Michael Bloomberg and his sassy Latina translator were back in the spotlight as the inspiration for a hilarious skit on “Saturday Night Live.”
Fred Armisen played Bloomberg alongside a spot on look-a-like of Lydia Callis and her larger than life animated signing.
During the skit, Armisen and Cecily Strong re-enacted the Hurricane Sandy press conferences that had viewers merely listening to Bloomberg as they were transfixed by Lydia Callis’s larger than life animated signing.
Callis, who has now gone viral, turned the usually understated practice of signing into first-class performance art, acting out the mayor’s messages to New Yorkers. It was reportedly her first time interpreting at a press conference.
When Bloomberg would describe dire scenarios in his characteristically flat manner, Callis would make faces that spelled devastation. When he spoke about making tough decisions, Callis often looked into space, illustrating confusion.
Also in the skit was Bobby Moynihan acting as New Jersey’s Republican Gov. Chris Christie.
Playing up when Christie thanked Barack Obama publicly for helping out the people of his state during a press conference after Hurricane Sandy, Moynihan poked fun at the bipartisan politics at play.
“I would like to give a sincere thanks to President Obama for how he handled the situation,” Moynihan says in the skit.
“On election day I’m voting for Mitt Romney, but if I had to pick one guy to have my back in a crisis it would be Barack Obama,” the faux Christie added. “He’s been amazing! So kind, such a leader a true inspiration.”
“I’ll be a good soldier I will vote for Romney, but I’m going to hate it! Do you hear me I will hate it!,” Moynihan’s Christie character added as laughter was heard in the background.
The skit then turned back to Armisen, who mocked Mayor Bloomberg’s broken Spanish.
“I’d like to close with a message to our Spanish speakers,” said Armisen.
“In the upcoming days the white people of New York will be irritable and moody,” he added, as the audience exploded in laughter. “They have no Internet. They have no Facebook. No Seamless Web. Their cable is not working. No HBO. There is no Showtime. They cannot watch “Homeland.”
“White people love ‘Homeland’,” Armisen continued. “So I ask all Hispanics to be patient with white people. Missing ‘Homeland’ is the worst thing that ever happened to them.”
by Alexandra Gratereaux at