Top 10 Times Animaniacs Made Fun of Celebrities
#10: Seth Meyers “Of Mice and Memes”
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In the first “Pinky and the Brain” segment of the show’s reboot, Brain appears on Seth Meyers’s talk show after becoming an internet sensation. Meyers is portrayed as only being interested in shallow goals, like chasing trends and getting a jump on the competition. The depiction of the late night host goes beyond a gentle ribbing. His own coffee mug reads “smug”, and he seems to be overly confident in stale jokes on current events - with an ever widening grin. Whoever wrote this episode must’ve really had it out for the “Late Night” host.
#9: Hillary Clinton “Suspended Animation: Part One”
What better way to catch up with everything that’s happened since the show’s original run than with a song? The Warner sibling’s recap covers everything from Uber and YouTube to climate change and the Iraq War. They also touch on the 2016 US Presidential election, showing Hillary Clinton striding confidently into the race, thinking that it’ll be a piece of cake. Of course, Clinton found out the hard way that winning over voters was more difficult than Obama made it look. And there’s a sinister shadow that keeps crossing her path … The Animaniacs also offer a simultaneously lighthearted yet dark take on the fallout that came from Clinton’s loss.
#8: Donald Trump “Warners Unbound”
Top 10 Crazy Donald Trump Moments
Given the 45th president’s idiosyncratic speech patterns and relentless self-promotion, it comes as no surprise that Animaniacs took aim at him in their reboot. He arrives on the scene during a parody of the epic poem “The Odyssey”, where the cyclops resembles Trump, from his bright orange hue to his shameless boasting. Maurice LaMarche does a good Trump impression, but at this point, doesn’t everybody? This would be higher on the list, but having come out in 2020, the “Animaniacs” came late to the party with their Trump material.
#7: Vladimir Putin “Anima-Nyet”
The “Animaniacs” revival has also taken on President Vladimir Putin and Russian propaganda. When the Warner siblings stumble across a Russian TV channel, they see actors playing them on a knockoff version of “Animaniacs”. Their Russian counterparts are kneeling and praying to a painting of their shirtless strongman leader on horseback. While visiting the country, the real Yakko, Wakko, and Dot take a tour of shows taping in Russia, which heap praise on Putin, including a version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Pinky and the Brain.”
#6: Tucker Carlson “That’s Not the Issue”
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In this episode, Tuck Buckerson, based on Fox News host Tucker Carlson, hosts his own show on the “Faux News” channel. See what they did there? The cable show, simply called “Tuck,” has over the top graphics with jets spelling out the show’s title, along with an eagle flying and fireworks going off in the background. Like Tucker used to do, Tuck wears a bow tie. Unfortunately for Tuck, the guests he booked, the Warners, don’t want to stick to one topic, and keep changing the subject. Wonder how the real Tucker would handle such guests?
#5: Albert Einstein “Cookies for Einstein”
While Albert Einstein is struggling to come up with the theory of relativity in 1905, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot pay him a visit and try to sell him cookies. This segment is full of references to Einstein, from the famous photo where he sticks out his tongue to the equation E=MC2. There’s also some good gags, such as Einstein measuring the speed of light with a lightbulb and a stopwatch, and the Warners messing up his hair with a magnet, which pokes fun at one of Einstein’s more eccentric traits.
#4: Steven Spielberg “Jurassic Lark”
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The executive producer of “Animaniacs,” Spielberg is treated with great reverence on the show. In “Hooked on a Ceiling,” he was revealed to be the Pope at the end as a nice surprise twist. However, in “Jurassic Lark,” an obvious parody of “Jurassic Park,” the writers gave him a less flattering homage by making him the John Hammond character. When you think it through, the analogy here is that Spielberg brought back something dangerous, something that should have remained in the past! Well, you know what? We’re glad he did!
#3: Jerry Lewis “Hello Nice Warners”
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Mr. Director acts like a big shot, until something excites him or sets him off, whereupon his Jerry Lewis voice breaks out. The voice is so loud and goofy, it’s fun to hear voice actor Paul Rugg do his imitation when playing the character. Mr. Director is more of an homage than he is a parody of Jerry Lewis, because he was deliberately silly to begin with. Another “Animaniacs” character that has the Jerry Lewis voice is the clown from the “Clown and Out” episode sent to perform for Wakko.
#2: William Shatner “Karaoke Dokie”
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With his stilted, dramatic manner of delivering lines, William Shatner is a magnet for impressions. And of course “Animaniacs” couldn’t let such an opportunity go. In this episode, Willie Slackmer, who’s based on Shatner, has signed up for a children’s karaoke event, more than 80 times, keeping anyone else from going on after him. During his set, Slackmer takes a spoken word approach to children’s songs like “Baa Baa Blacksheep” and “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt”. It recalls the bizarre way Shatner performed “Rocket Man” at the 1978 Saturn Awards. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Jay Pac, “Gift Rapper” This Rapper’s Name Is a Composite of Jay-Z & Tupac Dolly Parton, “Bubba Bo Bob Brain” The Innuendo Is Not So Subtle Zack Snyder, “Hindenburg Cola” For His Distinct Style, The Director Was Called Out by Name. Wayne LaPierre, “Bun Control” The “Bun” Nut Is Based on The NRA’s Executive Vice President
#1: Bill Clinton “Intro”
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Having served as US President through most of the 90s, Bill Clinton was the subject of a few “Animaniacs” political jabs. But the reference to Clinton that comes to most fans’ minds is him wailing on the saxophone for the intro in the show’s first season - referencing a talent he has in real life. During the “Catch Up Song,” the Warners bring back the reference when they show they’ve got to move on from the 90s, with Clinton emerging from a fountain where the Warners were reenacting the opening to “Friends.”
