Jim Carrey's Portrayal Of Joe Biden On SNL Has Everyone Talking
Saturday Night Live finally returned to a live studio audience after a months-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Per CNN, while the show is operating under an entirely new set of guidelines to adhere to proper social distancing in a post-coronavirus world, it still managed to pack all the punches viewers and fans have come to expect. And, on the heels of a historical presidential debate and President Donald Trump's positive COVID-19 diagnosis, they definitely had some work to do!
The show opened with a sketch featuring actor Alec Baldwin as Trump and fellow comedian Jim Carrey as former vice president Joe Biden during the first 2020 presidential debate. The skit started with a voiceover: "The following is a re-broadcast of Tuesday's presidential debate, even though Tuesday feels 100 days ago. We thought it was important to see it again since it might be the only presidential debate. And it was pretty fun to watch, as long as you don't live in America." Cue the hijinks. Let the hilarity ensue.
But how did the two famous sketch comedy artists do in their roles as arch rivals, Trump and Biden? Keep reading after the jump to find out!
Jim Carrey's SNL performance as Joe Biden received positive reviews on Twitter
As one can imagine, Saturday Night Live's sketch of the first 2020 presidential debate involved lots of yelling and interrupting. But it also involved Jim Carrey's Joe Biden character pulling out a remote and promptly pausing Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump character. "Sorry, but I think we all needed a break," Carrey's Biden said. "Let's bask in the Trumplessness" (per CNN). But that's not all! At the beginning of the debate, Carrey's Biden also pulled out a tape measure. "Just one second, Chris," Carrey's Biden said, as he started measuring the distance between himself and POTUS.
In yet another instance, actress Maya Rudolph's Kamala Harris came out and intervened on behalf of her running mate. "You look at me, Donald. You do not treat my Joe like that," Rudolph said. "He's a nice boy." And from the likes of Twitter, the sketch was well received! As one Twitter user wrote, "The sequel better than the original. #SNLPremiere," while another tweeted, "I'm dying of laughter right now. SNL nailed it. I love Jim Carrey." Job well done, SNL. Job well done!
Jim Carrey poked fun at Donald Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis
Donald Trump confirmed his Covid-19 diagnosis via a tweet in the early morning hours of Oct. 2, 2020, writing: "Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" The irony of the diagnosis was hard to overlook. Covid-19 is the issue on everyone's mind. Still, Trump spent months downplaying the seriousness of the virus, including insinuating that masks aren't necessary despite scientific evidence suggesting otherwise.
In the first presidential debate for the 2020 election, which aired on Sept. 29, 2020, Trump said, "I put a mask on when I think I need it. Tonight, as an example, everybody's had a test, and you've had social distancing and all of the things that you have to," per The New York Times. "Every time you see [Biden], he's got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away from them, and he shows up with the biggest mask I've ever seen."
Well, just days later, news broke that Trump, the first lady, several White House aids, and high-level government officials who had been around Trump all contracted the virus, and Jim Carrey as Joe Biden couldn't help but point out the irony. "Now just imagine is science and karma could somehow team up to send us a message about how dangerous this virus could be," he said with a long, meaningful look at Baldwin. The joke was met with resounding applause.
Jim Carrey nailed Joe Biden's zen attitude
Viewers and political commentators couldn't help but notice Joe Biden's particularly zen attitude during the first presidential debate, and apparently neither could Jim Carrey. In addition to his frequent interruptions, President Donald Trump also threw some low blows at his opponent. He mocked Biden for attending the University of Deleware and for not graduating at the top of his class. He also disparaged Hunter Biden's substance abuse issues. Through it all though, Biden remained relatively calm and collected. There were even a few moments when he closed his eyes and took a breath, almost as though he were meditating.
When it came time for Carrey to pause during his debate reenactment, he said what we can only assume Biden was thinking, "Don't do it, Joe, it's exactly what he wants." At one point during the Saturday Night Live sketch, Carrey as Biden even took a moment to put in wireless headphones and listen to a Harry Styles meditation tape. Baldwin's Trump listened to another meditative recording, Cecily Strong's impersonation of Kimberly Guilfoyle at the RNC. Sounds about right.