Jason Zinoman's latest comedy column takes issue with Fred Armisen's Obama impersonation, which he describes as the culmination of an SNL trend towards detailed accuracy and away from bold comic choices. As he points out, "accuracy is not insight," and with a president without any particularly weird habits, it can seem like Armisen is barely even doing an impersonation at all. Zinoman suggests studying up on Dana Carvey's George Bush, which took another dull-sounding president in "a more fanciful, provocative direction." Why not! It does looks tough to find a way to make fun of the infinitely reasonable Obama, but better to strike out on a bizarre [...]
While visiting NPR yesterday to discuss his new comedy album Comedy Person, Wyatt Cenac brushed off rumors that he was singled out as a possible SNL pick to play Barack Obama. "There was a time when they were looking," Cenac says, before revealing, "That's the thing, my Obama impression is terrible. Every impression I do is just a terrible variation on an awful Bill Cosby impression I do." For example, Cenac explains, "You're doing an Australian accent, but it's just Australian Bill Cosby. That's British Bill Cosby. That's Pirate Bill Cosby." Wyatt Cenac then does his Bill Cosby impersonation, which, yeah, sounds exactly like your Bill Cosby impersonation. [...]
Apparently, SNL's Bobby Moynihan will be participating in MTV's Snooki-themed New Year's Eve show, and here's the proof: two poofs for the price of one. It's sort of terrifying! Add this one to the list of people savaged by SNL impersonators meeting their mockers.
