Jim Carrey’s Joe Biden impression returned to Saturday Night Live this week to skewer the Democratic presidential candidate’s town hall on ABC. The iconic comedic actor kept up with his previous outings as the former VP, portraying Biden as a squirrelly older man that also somewhat lucid and somewhat boring.
This take on Biden has shown to be pretty unpopular with SNL’s critics. Many say Carrey’s interpretation is too over-the-top, making it seem more like one of Carrey’s beloved characters (Ace Ventura, The Mask) than an accurate send-up. Others have also just been fuming at the concept of mocking Biden at all, feeling the candidate is somehow above being satirized.
Videos by PopCulture.com
These critical takes on Carrey’s impression have grown week-by-week, with many calling for SNL to replace the actor. Others want the late-night comedy series to give up on mocking Biden completely. Scroll through to read some of the takes on Carrey’s Biden.
“I’m sorry please don’t yell at me but Jim Carrey is not cutting or capturing Joe Biden at all. Trump is a maniac, Biden is chill. Carrey is doing Joe as manic and it’s not working, personally it’s actually painful to watch Carrey failing!” one user wrote.
“The sad thing here is that Jim Carrey with the makeup looks like a legit doppelgänger for Biden — like he’d be some rando in a small town who goes viral for looking like Biden,” another person wrote. “But he seems more committed to doing Jim Carrey slapstick than impersonating Biden.”
“[SNL and Jim Carrey] are you trying to help Trump smear Biden or what? He’s a good man who did a great job at the town hall,” another critic tweeted. He was compared to Mister Rogers for good reason. Your smearing him is like smearing Mister Rogers, and we don’t like it. Stop already.”
Others also compared Carrey’s Biden impression to those done by Jason Sudeikis and Woody Harrelson. “Jim Carrey’s portrayal of Biden is ugly and lacking in any charm,” one viewer wrote. “Both Jason Sudeikis and Woody Harrelson brought an endearing quality to the role. I’m a Carrey fan, but he’s miscast here.”
“I felt Jim Carrey in the first episode successfully channeled Biden in a way no one had yet, but has gone way, WAY over the top with it,” another critic wrote. Just needs to rein it in. Sudeikis had the height, the presence, the smile, but that was it, and I found Harrelson to have the worst one.
“It pains me to say this, because I truly love Jim Carrey — but I’m not a fan of his Joe Biden,” yet another person tweeted. “Jason Sudeikis and Woody Harrelson were much better [in my opinion].”
Just watched [SNL] opening: Yes, it’s satire. But at least find someone who can do a good Biden. Please bring back Jason Sudeikis. Or even Woody Harrelson,” Chris Lu, former Deputy Secretary of Labor., added. “Whatever Jim Carrey is doing isn’t working. Thank you.”
Saturday Night Live has not expressed any intention of recasting the Biden role as of press time. Carrey has also not commented on the critical reactions to his performance. SNL airs weekly at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.