I feel like someone who gets it impersonate in Saturday Night Livewhether he is presidentOr celebrities or public figures, and that’s when they know they’ve really reached a high level of stardom. For Barbara Walters which happened in 1976, she didn’t appreciate impersonation for long. Barbara Walters, or Baba Wawa as she has been referred to Saturday Night LiveShe was one of Gilda Radner’s iconic characters from the sketch comedy show’s early years. While the late journalist didn’t appreciate the impression at first, she eventually came to terms with it, and the reason is funny and comforting.
Follow the news Walters’ death The world, especially the television industry, was thinking of her groundbreaking career and How many women in journalism have helped. Besides, her thoughts about Gilda Radner’s impression of her also resurfaced. the Archives of American Television Publishing an old interview with Walters reflecting on his famous impersonation, the journalist said:
Gilda Radner hated Baba Wawa until she walked into my daughter’s room one night and was watching her, it was a Saturday night. I said “what are you doing?” She said: I am watching Baba Wawa, my mother. And I said, “Okay, well, look what you’re doing.” And my daughter said, “Mom, light up.” Then I did.
It’s understandable why Walters didn’t like Radner’s impression at first. The comedian gave the journalist a speech impediment as the “R” was replaced with a “W”, however, Radner also made sure to highlight the journalist’s ability to confidently ask questions.
You can check out Radner’s famous Barbara Walters impersonation in this sketch where she met John Belushi, who was a Henry Kissinger impersonator, during the second season of SNL.
I love that Walters finally came to the Radner impression. In most cases, I feel like I’m being impersonated Saturday Night Live It would be an honor, especially when the performance comes from a comedian who was in one of the best cast in SNL History.
While I fully understand why Walters is a bit put off by the Radner impression, I think the impersonation only goes to show how important the interviewer is to the zeitgeist.
Walters isn’t the only celebrity who has responded to it SNL Cast members impersonate themselves. for example, Jennifer Lopez specifically criticized Melissa Villasenor, to ensure that the comedian knows her favorite color is green, rather than to capture her impression. Villaseñor also noted that she’s a huge fan of JLo, so her impersonation wasn’t mean-spirited, but rather a labor of love.
I think it’s safe to say that most of the time when someone is being impersonated SNL It’s more of an honor than something to be embarrassed about. I’m glad Walters was able to “lighten up” about Radner’s impersonation because it became such a defining moment in Saturday Night LiveDate.
While we sadly lost both Radner and Walters, there are so many talented comedians out there SNL He makes impressions of many people who are making waves today. You’ll be able to catch new episodes of the comedy planned soon on NBC or with a Peacock Subscription when back on 2023 TV schedule later this month.
