१२ नोव्हेंबर, २०२३

On "SNL," Trump makes an appearance at the Republican debate.


Good impressions. Who was that "eggo" Trump kept talking about, the cast-member playing Vivek Ramaswamy? That was Ego Nwodim (a woman).

I thought that was a very well-written cold open. The Trump impersonator, James Austin Johnson, is so good they must worry he's going to cause the audience to kind of love Trump. We haven't faced such a risk since Charlie Chaplin impersonated Hitler.

Here's an article about Johnson, from last summer, in the Chicago Sun-Times. Johnson is opposed to Trump's political positions, but realized that, to do a successful impersonation, he needed to like something about Trump:
“I figured out that I had to abstract it and move it into the dumb world and make it silly and stupid and do actual comedy. The thing I found I like about Donald Trump is he’s a funny guy, just look at his speeches,” he says. “Then I just started having Trump talk about Radiohead and ‘Final Fantasy VII’ wizards and stuff like that. I used the Trump speech patterns and it was something about harnessing the way that he talks and the way that he sounds, but totally divorcing it from things he would actually talk about. No matter how much you like or dislike him, your opinion about him doesn’t affect a thing in the world. It doesn’t affect his policies or his popularity. So why am I trying to preach, why am I trying to tell people how to feel about him? What the hell do I know? I should just be silly and helping us laugh and shrug through a really crazy period of history.”

३६ टिप्पण्या:

The Crack Emcee म्हणाले...

They finally found someone who can actually do Trump.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

Still waiting for NBC(D) to mock Biden.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

NBC can suck my big black ****]


Still waiting for the answer, NBC(D)

Quayle म्हणाले...

Everyone already liked Trump. His numerous appearances on talk shows - Letterman and the like - are evidence of that. It’s just that since he ran against HRC they’ve had to convince themselves that he isn’t and wasn’t likable. That’s what’s so funny - The stampede to the door and the need to clearly show yourself stampeding to the door. It’s almost as funny as Christians turning him into a saint.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

It's all free advertising for the democrat party.

cassandra lite म्हणाले...

"We haven't faced such a risk since Charlie Chaplin impersonated Hitler."

No, we haven't faced such a risk since Tina Fey impersonated Sarah Palin....and then Palin appeared and blew Alec Baldwin away.

The Crack Emcee म्हणाले...

Quayle said...

"The stampede to the door and the need to clearly show yourself stampeding to the door. It’s almost as funny as Christians turning him into a saint."

Back in the 80s-90s,Trump loaned Russell Simmons his plane, so Simmons could do a deal in California for Def Jam, but, after Trump ran for office, Russell Simmons felt he had to pretend he didn't know who Trump was. Which is about what I expect from these people.

Lem Vibe Bandit म्हणाले...

For an impression to work you have to like the person or at least pretend you do. That was Norm’s theory. It probably comes from the idea that if you are going to ask people to laugh at someone else’s expense you’re asking a lot, so you better not sound mean about it.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

NBC:

Biden and all democrats - Treated with respect. No mocking. soft and gentle.

Any and all Non-Leftists/ GOP/R/I: Merciless mocking, endless mocking, snide mocking.... mocking mocking mocking.


NBC = One giant campaign ad for The Party (D). Putin and Xi approve.

Sebastian म्हणाले...

"The thing I found I like about Donald Trump is he’s a funny guy"

He is, though not necessarily ha-ha funny. But the only reason Ds dislike him is that he chose to run as an R. It's a tribal thing.

Not long ago, stopping the southern invasion, countering China, starting no new wars, reducing imprisonment, busting budgets, and kowtowing to experts would have been Gephart/Sanders territory. About the only thing in Trump's actual agenda they really would have disliked is his "conservative" judicial appointments.

rcocean म्हणाले...

THe impersaontor did a good job, but God SNL is horrible. The writing is moronic and actors Second rate. And the stupid "Those MAGA/Rightwingers are racists" crap, its like something cribbed from 1990s = fucking lame.

This sketch tells you the Democrats fear only one Republican: Trump. They regard the others as harmless clowns.

cassandra lite म्हणाले...

