Did you catch Sarah Palin’s appearance on Saturday Night Live this past weekend? Were you as confused as I was?

I’m not sure what her handlers were thinking when they approved her Weekend Update skit. I’m not saying that political hopefuls shouldn’t appear on SNL. Hilary Clinton appeared earlier this year and showed that she could laugh at herself and give due respect to Amy Poehler for a well-done impression. But the main difference between Ms. Clinton and Ms. Palin, among many others, is this: Hilary didn’t sit back and allow the cast to openly berate her campaign.

In this weekend’s past skit Little Miss Alaska raises the roof behind the Weekend Update desk, while Amy Poehler mimics her and raps lines such as, “Don’t let McCain creep you out when he tries to smile,” and, “From my porch I can see Russia and stuff.” Near the end of the song, a person in a moose costume crosses the set and Amy shoots him glock-style with an invisible handgun.

Insulting the Presidential candidate you’re running with? Reminding voters how little foreign relations experience you have? Killing large furry animals? Now, if this kooky display doesn’t build credibility for an already faltering campaign, I don’t know what does.

So what can we learn from this as PR professionals? It’s a reminder as to the importance of context. While SNL is a very popular program and it reaches a demographic that Palin would likely want to sway, the context that she was presented in was unprofessional, disrespectful and ill-advised.

Let us remember that before you send your clients into media opportunities, do all you can to make sure that the final piece reflects your original communications objectives.

And, if they aren’t going to do that, respectfully decline.