Alex Hutchins
Opinions Editor
@aHutchCourant
There are not enough words to describe how brilliant Kate McKinnon is. From her spot-on impression of Justin Bieber to her frightening ability to portray a crazy person that makes you question if you are watching a television show at all, Kate McKinnon is certainly one of the most underrated comedians to hit the studio 8H stage.
Before debuting as SNL’s first openly lesbian cast member back in April of 2012, and after her run as co-founder of musical improv comedy group “Tea Party” at Columbia University, McKinnon could be found on the Rosie O’Donnell produced sketch show titled, “The Big Gay Sketch Show” where she began establishing her profound character work and celebrity impressions. During this time, Kate also began performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City where she continued to build her repertoire in character work and impressions as she often piloted a number of one-woman shows.
While Kate McKinnon’s knack for impressions is certainly off the charts, my favorite ability of McKinnon’s out of the many many she has is her uncanny capacity to create unique, but perfectly relatable caricatures of a plethora of different people. Take for example her portrayal of the Spanish woman who added her “special touch” to an attempted restoration of Elias Garcia Martinez’s Ecce Homo back in 2012, or her rendition of “the saddest Russian woman ever”, Olya Povlatsky. However, by far the most interesting character in McKinnon’s arsenal is her representation of German chancellor Angela Merkel. There’s something about her faux German accent paired with the idea that Merkel is just a tightly-wound politician waiting for an opportunity to unwind with lines like, “These summits just make me do crazy things, like letting my hair grow down to my padded shoulders”, that makes her so enjoyable to watch. It’s characters like these that truly pay testament to Kate McKinnon’s consistent power to make audiences, or at least me, laugh.
Check out this video of Kate McKinnon’s portrayal of a Pet Rescue Shelter Owner that is oh so commonplace in the world of comedy.
