Melissa McCarthy looks set to remain the dominant comedy-sketch force on Saturday Night Live, with her impression of Sean Spicer taking centre stage over Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump on the latest episode.
McCarthy's impression of the combustible White House press secretary last week went as far as prompting the real Spicer to channel McCarthy's impersonation of him and lash out at US reporters in a similar fashion, bar charging at them with a podium.
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'Sean Spicer' returns to SNL
Melissa McCarthy returns to Saturday Night Live with her impression of White House press secretary Sean Spicer, in a skit poking fun at recent exchanges with the media.
.@katwomanfifi pic.twitter.com/AM7YrOAFWj
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) February 12, 2017
Spicer, who had come under massive scrutiny in the wake of the biting Saturday Night Live sketch and a series of leaks about how displeased President Trump was with his performance, battled with reporters for 30 minutes – seeking out confrontation wherever he could find it, according to the Washington Post.Â
So in her cold opening for SNL, it came as no surprise that McCarthy decided to address Spicer's temper.
"First of all I would just like to announce that I am calm now and I will remain as long as you sons of ... I'm not going to do that because that's the ol' Spicey and this is the new Spicey."
'Spicey' was also cutting down to one (giant) slice of gum a day.
After fumbling through the president's schedule with foreign dignitaries whose names McCarthy's Spicer could not pronounce ("Jesus"), he opened up to questions from the press.
After the New York Times journalist questioned what the president would do now the Court of Appeal had stopped the immigration ban, Spicer indicated that Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump would take it to TV courtroom series The People's Court.
"It is real Glen, it says that right before each case. It says, 'The cases are real, the rulings are final'."
The plaintiff would like to call a character witness at his People's Court trial. #SNL pic.twitter.com/TgUzc6Xscw
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) February 12, 2017
But it didn't take long for McCarthy's Spicer to unravel when it came to challenges about "extreme vetting" of incoming visitors.
"I guess I can't use my big words so I'm going to have to use my dollies... first you've got Barbie coming in, nice, all-American girl back from a dream vacation. We know she's OK [holding up a Barbie]Â because she's blonde, so she's gets in.Â
"...Now who's up next? Uh oh. Uh oh, it's Moana [Disney's South Pacific princess], whoa, whoa slow your roll, honey. And then we're going to pat her down and then we're going to read her emails and if we don't like the answers, which we won't – Boom! Guantanamo Bay."
Couldn't make this any more clear. #SNL pic.twitter.com/7i1rHvsi7V
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) February 12, 2017
Spicer also went through a list of terrorism attacks that were "going unreported", including the 'Columbine Green' massacre: "Not the Kellyanne one but the real one."
"And then there was some white terrorism this week when Nordstrom decided to stop selling Ivanka Trump's line of clothing and accessories. And that's Nordstrom's loss because these were high, high quality products; in fact I am wearing one of her bangles, right now. It's beautiful, it's shimmery, it's elegant, and at $US39.99 it is unbelievably affordable.
"And don't even get me started on her shoes. Because these babies are a real head-turner."
Don't even get Spicey started on Nordstrom pulling Ivanka Trump's clothing line. #SNL pic.twitter.com/pmf08pQNUq
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) February 12, 2017
And any contradictions by the press to Spicer's facts were simply blown away.
Spicey is really blowing away the White House press corps. #SNL pic.twitter.com/HSbKAX07zz
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) February 12, 2017
Kate McKinnon returned as new attorney general Jeff Sessions ("There's two kinds of crime — regular and black.") and Kellyanne Conway in a spoof of Fatal Attraction involving CNN anchor Jake Tapper (played by Beck Bennett).
Kellyanne Conway is *not* going to be ignored by @jaketapper. #SNL pic.twitter.com/ttdTYjBOUY
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) February 12, 2017
She'll do whatever it takes. #SNL pic.twitter.com/WaMXtpNtyE
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) February 12, 2017