The November 23rd episode of long-running comedy show Saturday Night Live made fun of a recent debate of Democratic candidates for president, and the sketch included a number of celebrities. Other candidates and personalities were portrayed by SNL cast members in the spoof.
Elizabeth Warren
Of all the candidates in the fake debate, Kate McKinnon’s Elizabeth Warren got in the first words, bursting out from behind her podium with energy and enthusiasm. Throughout the sketch McKinnon did her signature portrayal of the New England senator, working in the phrase “fight” along with a raised fist at multiple intervals and generally showing her as being high-energy.
Joe Biden
Actor Woody Harrelson played Joe Biden, which he has done for the show in the past. Harrelson mocked Biden’s tendency to put his foot in his mouth by saying things that are somewhat odd. Harrelson’s Biden also spoofed the idea that Biden is simply too old and out of step for the presidency by saying that he was ready to win the 2016 election. Harrelson definitely made fun of Biden, but it he wasn’t brutal in how he mocked him.
Bernie Sanders
Comedian Larry David took on the Bernie Sanders role, and his performance got some of the biggest laughs of the evening. The impersonation itself was spot on, as David’s Sanders waved his arms, spoke in a Vermont accent and generally came across as very similar to the actual candidate. David’s Sanders joked about Sanders’ recent heart attack by saying that he was the first heart attack patient in history to show up at the emergency room on a city bus. The sketch’s writers must have realized that this would be one of the best portrayals of the evening because they gave David’s Sanders a lot of lines.
Michael Bloomberg and Andrew Yang
Fred Armisen took on the role of Michael Bloomberg, and, judging from the crowd response, he knocked it out of the park. Armisen’s Bloomberg showed up late on the debate stage, just as Bloomberg has shown up late for the campaign in real life, and said that he tipped the doorman 30 million dollars to get in. For the remainder of the sketch, he sipped smoothie drinks and generally talked about how he was the only candidate who could win. Cast member Bowen Yang’s portrayal of candidate Andrew Yang was spot-on.
