Interesting that the lieutenant governor and the folks at the Hawai'i Tourism Authority took offense at the Dwayne Johnson skit on "Saturday Night Live." A lot of Hawai'i people thought it was hilarious.

It's certainly nothing that hasn't been said before. The sketch was of the same genre of material revered as "classic," like Rap Reiplinger's "Room Service" with the obstinate food-and-beverage lady who refuses to give Mr. Fogarty in room 12-25 what he wants without hassling him. Or Reiplinger's "Puka Shell Tour Guide" lyrics:

"They all look the same to me

Wouldn't be here unless I had ta'"

Or Alani Apio's beloved play "Kamau," where the protagonist, tour guide Alika, finally speaks his mind to the tourists he's showing around town. That play was respected for being unflinching. It always draws rave reviews.

The SNL sketch had the same feel, as if written by an insider who understands the push and pull between service industry jobs and the reality of living here and the drudgery of having to answer the same dopey tourist questions day after day after day. That isn't unique to Hawai'i, of course, but wasn't it great when Johnson spilled the drinks on the guys who went for the lame old "we got lei'd!" joke?! Finally!

The piece didn't get much credit for sticking up for kama'aina, as when actor Fred Armisen, portraying an 'ukulele-playing local, said, "You guys probably assume that Hawaiians are uneducated. It's not like our president is from Hawai'i or anything."

The tourist goes, "Barack Obama? Isn't he from Illinois?"

And Johnson lunges at him with the full "Eh, you know what?" pre-beef stance.

Funny.

What's the worst that could happen from the SNL skit? Some potential visitors might think that Hawai'i isn't an obsequiously welcoming place? Too late! That word is out already, and it's not from Dwayne Johnson but from visitors who have come here and had a rotten time.

If tourism authorities are going to chase down negative comments, they've got their work cut out for them with Web sites like Trip Adviser and the blistering reviews travelers post about Waikiki in general and certain hotels and restaurants in specific:

"Crowded." "Crowded and overrated." "Not worth the effort." "Way too crowded and not good for swimming."

That's just the first page of thousands of comments, and nobody is joking.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.