I've been watching ads for this schmuck for what seems like years now on TV, online and in movie theaters, and my conclusion each time is that he's building a career on impressions that were tired and played out fifteen years ago.
Shatner, Nicholson, DeNiro, Pacino and John friggin Madden?!?! There are new ones, of course, such as Dr. Phil (who's enough of a parody himself) and Charles Barkley (which at least gets hims points for being willing to do a black guy). But he still doesn't impress me all that much with his talent.
Perhaps it's a "everything old is new again" phenomenon and his audience is composed mostly of people young enough to not remember his antecedents both great (Rich Little) and small (Kevin Pollack). I was a big Rich Little fan growing up, and I can tell you this guy is no Rich Little (and he's barely Kevin Pollack).
If nothing else, I just wish I could go to a movie theater and not be exposed to his massive jawline spread eighty feet wide and flapping in front of me.
1 comment:
I don't think Caliendo's talent is as limited as it appears upon first (or fourth) viewing. His choice of impression targets is based on what's relevant to the current culture and zeitgeist, and is a pretty sad comment on what sort of celebrities reach a wide audience these days. Everybody still knows who Jerry Seinfeld is, but will anybody know who Michael Phelps is in six months? Does anybody know what that guy looks like or sounds like now? It also hurts impressionists that celebrity is based less on one's words and actions and more on one's looks and late-night post-party photos.
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