On Sunday, for reasons unclear at the time, NBC pulled from the Internet a liberal-mocking sketch about the financial bailout from the previous evening’s Saturday Night Live. And, even though right-wing bloggers’ thoughtful, well-reasoned assertion that the network had caved to pressure from sensitive Democrats seemed plausible, now we know what actually happened. Apparently, as we initially suspected, NBC’s lawyers took issue with an onscreen caption that ran under the names of real-life billionaires Herbert and Marion Sandler (portrayed on SNL by Darrell Hammond and Casey Wilson): “People who should be shot.” As it turns out, you’re allowed to sue any late-night comedy show that advocates your murder on live television. Lesson learned!
