The question of Reba McEntire and politics could come up at any time.
But in the wake of Saturday Night Live‘s pre-election skit, it’s on a lot of people’s minds.
How does the real Reba McEntire feel about politics?
The answer may be a little closer to the parody than most of us would imagine. But she does have some very real things to say.
‘SNL’ ran a skit that parodied Reba McEntire discussing politics
On the Saturday, November 2 episode of Saturday Night Live, the Weekend Update segment included a special guest.
SNL cast member Heidi Gardner appeared wearing an extravagant wig and a dazzling white ensemble. Combined with her accent, she could only be one person: Reba McEntire.
Ostensibly, the parody of Reba McEntire was there to share thoughts on politics. And to provide a celebrity endorsement for the 2024 election just days ahead of Election Day. Instead, she discussed anything and everything else and wiggled excitedly in her chair.
The purpose of the skit was twofold: part of it parodied Reba McEntire’s time on The Voice. And part of it was to parody the culture of celebrity endorsements — some of which are sensible, but many of which seem random.
(Yes, sometimes even the endorsements for someone you like are kind of random!)
As with any SNL skit, the overall purpose was to make people laugh. And, as with many such skits, it was fairly successful. You can watch that skit for yourself, below:
What are the politics of the real Reba McEntire?
As for the real Reba McEntire, she’s a goofy lady to be sure. But she’s also a professional who’s been in the entertainment industry — not just Country music, but television, long before The Voice — for decades.
She can give a coherent interview when she chooses. However, Reba McEntire has long made it her policy to avoid delving directly into politics. So no, she doesn’t do political endorsements.
However, her reputation as an all-around decent person suggests that she likely has opinions. And Reba has even spoken out on political issues, even if she doesn’t offer presidential endorsements.
In early spring of 2023, Reba McEntire spoke to the Los Angeles Times about feeling disappointed by Tennessee’s repulsive — and, at the time, newly passed — slew of bigoted laws.
Reba opened up about how she felt “disappointed” but not surprised. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee had passed laws banning gender-affirming care to minors and a law restricting drag queen performances. The former pretended to be “protecting” the trans minors in question. And the latter branded drag performances as “adult” entertainment.
“I wish they would spend that much time and energy and money on feeding the homeless children in those two counties,” Reba McEntire expressed during that interview.
Even then, she reiterated her reluctance to get political
“My job is to entertain … I’m not there to influence people one way or another how to vote,” Reba McEntire emphasized. However, she explained that these outlandish laws were an exception. Notably, her commentary came on 2023’s Transgender Day of Visibility at a time when the trans community was (and remains) a favored target for political malice.
Zeroing in on the drag ban specifically, Reba commented: “I mean, we’ve got a real problem in this country, and to be worrying about men wanting to dress up as women?”
Reba McEntire then quipped: “God bless ’em to wear those high heels — I feel for ’em. But let’s center our attention on something that really needs attention.”
