History Main / BadImpressionists

** Also done with a one-shot sketch with Alec Baldwin as "The Mimic," who supposedly could imitate any possible voice, but it turned out he... [[{{Understatement}} couldn't]].

* King Julien's impression of Mason (a chimp) in ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' is bad enough ("Ook ook! I sure do love the tire swing!"), but when asked to do one of Private (a penguin)... "Ook ook! I sure do love a stinky fish!"

* The idea for this trope came from a recent ''FamilyGuy'' episode: "This is my impression of JohnWayne at the first Thanksgiving. 'Happy Thanksgiving, Pilgrim!'"

* James Quall from TimAndEricAwesomeShowGreatJob supposedly makes a living off of horrible impressions of celebrities such as MichaelJackson and BillCosby, always mentioning spaghetti and meatballs.

* In ''{{Help}}!'', Superintendent Gluck does a bad impression of Ringo over the phone: "Hello, this is the famous Ringo, gear, fab. What can I do for you, as it were, gear, fab?"

** Another time, having accidentaly broken up with Marzipan via answering machine, he quickly replaces the tape with a fake he recorded. In the fake messages, he does horrible impressions of several characters, including ''[[BeyondTheImpossible himself]]''.

-->'''Calvin:''' ''Leave it up to mom to interrupt our repartee.''
-->'''Hobbes:''' ''Just when I had you writhing within the crushing grip of reason, too.''

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* In ''DanVs.'' "The Ninja," Chris acts as a decoy for Dan by standing in the park and saying things like "I'm Dan! I get mad at everything, then I yell a lot. I sure don't appreciate my friend Chris."

* MadTV used a variant: a geeky white guy gets up on stage and does an absolutely hideous Bill Cosby impression (he even mispronounces it as "Closby") that has the audience in stitches, much to the consteration of a black guy in the audience who we saw earlier doing a decent impression. The black guy tries to go up and show everyone how it's supposed to be done, but he chokes up behind the microphone and can't pull it off.

* CalvinAndHobbes: When said characters imitate each other, they do the "I'm so and so, DURR" variety.

** Another time, having accidentaly broken up with Marzipan via answering machine, quickly replaces the tape with a fake he recorded. In the fake messages, he does horrible impressions of several characters, including ''[[BeyondTheImpossible himself]]''.

Primarily in comedies, if you want show that a person's really, really awful at impressions? Simply have him do one or more of the following:

* [[DontExplainTheJoke Either say whom he's impersonating afterwards]] (Dear Belgium, how many times has [[TheOffice Michael Scott]] done this?)
* Just have them say "I'm [celebrity's name]" in a voice that doesn't sound remotely like that celebrity. Or sometimes, this trope is followed with ''LOOK! I'M SO AND SO DURR DUR DURR''
* Do the voice properly, but [[BeamMeUpScotty misquote]] him. ''BADLY''. Even if another character corrects him, make sure the impressionist continues to screw up.

If it's done badly on purpose, like the way [[TheSoup Joel McHale]] sometimes does it, it doesn't count. If the impressionist ''ASSUMES'' he's dead-on accurate, and they suck royally, then that's what this trope's all about.

** Also done with a one-shot sketch with Alec Baldwin as "The Mimic," who supposedly could imitate any possible voice, but... [[{{Understatement}}couldn't]].

Primarily in comedies, if you want show that a person's really, really [[SoBadItsHorrible awful]] at impressions? Simply have him do one or more of the following:

* In ''{{Help}}!'', Superintendent Gluck does a bad impression of Ringo over the phone: "Hello, this is the famous Ringo, gear, fab. What can I do for you, as it were, gear, fab?"

* The idea for this trope came from a recent ''FamilyGuy'' episode: "This is my impression of JohnWayne at the first Thanksgiving. 'Happy Thanksgiving, Pilgrim!'"
** This was subverted in another episode with an actor who did impressions of his friends and family, but they all sounded exactly the same. In the next scene, we see him talking to his friends and family and they actually all really ''do'' sound the same.
** There was also an earlier one where he did his impressions of Sir WinstonChurchill. They all involved him asking for something British (sans British accent): "Would you like a crumpet? I would because I'm Winston Churchill!"

