'Saturday Night Live' feels the Bern
Bernie Sanders has had quite the week. There was the narrow loss to Hillary Clinton in Iowa on Monday, an MSNBC debate with Clinton on Thursday, and on Saturday night, he entered a new realm of prominence in politics and pop culture with an appearance on Saturday Night Live.
The timing of this cameo, which was reported late this week, seemed hardly a coincidence. Larry David, the Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star, who has more recently distinguished himself as the show's Sanders' impersonator — for rather obvious reasons — was this week's host.
So what did the Democratic presidential hopeful and New Hampshire favorite do on the show?
Following a skit dubbed "Bern Your Enthusiasm," featuring David playing the Vermont senator as a germophobe who's averse to helping an injured car passenger, which costs him the Iowa caucuses (a plausible Curb plotline if the show was about a presidential candidate), we finally get to see Sanders on stage with his doppelgänger.
In a sketch about a ship facing an imminent wreck, Sanders enters the scene as an enraged passenger railing against David's character who's arguing for a space on a lifeboat on account of his wealthy family.
"I am so sick of the 1% getting this preferential treatment. Enough is enough," Sanders' character says. "We need to unite and work together if we're all going to get through this."
"Sounds like socialism to me," David's character counters.
"Democratic socialism," the democratic socialist senator replies.
"Ah, what's the difference?" David says.
"Yuge difference," says Sanders, channeling his inner Donald Trump.
"Yuge?" David responds.
"Yuge," Sanders assures him. "Yuge with a Y, eh?" David says. "Who are you?"
"I am Bernie Sanderswitski," the Democratic presidential hopeful says. "But we're gonna change it when we get to America, so it doesn't sound quite so Jewish."
"Yeah, that'll trick 'em," David jokes.
The skit ends with the ship arriving safely in New York, and David's character saying to Sanders' offer of sharing a cab: "I think we've talked enough."
The two also introduced the night's musical guest together, The 1975. David asked Sanders how things were going in New Hampshire, and the Vermont senator turned the tables on the comedian and offered his own impersonation.
"Well it's pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good," Sanders said, mimicking David.
Sanders' campaign embraced their candidate's appearance on SNL, to say the least. Sanders' Twitter page avatar was switched to an image of David impersonating him.
They also retweeted Saturday NightLive tweets referencing Sanders' appearance throughout the night.
They may have five more debates scheduled, but what Democratic voters may really want after tonight is Bernie Sanderswitski vs. Val the bartender.