Every actor who plays a bad guy, especially a famous bad guy (Stalin, Hannibal Lector, e.g.) talks about having to play the character as the character would play himself. A great characterization requires ditching the meta mind.

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

For this skit Johnson went against his own formula for being funny as Donald Trump. And it wasn't funny.
The only line that made me laugh was, "...probably Eric".

The Crack Emcee म्हणाले...

Shane Gillis is currently hot and does a good Trump.

West TX Intermediate Crude म्हणाले...

Not funny, not humorous.
Contrived.
Preaching to the choir.
If DJT manages to pull a victory out of the shitshow that Election 2024 will be, I'm afraid there will be a real Insurrection. With Real Violence and Real Destruction. Real Deaths, more than the 2 from Jan 2021.
I hope I'm wrong (about the reaction, not the election).

rhhardin म्हणाले...

What he got right was Trump's sense of humor, which itself is not malevolent, but just Don Rickles. Meant to entertain.

The Crack Emcee म्हणाले...

A better example.

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

But the only reason Ds dislike him is that he chose to run as an R. It's a tribal thing.

I think the hate started when Trump opposed Obama. Remember the investigation into the birth certificate?
You do not criticize or question The One. Obama is Jesus to the identity politics white left. He absolved the faithful of their original sin as Americans, the country "founded on racism." Unbelievers are not forgiven.

ambisinistral म्हणाले...

Why in the world do they keep pumping out videos about these SNL cold openings. Does anybody even watch this show anymore? And why waster blog space on such insignificance?

n.n म्हणाले...

Editorial cartoons.

A&L म्हणाले...

This guy does a great Trump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEgfCgNEM20

Lilly, a dog म्हणाले...

SNL has been reduced to obnoxious Theater Kids and irritating Diversity Hires. By the way, when they have to announce the character each one is playing, you can't say it's well-written.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

I only recognize the Lest Holt guy but couldn't tell you his name. He's actually funny.

He nails the Trump voice and it works even though he and Trump look nothing alike.

His Twitter/X stuff is even funnier; Trump at a grocery store, etc.

But I just went to his X account and he's not posting Trumps stuff.

I'm thinking SNL put it in his contract to only do Trump for them...

Narr म्हणाले...

Holt was played by wottzisname--Kenan? And he sounded more like Obama than Holt, to my ear.

None of it was particularly unfair by SNL standards, or particularly funny by any standard.

Joe Bar म्हणाले...

The Nate Bargatze stuff was funnier.

Kakistocracy म्हणाले...

Johnson is magical, within seconds it feels like Trump is really there. His Trump is high art.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

SNL hasn’t been funny since ….

James K म्हणाले...

Yes, Trump has a gift for comedy. This was a great example of him playing himself from around 2016:

Trump buys a car and two kids

Kakistocracy म्हणाले...

James K wrote: “Yes, Trump has a gift for comedy. This was a great example of him playing himself from around 2016”

People who adore a psychopath will never settle for anything less than the real deal.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

'SNL has been reduced to obnoxious Theater Kids and irritating Diversity Hires.'

Western civilization is full of diversity hires.

Get used to a much lower standard of living...

Gunner म्हणाले...

The New York Judge in Trump's case is a parody of white libtard New Yorkers. If they can't make fun of him, they can't make fun of anyone on the Left.

JIM म्हणाले...

I need to become a raving mad progressive to embrace the humor of this skit.

n.n म्हणाले...

Get used to a much lower standard of living...

Lowered Expectations

MAD! TV

Iman म्हणाले...

“People who adore a psychopath will never settle for anything less than the real deal.”

So… given high demand, are you able to take any time off, Rich?

Bunkypotatohead म्हणाले...

"No, we haven't faced such a risk since Tina Fey impersonated Sarah Palin....and then Palin appeared and blew Alec Baldwin away."

Baldwin actually made a brief appearance at the end of the show. I was surprised, as I thought he would be persona non grata after killing his director a few years back.

n.n म्हणाले...

No, Palin detonated an IED, scalped him, decapitated him, and posted his head on a totem pole... while watching Russians crossing the Delaware. I heard it on all the news that fits the handmadetale, so it must be true.