* In ''{{Help}}!'', Superintendent Gluck does a bad impression of Ringo over the phone: "Hello, this is the famous Ringo, gear, fab. What can I do for you, as it were, gear, fab?"
* ''TheSimpsons'': "Look at me, I'm Angie Dickinson! Out of my way!"

* A unique example of this was AndyKaufman's Foreign Man persona -- whom his audience didn't initially know ''was'' a persona. Foreign Man did ''dreadful'' impressions of whoever the then-current U.S. president was, [[AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]] and Ed Sullivan, but thought they were excellent. As a result, crowds were nonplussed when Kaufman said he would now impersonate ElvisPresley...and then shocked when it turned out to be a good impersonation, complete with full costume.
* Part of [[TheAhnold McBain]]'s unfunny stand-up comedy turn on ''TheSimpsons'':
-->"Now, my WoodyAllen impression: I'm a neurotic nerd who likes to sleep with little girls."
* King Julien's impression of Mason (a chimp) in ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' is bad enough ("Ook ook! I sure do love the tire swing!"), but when asked to do one of Private (a penguin)... "Ook ook! I sure do love a stinky fish!"
* The ''{{Futurama}}'' episode Bendless Love illustrates that Bender can't do a believable impression of Flexo, whose voice is exactly the same as his own.
* In ''AmericanDad'':
-->'''Francine''': I pity the fool, who don't think I'm cool! Get it? I was making a Dr. T reference!
* A running joke on both versions of ''WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' is that Colin Mochrie isn't the best impressionist in the world. Taken to an extreme during one infamous "Questionable Impressions" sketch, where his Craig T. Nelson impression is... his own voice, completely unaltered. (Both are Canadian.)
* In one episode of ''SaturdayNightLive'', John [=MacEnroe=] is pleading with Lorne Michaels to let him host the show, and attempts to display his comic ability with a Jack Nickelson impression. It's very bad, and Lorne tells him so, causing John to mimic one of his infamous on-court outbursts. "You're deaf, Lorne Michaels! That impression was right on the line!"

-->'''Homestar:''' ''(leaning over, in a low voice)'' Well... well... Nancy and I... economics... well... rap music... jellybeans... well... we... probably had a... pet...\\
'''Bubs:''' That's the worst Ronald Reagan impression I've ever heard!\\
'''Homestar:''' ''Ronald'' Reagan?! I was doing my Keanu Reagan!

--->'''Homestar:''' Hey Strong Bad! ''(adopts "shady drifter" impression)'' Let me get a few dollars. I'm trying to catch a train. My wife, she's pregnant. I got thirteen kids. I'm on hard times.\\
'''Strong Bad:''' Well, at least your shady drifter impression is better than your Ronald Reagan.\\
'''Homestar:''' Ooh! I can hit you with some more of that, too! ''(adopts Ronald Reagan impression)'' Well... well... Oliver Cromwell...

* In one episode of ''SaturdayNightLive'', John MacEnroe is pleading with Lorne Michaels to let him host the show, and attempts to display his comic ability with a Jack Nickelson impression. It's very bad, and Lorne tells him so, causing John to mimic one of his infamous on-court outbursts. "You're deaf, Lorne Michaels! That impression was right on the line!"

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* A unique example of this was AndyKaufman's Foreign Man persona ? who his audience didn't initially know ''was'' a persona. Foreign Man did ''dreadful'' impressions of whoever the then-current U.S. president was, [[AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]] and Ed Sullivan, but thought they were excellent. As a result, unsuspecting audiences were nonplussed when Kaufman said he would now impersonate ElvisPresley...and then shocked when it turned out to be actually be an excellent impersonation, complete with full costume.

* Whenever [[TheDailyShow Jon Stewart]] does an impression of someone, he follows it with admitting that it was terrible.