The Sarah Palin/Bayonetta jokes are officially played out, by decree of the Platinum Games designer Hideki Kamiya. In fact, he says Bayonetta's look is so iconic, soon people will be saying that Sarah Palin looks like her
Answering reader mail with Platinum's J.P. Kellams, the two lay the whole Palin/Bayonetta comparison at Kotaku's feet. Guilty as charged. Kamiya thinks the resemblance is only in the glasses, and that any country's glasses-wearing female celebrity is inevitably due for some Bayonetta comparison.
Here's the full transcript of his comments from the video, which you may see here. The relevant portion begins at 15:30.
Kellams: Next is a question from Crow T. Robot. What do you think about the Sarah Palin comparison? (I personally think Bayonetta looks a lot more like Tina Fey.)
Kamiya: When did this question come in? Recently?
Kellams: Recently.
Kamiya: People are still talking about that?
Kellams: Yeah, people are still saying that. And you know, Kotaku and the whole Sarah Palin thing ...
Kamiya: Honestly, the only thing that I see in common is that they both wear glasses.
Kellams: That, and the joke is old already.
Kamiya: Yeah, It is old. Well, you know the thing is, in the US they say Sarah Palin. In Japan, they always bring up people like Angela Aki. I think they say something similar in every country. That country's famous glasses girl.
Kellams: Yeah, I think that's it.
Kamiya: If they have long hair and wear glasses ...
Kellams: OK! Bayonetta!
Kamiya: The thing with that impression is, you know, we've put out plenty of trailers now, and when you play the game and see the cutscenes, I think people will recognize Bayonetta as Bayonetta. Then people will look at Sarah Palin and say that she looks like Bayonetta.
Hideki Answers: Vol 2. Part 1! [Platinum Games]