Election season is a time of great frustration and tension in America, but it’s also the time when we get the most outrageous, socially relevant laughs. Presidential parodies have been around for decades, but 2016 is proving to be one of the craziest seasons for political spoofs yet. Saturday Night Live, a heavyweight champion of political parody, has had no mercy on this year’s candidates, and now other entertainment hubs have joined in the fun. Here, we’re counting down the top five parody videos of the candidates we’ve seen so far this year.
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Saturday Night Live– Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton and Larry David as Bernie Sanders
Okay, we all know SNL for their amazing presidential parodies. Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton were groundbreaking. But after the actress’ departure from the show, the writers of SNL knew that the political satire must go on. That’s when newcomer Kate McKinnon was introduced as the new Hillary, and she did not disappoint. McKinnon perfectly spoofs the former Secretary of State’s desire to appeal to every target audience she can reach, ranging from minorities to young people to the middle class. McKinnon’s Clinton is thirsty for votes, out of touch with younger audiences, and is just trying to be cool. She also looks just like Clinton, especially when she walks out on stage donning a pantsuit and thrusting her fist forward when talking about progressivism.
Hillary isn’t the only candidate being spoofed this year. SNL enlisted in the help of fellow Brooklyner to embody the angry little old man that is giving both Hillary and America a run for their money. In his renditions, the actor wags his finger in the air and yells about modern technology and his relatability to the middle class, just like your grandpa would while reading the paper on a Sunday afternoon. David’s depiction of Sanders relies heavily on his age, but the results are enough to make anyone, young or old, feelin’ the Bern or standing with Her, laugh out loud. To get a taste of the comedic duo, check out SNL’s cold open sketch of an early Democratic debate.
2. Bad Lip Readings– Ted Cruz Edition
We’ve seen Bad Lip Readings before. In case you haven’t, Bad Lip Readings is a parody account on Youtube that takes footage from popular movies like Twilight and the Hunger Games, and dubs over them with whatever it looks like the characters are saying. Recently, however, they’ve taken on a new medium–political candidates. The account has done bad lip readings of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, but the video that had us on the floor laughing was the Ted Cruz edition. The video tackles Cruz’s official campaign video, including goat noises, heavy breathing, and the new slogan “I need a Bogel for the Glotch.” You can watch the hilarity below.
3. Donald Trump’s Hamilton Cover
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know all about Hamilton, the Broadway musical that’s redefining musical theater as we know it. Comedy sketch group Rad Motel saw potential for political hilarity, and decided to make their own version of the musical’s most popular, titular song, and dedicate it to the Don himself. The song is called “Hamiltrump,” and it begins with the loaded line, “How does a bastard, racist, son of a millionaire and a mogul, dropped in the middle of a race of the Republicans in tatters, a party nearly in shattered, somehow become the only one that mattered?” You can watch the video here, but be warned, there’s plenty of profanity.
4. Stephen Colbert’s Commentary on Donald Trump’s Department Cuts
Okay, so this one isn’t really a parody, but it’s still hilarious. Stephen Colbert, the host of the Tonight Show on CBS, called out Trump this week for his response to a question regarding which departments he would cut as President. The candidate responded with the uselessness of the “Department of Environmental,” and before we even think about the fact that the Don obviously doesn’t care about the preservation of the environment, we have to talk about the fact that the “Department of Environmental” doesn’t exist. (It’s also not grammatically correct, but we digress.) Trump claimed the D.E.P. (where is the P from?) for killing businesses. In response, Colbert commended Trump for his apparent elimination of the nonexistent department, and proceeded to rattle off other wasteful departments that don’t exist, including the Federal Bureau of Moneying, the U.S. Steak Department, and the U.S. Ghost Guard.
5. Saturday Night Live GOP Debate Cold Open
Yes, SNL rounds off our top 5, making its second appearance on the list. There have been a few of these parodies, but the best one includes former runners for the GOP nomination Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, and Jeb Bush. Their introductions alone were enough to make us cackle!