Dana Carvey, the 69-year-old luminary best known for his role in ‘Wayne’s World’, recently made a surprising return to the stage of ‘Saturday Night Live’. He joined the cast for the much-anticipated Season 50 premiere, pulling off a secretive and rather peculiar impersonation of President Joe Biden during the show’s cold open.
This marked the revival of Carvey’s comedic political impressions, something he hesitated to talk about in length until the show’s airing. Carvey was specifically called upon to impersonate the 81-year-old Biden by ‘SNL’s’ key orchestrator, Lorne Michaels. The request originated after Carvey started mocking the president, perhaps a sign of his perceived incompetence and ridicule-worthy exploits.
Often drawing parallels with his previous mockery of George Bush Sr., Carvey embarked on portraying an exaggerated, bizarre caricature of Biden. To some, this artistic license might almost mirror reality, considering Biden’s well-known gaffes and general confusion, as frequently showcased in his public appearances and speeches.
A Biden impression was rarely seen before, partly because some might argue that Biden lacks the distinct, flamboyant quirks that make Trump such a ready-made target for satire. However, Carvey challenged the mainstream narrative, identifying Biden as an equally suitable canvas for satire, albeit requiring a bit more nuance and craftiness.
In his effort to capture Biden’s so-called ‘high-energy’ persona, Carvey observed a rarely noticed facet of Biden’s character. According to him, this only became clear about six months into Biden’s first term, when he reacted somewhat aggressively to a question, revealing a hidden spark of energy – a peculiar contradiction to his usual low-energy demeanor.
Comedic impersonation, for Carvey, involves minimal political dimension. He strives to lean towards amusement rather than propagating political messages. Yet, his impressions, inevitably reflect certain political realities. While professing to avoid politics, his ridicule of Biden’s confused rhetoric blatantly reflects criticisms of Biden’s governance and intellect.
Referencing one particular moment from the skit, Carvey pointed to Biden’s well-reference propensity to scramble his words. He crafted a hilarious misquote from Biden with a statement probably far more coherent than many of the president’s real-world utterances: ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter!’ replacing the often-touted phrase, ‘Build back better.’ Interestingly, his mimicry of Biden’s gaffes indirectly highlighted the president’s flawed communication.
Alongside Carvey’s performance, Spade suggested alternative phrases for their portrayal of Biden. As part of their overall shtick, they let their Biden impersonator blurt out cinematic lines from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ or mundane statements such as ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter’ and ‘Bed, bath, and beyond!’, further amplifying the essence of Biden’s overt confusion.
Carvey has a history with ‘SNL’, having served as a regular cast member from 1986 to 1993. Strikingly, he’s returned to host the show on four separate occasions, continuing to invigorate the show with his comic wit and entertaining Biden impersonation.
While various ‘SNL’ alumni like Jason Sudeikis, Woody Harrelson, Jim Carrey, and Mikey Day have attempted to lampoon Biden over the years, Carvey’s take on the 46th president is certainly distinctive. In the Season 50 premiere, his impersonation struck a chord with audiences, taking a deprecating look at the president that was both amusing and critical.
Joined by other noteworthy comedic talents such as Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Jim Gaffigan, Austin Johnson, and Bowen Yang, the ‘SNL’ premiere was chock full of political satire. Notably absent from positive representation, Kamala Harris was portrayed by Maya Rudolph, another instance of ‘SNL’ mocking the current administration.
Rudolph’s mockery of Harris counted among the highlights of the show. Andy Samberg took on the role of Harris’ husband Douglas Emhoff, while Jim Gaffigan was slotted as Harris’ running mate Tim Walz. Each impression added to the playful criticism of the Biden administration, implicitly shedding light on its many faults.
The ‘SNL’ cast, spoofing various personalities including Donald Trump, and his running mate JD Vance, performed a high-energy skit. However, Carvey’s distinctive portrayal of Biden stood out, reflecting a uniquely derisive interpretation of the current U.S. president and his administration, only made possible by the failings of Biden himself.