Presidential Reunion | |
---|---|
Directed by | Ron Howard, Jake Szymanski |
Screenplay by | Al Jean Adam McKay Tom Gammill and Max Pross |
Based on | Saturday Night Live presidential sketches |
Produced by | Funny or Die |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Antonio Scarlata |
Edited by | Bradly Schulz Justin Donaldson |
Production company | Funny or Die |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Presidential Reunion is an American comedy Web short directed by Ron Howard and Jake Szymanski and starring Saturday Night Live cast members who parodied Presidents Ford to Obama. The skit was released onto the Funny or Die website on March 3, 2010, and received negative reviews. [1] [2]
The skit revolves around Barack Obama (Armisen) preparing for bed, but is too concerned about a problem with the banks and credit card companies in America. Michelle (Rudolph) convinces him to retire for the evening, but as soon as he does, former Presidents Bill Clinton (Hammond) and George W. Bush (Ferrell) enter the room. Clinton and Bush come to offer Obama advice as to how to handle the situation, reminiscing on their past duties. George H. W. Bush (Carvey) then exits the bathroom and offers his advice to the Obamas: to forget about approval rates. Jimmy Carter (Aykroyd) then enters the room (with a toolbox and begins fixing a random object on the wall) and is ridiculed by the other former presidents. Carter tells Obama to establish a consumer finance agency, stating people are becoming frustrated with being conned by banks and credit card companies. Ronald Reagan (Carrey) then appears before the group, surprising Carter (since Reagan is dead).
Reagan tells Obama to grow some balls in order to take on the banks and credit companies. Gerald Ford (Chase) too enters the room (tripping over a table, spoofing himself slipping on a set of stairs exiting Air Force One) and Chase breaking character, assuming it is another episode of SNL, only to be informed he's on Funny or Die. Ford suggests the only way to stop the banks is to pardon Richard Nixon (which he did). Carter interprets what Ford really means, but Ford is shocked to see Carter, thinking he was dead, only to be informed he was dead. The group ask Obama if their suggestions helped, but Obama dismisses them, saying they were the reason the mess was created. Reagan then quotes a false George Washington statement, saying Obama's it and the group begin taunting Obama until he wakes up and realizes that he does need to be the one to establish a CFA, rushing off to gather his cabinet.
Dana Thomas Carvey is an American stand-up comedian, actor, podcaster, screenwriter and producer.
In political studies, surveys have been conducted in order to construct historical rankings of the success of the presidents of the United States. Ranking systems are usually based on surveys of academic historians and political scientists or popular opinion. The scholarly rankings focus on presidential achievements, leadership qualities, failures, and faults. Popular-opinion polls typically focus on recent or well-known presidents.
A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches to be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are employed by many senior-level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors. They can also be employed to write for weddings and other social occasions.
In the United States, presidential job approval ratings were first conducted by George Gallup to gauge public support for the president of the United States during their term. An approval rating is a percentage determined by polling which indicates the percentage of respondents to an opinion poll who approve of a particular person or program. Typically, an approval rating is given to a politician based on responses to a poll in which a sample of people are asked whether they approve or disapprove of that particular political figure. A question might ask: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way that the current president is handling their job as president?".
James Woodward Downey is an American comedy writer, producer and actor. Downey wrote for over 30 seasons of Saturday Night Live, making him the longest tenured writer in the show's history. SNL creator Lorne Michaels called Downey the "best political humorist alive".
The sketch comedy television show Saturday Night Live aired several critically acclaimed sketches parodying then Alaskan Governor and vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin in the lead-up to the 2008 United States presidential election. The sketches featured former cast member Tina Fey, who returned as a guest star to portray Palin. Fey won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her impersonation of Palin.
Beginning with painter Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington, it has been tradition for the president of the United States to have an official portrait taken during their time in office, most commonly an oil painting. This tradition has continued to modern times, although since the adoption of photography as a widely used and reliable technology, the official portrait may also be a photograph.
The Reagan era or the Age of Reagan is a periodization of recent American history used by historians and political observers to emphasize that the conservative "Reagan Revolution" led by President Ronald Reagan in domestic and foreign policy had a lasting impact. It overlaps with what political scientists call the Sixth Party System. Definitions of the Reagan era universally include the 1980s, while more extensive definitions may also include the late 1970s, the 1990s, and even the 2000s. In his 2008 book, The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974–2008, historian and journalist Sean Wilentz argues that Reagan dominated this stretch of American history in the same way that Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal legacy dominated the four decades that preceded it.
Saturday Night Live in the 2000s: Time and Again is a two-hour documentary television special that showcases the years of Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2009. It features interviews with the cast and crew from those years, and aired on NBC on April 15, 2010. It was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Special.
The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between September 13, 2008, and May 16, 2009, the thirty-fourth season of the show.
The official White House photographer is a senior position appointed by the president of the United States to cover the president's official day-to-day duties. There have been twelve official White House photographers. Since the beginning of the presidency of Joe Biden, the position has been occupied by Adam Schultz.
The post-presidency of Jimmy Carter began on January 20, 1981, following the end of Jimmy Carter's term as president. Carter was the 39th president of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981. Carter's post-presidency is widely considered by historians and political analysts to be one of the most accomplished of any former U.S. president. After leaving office, Carter remained engaged in political and social projects, establishing the Carter Center, building his presidential library, teaching at Emory University in Atlanta, and writing numerous books, ranging from political memoirs to poetry. He also contributed to the expansion of the nonprofit housing organization Habitat for Humanity.
The sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live (SNL) has parodied President Joe Biden since 1991, covering his time as a United States Senator, his time as Vice President under President Barack Obama, during his campaign to defeat president Donald Trump for the presidency, and as the president of the United States.
Saturday Night Live parodies of George H. W. Bush began in 1980 with his vice presidency under Ronald Reagan. The portrayals continued through his presidential campaigns in 1980, 1988, and 1992. SNL has aired dozens of George H. W. Bush parodies by several actors including Jim Downey, Fred Armisen, and Dana Carvey.
The long-running American late-night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) first premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, and its fiftieth and most recent season premiered on September 28, 2024. Created by Lorne Michaels, who is the original and current showrunner, its history has been shaped by its large and constantly-changing cast of performers, as well as changes in its writing staff from year to year. It has played a prominent role in American popular culture and television since its inception, and changing attitudes towards cultural diversity have been evident particularly in its recent history.