Baldwin said he wasn't "lobbying" for it, but he wouldn't turn it down. He mentioned that he was getting heat from other Trump impersonators "on the Internet," who were insisting they did a better Trump than he did.
Alec didn't name names, but it seemed that some pundits (or runners) figured he was referring to Comedy Central's version of Trump, Anthony Atamanuik.
Anthony took this free publicity grab to start a Twitter war with Baldwin. And why not. Who ever heard of Anthony Atamnuik? Aside from once having Stewart and Colbert, Comedy Central only matters to forlorn laff-nerds. It's been a long time since the channel's spring-boarded a comedian to any level of fame. (Greg Giraldo died in 2010).
Tweeting at Baldwin seems similar to the paps invading Baldwin's privacy on the street and goading him with insults. Only by now Alec's smartened up. Baldwin gave a few dismissive wisecracks and moved on. Good for him. Bad for those who want to blame their obscurity on SNL politics or Comedy Central being harder to find on anyone's cable list chart than Korean language variety shows, public access or re-runs of "Wyatt Earp."
Fact is...who does the "best" Trump depends on your definition. You know, like Bill Clinton asking for a definition of "sexual relationship." Or the word "the."
Is the "best" Trump the guy who looks the most like Donald? It sure isn't the guy who sounds the most like him; everyone can talk like Donald (including me). Is the best Trump the one who is the most grotesque caricature?
You might recall David Frye doing the most gruesome and acidic sketch Richard Nixon, while Rich Little was a much less offensive and milder cartoon.
If you want my opinion as a comedy expert (author of"Who's Who in Comedy" and "Stars of Stand-Up" among others) and editor of "Rave" (which Carlin said was to comedy what the Wall Street Journal was to business), it comes down to TWO.
Darryl Hammond is the best "real" Trump, for looking so much like him, and getting the mannerisms down.
Alec Baldwin is the best "caricature" Trump, and it's not even close. In fact, the others (yes, that's the puppy, Jimmy Fallon along with Anthony) are, to swipe a MASH phrase, "incredibly average."
The idea that somebody STOLE the Trump impression is more laughable than any jokes in the Comedy Central or "Tonight Show" hack-routines. He's too damn EASY. The hardest part is getting somebody to make a Trump wig for you.
If you want to talk about stealing, talk about the Ed Sullivan impression Will Jordan came up with.
He was the original. He broke the code. He even invented "bits of business" that Sullivan didn't do (the tie grab, the spin, the knuckle-crack). Once Jordan created his Ed Sullivan, other comics "did" Jordan's Ed Sullivan, including Jack Carter.
Suddenly it was easy to do Ed Sullivan. When George Carlin decided to do Sullivan for a bit, he even acknowledged that he wasn't doing Ed Sullivan, he was doing an impression of somebody else doing Ed Sullivan (he said he was doing the John Byner Sullivan more than the Will Jordan Ed Sullivan...but still, he admitted it was an impression of an impression).
Bottom line, and thanks for still caring about this, it's entirely possible for several people to come up with a similar impression (go claim Fallon stole from the Comedy Central guy!).
While there has been classic joke thievery (Don Adams on Jackie Mason, for example) sometimes a bunch of people come up with the same basic joke at the same time. It's the worry of all the late night hosts...that a topical wisecrack is going to be similar as one on a rival show.
Check out The New Yorker's weekly "cartoon caption contest," and you'll see dozens of entries using almost the same punch line. Did they all steal it? No, it was so damn obvious, DOZENS came up with it.
Alec's Trump is actually far more unique than his predecessors. His trademark is the gaping-wide mouth and thrust-out jaw, which is pretty much an invention. Trump doesn't even do that. Trump pouts. He's tight-lipped. His mouth frowns. He doesn't leave it hanging open like he just dropped a bowl of hot soup in his lap.
What ISN'T funny is that Trump is doing things that are beyond snickering or giggling over. Has any Trump impressionist done a hilarious joke about how Donald put in an order allowing any mental case to buy a gun? Trump did that the other day. A little NRA favor.
The fact is, what happens or doesn't happen at a dopey dinner held by reporters who cover the White House, will be forgotten the next day. Anyone out there have a copy of ANY CNN broadcast of ANY of these hilarious dinners? Even the Obama dinner where all the jokes were heaved at Trump seated at one of the tables?
By contrast, what Trump does becomes law. It becomes policy. Its reverberations are felt around the world.
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