Actor/impressionist Jim Meskimen (Parks & Recreation, Whose Line?, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) recites the “Pity the Poor Impressionist” poem in 20 celebrity voices, with the help of SHAM00K, who uses deepfake technology to alter Jim’s face into each celebrity. The end result is jarring and slightly unsettling.
John Malkovich https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=5
Colin Firth https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=13
Robert Deniro https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=18
Tommy Lee Jones https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=25
Nick Offerman https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=31
George Clooney https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=36
Christopher Walken https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=41
Anthony Hopkins https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=49
Dr. Phil https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=56
Nicholas Cage https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=1:01
Arnold Schwarzenegger https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=1:08
Morgan Freeman https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=1:15
Bryan Cranston https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=1:19
Christoph Waltz https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=1:26
Joe Pesci https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=1:34
Jack Nicholson https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=1:39
George W. Bush https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=1:46
Ian McKellen https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=1:53
Ron Howard https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=2:00
Robin Williams https://youtu.be/5rPKeUXjEvE?t=2:05
Pity The Poor Impressionist
By Jim Meskimen ©2016
Is anything more sad and lame
contemptible, beneath disdain,
In short, provoking of disgust
than being an impressionist?
A third rate, even fourth rate skill,
the definition of “cheap thrill”.
Like watching farm equipment rust
is watching an impressionist.
A relic from a distant day
that long since should died away,
dishonorably mentioned is
the pitiful impressionist.
Weird, and somewhat ostentacious
tired debris from old Las Vegas,
whose former fans have all dismissed
allegiance to impressionists.
How many opportunities
passed up and wasted because he’s
Hell-bound to follow what he must?
Pity the poor impressionist.
Doomed to live an abject failure
dogged by his own echolalia.
Better to crumble into dust
than live as an impressionist.
His borrowed voices can’t deflect
a life of well-deserved neglect.
His name’s on simply no one’s lips;
forgotten, vain impressionist.
That sound–did anybody moan?
That creature at the microphone
is last on everybody’s list;
forgettable impressionist.
When Peter at that shiny gate
condemns those souls who imitate
he will but shake a heavenly fist
and curse condemned impressionists.
But ’til that time we’ll tolerate
the good for nothing reprobate,
and hide the truth: that we’re just pissed
that WE can’t be impressionists!
