On Thursday evening, former President George W. Bush appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, revealing without hesitation that he has a healthy sense of humor anyone from either side of the political aisle can appreciate. After all, Bush had to tolerate his fair share of impersonators — Will Ferrell being one of the most popular ones. And though the humor was probably harsh at times, Bush claimed none of it bothered him. And to prove it, he made fun of himself — something the current president probably needs to do more often.
Staying on the topic of Ferrell's Bush impression on Saturday Night Live, the former president recounted a conversation he had over dinner with the show's executive producer.
I had dinner with Lorne Michaels, the head of Saturday Night Live... and he said, "I put a great speechwriter, and he came up with strategery." And I said, "Wait a minute — I said strategery." And he said, "No, you didn't say strategery." I said, "I damn sure said strategery!" He said, "We invented it." I said, "Well, let me ask you this: Did he come up with misunderestimate?"
The word "strategery" was coined by an SNL skit that parodied the first presidential debate between Bush (played by Ferrell) and then-Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore (played by Derrell Hammond). If you've never seen the SNL skit, it's definitely worth watching.
Bush also admitted that he enjoyed attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where he was accompanied by an impersonator who humorously "translated" what he said aloud to the audience. Again, Bush's ability to laugh at himself couldn't separate him any further from Trump, who has declined to attend the traditional dinner during which the president is playfully roasted.
And as you probably know if you pay attention to Trump's Twitter feed, he is certainly not a fan of Alec Baldwin's SNL impersonation of him. Following Baldwin's debut of the impersonation, Trump responded unfavorably on the social media platform — and more than just once. On Oct. 16, Trump tweeted:
Watched Saturday Night Live hit job on me. Time to retire the boring and unfunny show. Alec Baldwin portrayal stinks. Media rigging election!
A couple of months later, he was still caught up on it.
Just tried watching Saturday Night Live - unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Baldwin impersonation just can't get any worse. Sad.
It's sad, alright. If Bush can handle Ferrell's impersonation of him with a light heart, Trump should be able to laugh at Baldwin. But then again, nothing about the past election season was "normal."
Images: Jimmy Kimmel Live!
