Some people in politics have a distinctive voice – a voice that makes you ask: "Where have I heard that before?" Typically, it is either a real-life character/actor in Hollywood or a cartoon character that you are trying to remember.
Jon Stewart has been making lots of fun recently pointing out that Joe Lieberman sounds like Droopy Dog1, and that Fred Thompson sounds like Foghorn Leghorn2. (Foghorn's voice has been identified with others in the past, notably Ernest Hollings and Howell Heflin.)
Barack Obama didn't immediately spur that question for me, but then I discovered that one impressionist3 found that The Rock4 helps him master the Obama voice. Barack and The Rock.
One the other hand, John McCain's (somewhat slurred and nasal) voice doesn't strongly evoke anything yet. Joe Biden, same thing.
But listening to clips of Sarah Palin5, I knew I'd heard that voice, nagging my brain, from somewhere. Then I got it: Debra Jo Rupp!
That's Eric's mom, Kitty, on That '70s Show6. Before that she played Jerry's ditsy booking agent, Katie, in a couple of episodes on Seinfeld. Actually, it was serendipitously rewatching one of those thirteen year old Seinfeld episodes that was the tip-off.
__________________________
1. YouTube: Droopy Dog / Droopy's Double Trouble
2. YouTube: Foghorn Leghorn
3. Yahoo! Answers: Who does Barack Obama sound like?
4. YouTube: An Exclusive Conversation with The Rock
5. YouTube: Sarah Palin CBS Interview (Katie Couric)
6. YouTube: Debra Jo Rupp / That '70s Show - Best of Kitty (Season 6)
No comments:
Post a Comment