Generation-old NBC comedy show Saturday Night Live seems to have finally found a worthy mime of President Barack Obama.
Currently, the role of Obama is filled by actor Fred Armisen. But this past Saturday, a new Obama emerged on the New York stage, played by Dwayne Johnson, a wrestler-turned-movie star best known by his stage name "The Rock."
In the sketch, The Rock Obama emerges after the president is told that Republicans would not support health care reform unless Obama decides to be against reform too. Armisen proceeds to Hulk-out, morphing into a massive alter-ego, complete with shredded clothes and child-like sentence structure.
The Rock Obama goes on to throw a blue dog Democrat out the window and tear the arm off Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He's stopped short of harming Sen. Olympia Snowe by an interruption from Vice President Joe Biden, who took the opportunity to criticize the president's Nobel Peace Prize.
This video is was broadcast by NBC's Saturday Night Live on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.
-- Stephen C. Webster
Just a correction. This isn't a new thing. It was done last season.
FYI, this is not the first time this sketch has been done. SNL also did the same thing a while ago when the Rock hosted. As far as I know this is actually at least the second time this sketch has been done by SNL. So not quite the recent emergence of "a new Obama... on the New York stage"
Do you guys get paid to advertise for SNL. It is a terrible show by the way.
I saw that actually. I'm a big supporter of Obama, but I'm glad these comedians and comedy shows are finally finding ways to make fun of him. Joking about the President is a great American tradition.
You meant mimic.
It is funny to make light of him but something about all of this seems off to me:
http://americaspeaksink.com/2009/10/how-obama-lost-reelection-for-the-presidency/
I didn't laugh once. Had promise, but once again SNL screws up a good concept.
This was the second time Dwayne Johnson portrayed "The Rock" Obama. I guess if you are going to comment you should know what the hell you are talking about.
I got a few more names that the Rock Obama should take care of
This is the second Rock Obama. There was another a few months ago.
MEME...it's called a MEME.
Mime's are those French guys with the white face paint.
You do realize that this is the second time SNL and the Rock have done this skit?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/08/snl-the-rock-obama-dont-m_n_172826.html
Also, it's spelled "caricature", not "characature".
[...] The Raw Story » SNL's latest presidential characature: 'The Rock … [...]
It has been a tradition to mimic the President, so it is still been followed sometimes with a valid cause and reason and sometimes just for popularity. I must say this one was one with a cause roping in Dwayne or "The Rock" was an interesting thing.