... the devastating “Saturday Night Live” caricature of Spicer that aired over the weekend -- in which a belligerent Spicer was spoofed by a gum-chomping, super soaker-wielding Melissa McCarthy in drag -- did not go over well internally at a White House in which looks matter.Trump, as we know, sent Spicer out the day after the inaugural to insist that Barack Obama's inauguration crowds were no larger than Trump's; subsequently, The Washington Post reported this:
... it was Spicer’s portrayal by a woman that was most problematic in the president’s eyes, according to sources close to him....
"Trump doesn't like his people to look weak," added a top Trump donor.
Many critics thought Spicer went too far and compromised his integrity. But in Trump’s mind, Spicer’s attack on the news media was not forceful enough.And we were told by The New York Times this week that Trump "almost always makes time to monitor Mr. Spicer’s performance at the daily briefings, summoning him to offer praise or criticism."
I think when Trump looks at Spicer, he sees himself. (To Trump, press briefings must look a lot like campaign rallies.) And when Trump reacts to Spicer, I bet he's channeling his father. (The Times reports that "the only family picture on the shelf behind Mr. Trump’s desk is a small black-and-white photograph of that boss, Frederick Christ Trump.") Michael D'Antonio, a biographer of Donald Trump, has written this about Fred Trump:
... Trump’s basic philosophy of living, instilled by his fiercely ambitious, workaholic father, ... is fairly simple and severe: Life is mainly combat; the law of the jungle rules; pretty much all that matters is winning or losing and rules are made to be broken.I'm sure Donald was taught early on that there's nothing worse for a male than to appear female. I'm sure he's passing on that lesson right now to his surrogate son.
I agree with Atrios's suggestion that if Trump thinks it's abhorrent for a man to be portrayed by a woman, then someone like Meryl Streep should take over from Alec Baldwin as Saturday Night Live's designated Trump. On Twitter last night, I said that Melissa McCarthy could play Trump; in response, there was a better suggestion:
@nomoremister LesDogg
— MiketheMadBiologist (@mikethemadbiol) February 7, 2017
@nomoremister They should have Leslie Jones play him.
— L.A. Goldenrod (@LAGoldenrod) February 7, 2017
A black woman as Trump? And the woman who was harassed by Milo Yiannopoulos's goons? I really like that idea.
****
UPDATE: Commenters point out that Rosie O'Donnell is offering to play Steve Bannon on SNL. Interesting, although Bannon doesn't seem to crave Trump's approval (in fact, he seems to think Trump ought to crave his), and he probably wouldn't care if Trump suggested that he'd been emasculated by the portrayal. Better to stick with surrogate son Spicer. Or hire a woman to play Trump himself. Or, maybe even better, hire women to play Eric and Donald Jr. -- that might get a rise out of the president.
Surely, you've heard that Rosie O'Donnell is willing and prepared to parody Bannon on SNL.
ReplyDeletehttp://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/318221-rosie-odonnell-says-she-would-play-steve-bannon-on-snl-is-asked
ReplyDelete"Spicer’s portrayal by a woman that was most problematic in the president’s eyes .... Trump doesn't like his people to look weak"
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So being portrayed by a woman made Spicer look weak? That's funny, since Michelle Obama could very likely beat the living snot out of trump with one hand tied behind her back. For that matter, Melissa McCarthy or say, Betty White could probably do likewise.
trump, pfft
@angryblackwoman had some choice words on those who want Leslie Jones to expose herself again. Am looking pleasingly on Rosie as Bannon.
ReplyDeleteA Black woman as t-RUMPLE-Thin-Skin?
ReplyDeleteGENIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Many critics thought Spicer went too far and compromised his integrity."
ReplyDeleteDidn't he do that the moment he first agreed to work for Trump?
I say flip the scrip. How about Leslie Jones as Kellyanne. KA is really making a bunch of mistakes now. There's great material. Push her hard, courtesy of a flamboyant black comedienne like Jones. With Bannon and Kellyanne, hitting their white supremacy ideology would be my target. Can't you see Leslie Jones in that ridiculous SGT Pepper get-up Kellyanne wore to the inauguration? I think take downs of those disgraceful supporting players are more effective because it exposes the entire clown show. Flynn would also be an easy target. The whole clown show flushed respect down the toilet long ago.
ReplyDeleteRosie O'Donnell should play 45! Alec's is good but isn't perfect. She would do a great job and that would get trumpelthinskin's goat on so many levels.
ReplyDelete