when they made this. Must regret it.

[McAppld]

This was probably a lot funnier back when they didn't know he had dementia. Now it just seems like they're making fun of a guy in cognitive decline.

[pidpit]

I'm surprised SNL isn't making fun of Joe Biden's cognitive decline.

[Christobanistan]

One of the unfunniest skits in SNL's history.