If there is any small consolation to be drawn from the horror of a Trump presidency, it’s the sublime absurdity of Alec Baldwin‘s Trump impression. Spilling over from Saturday Night Live into the broader culture, his pouting lips, blustering vocabulary reaches, and trademark wig walk the fine line between reality and unbridled buffoonery.
While he may have given up swearing for Lent (no easy task for a guy with a documented temper like his), Baldwin gets candid on Jimmy Kimmel Live, admitting that the first installment of his SNL impression was totally off the cuff. While he was initially hesitant to portray our then-future Commander-in-Chief, he was convinced by Lorne Michaels and Tina Fey that this was a comedic service that the world needed.
“The moment the stage manager takes me to my mark for the first dress rehearsal at 8:00, I had no idea what I was going to do. Literally the moment I walked out there, I just said to myself ‘eyebrow up.’ I tried to stick my face out, my mouth out. I was in the make up room and they’re putting my wig on, and literally it was like a scene from a mental hospital.”
As many in the media seem to be content to let Trump off the hook after one tantrum-free speech, Baldwin’s continued portrayal might be just the dose of “reality” that we need.
