Saturday Night Live Transcripts
Season 4: Episode 9
78i: Elliot Gould / Peter Tosh
White House Lawn Special Event
President Jimmy Carter…..Dan Aykroyd
Amy Carter…..Laraine Newman
Announcer: [ over title card ] The 28th Annual U.S.-Taiwan Table Tennis match will not be seen tonight, so that we may bring you the following special event from the White House lawn.
[ dissolve to President Jimmy Carter waving on the White House lawn ]President Jimmy Carter: Good evening, my fellow Americans. This is my fourth time on television this week. On Wednesday, I lit the White House Christmas tree… on Thursday, I was with Barbara Walters… last night, I recognized China… now here I am again. I’m beginning to feel like Merv!
But, seriously. Tonight, I want to talk about one of my favorite subjects: Energy. You know, most experts believe that we have enough fuel to last through the Winter, assuming we have an uninterrupted flow of oil from our foreign sources, including Iran. Fat chance! Now, I’m not saying that my good friend The Shah is definitely going to be overthrown… but if he is, I doubt that my good friends the Enemies of the Shah will send us the oil we need. And the oil from our new good friends in China won’t be coming ’til the Spring. Therefore, I’m calling a Yuletide Energy Alert — or Y.E.A. — Yea! And I’m asking that ALL Americans conserve energy this holiday season by turning off your Christmas lights. And to kick it off, my daughter Amy… [ Amy steps forward ] My daughter Amy will officially unlight the White House Christmas tree that we lit on Wednesday. Now, whether you’re a child of 6 or 60, everybody gets a rush out of seeing all the lights go out at the same time! Isn’t that right, Sweetheart?
Amy Carter: That’s right, Daddy!
President Jimmy Carter: And what do we say when the lights go out?
Amy Carter: We say “Yea!”
President Jimmy Carter: That’s right, Amy! Okay, here’s the switch. Let ‘er rip!
[ cut to reverse footage of the lights turning off ]President Jimmy Carter: Yea!
Amy Carter: Yea! Did I do good, Daddy?
President Jimmy Carter: Mmm-hmm. Wasn’t that pretty?
Amy Carter: Yeah!
President Jimmy Carter: Yea!
Amy Carter: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
