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Jim Carreys final scene asSaturday Night Lives Joe Biden impressionistwas the most telling moment of his entire short tenure.
He stands next to Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris, declaring himself the victor of the presidential election.
In the very last moment, Carreys impression reveals itself for what it always was.
His voice rises, his grin turns wicked, alooooooser, he finishes in a growl.
He and Rudolph put their fingers to their foreheads in big Ls.
Carrey crows in falsetto.
Its not Biden; itsCarrey.
They arent necessarily bad in and of themselves, though.
There was something potent inMelissa McCarthys Sean Spicer, and there was some happy obviousness toLarry Davids Sanders.
But it does need to present a coherent idea of that person.
When a celebrity takes on a politicalSNLrole, the impression always brings their particular persona along for the ride.
Anything gets boring with enough time.)
Theres more to a greatSNLpolitical sketch than the combination of mimicry and celebrity image.
Its tough for even a solid impression to achieve Fey-as-Palin canonization without writing that rises to the occasion.
Theres an oddball, surrealist vision where Carreys could have worked.
The actors chaos energy and angular hyperactivity couldve made for an alien, bizarro-world Biden.
It was a scattered impression that failed to portray Biden as a scattered person.
Whether or not they change opinions or shape the conversation, great impressions help us process major political figures.
A failed impression is a failed opportunity, an outlet for release and interpretation thats been denied.
More significant, though, is Moffats relative lack of celebrity.
