American comedians Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph joined forces with Democrat Vice President nominee Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton to raise more than $6 million dollars for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
Rudolph and Poehler, who have each impersonated Harris and Clinton, respectively, on Saturday Night Live, hosted the virtual fundraising event, drawing more than 100,000 donations.
The women came together over their screens to ask each other questions and talk about the upcoming U.S election.
Kamala Harris was keen to hear how Rudolph and Poehler prepared for their impersonations on SNL.
“You’ve each played one of us on Saturday Night Live. Can you just …walk us through what that process is like?” Harris asked the two comedians.
“When I started Saturday Night Live, I wasn’t an impressionist. But it’s part of the duty of working there to make sure you can impersonate current events or people in the news,” Rudolph said.
“In terms of Senator Harris, I didn’t have an impression because I wasn’t walking around the house doing my Kamala,” she said. “But I think it starts with trying to get someone’s voice if you can.”
“There’s nothing crazily overt about Senator Harris, but I have to tell you, when I got to Saturday Night Live and they put the wig on me, it was done.”
“It is all about the wig, isn’t it?” Poehler said.
In terms of preparation for her Hillary Clinton impression, Poehler joked she does “a Tom Brady”.
“Tons of workouts, I eat really clean. I hang out with my supermodel wife. I try to get a lot of sleep, take my protein powder, stay away from processed foods and get ready for the season because I want to get that ring.”
Clinton said she was amazed when she turned up to Saturday Night Live once and saw Poehler wearing one of her outfits.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Clinton said. “It was just an out of body experience.”
“It is pretty strange to stand next to the person you are dressed as,” Poehler added.
The women agreed that it was important for leaders to have a good sense of humour, and not take themselves too seriously. Talking about Donald Trump, Clinton said she’s never seen him laugh.
“It struck me; I’ve never seen him laugh. I’ve never ever seen him make fun of himself, certainly not his hairdo. That is something I am quite experienced in,” Clinton said. “It is really telling that part of the cruelty and the indifference and just the plain meanness that we see on a regular basis from him is in part because he has no sense of humour.”
“He loves putting people down, not lifting them up. Sharing a joke, having a laugh, that’s just not part of his vocabulary.”
Harris said, “There is nothing joyful about him, there is nothing about him that inspires joy…And it is such a shame, really. On one level, you just have to feel like everyone should have something in their life that gives them the ability to smile, a genuine smile.”
Rudolph also asked Clinton if she could offer some advice to Harris before the upcoming Vice Presidential debate, where she will face Vice President Mike Pence.
“I think what Mike Pence will try to do is somehow subtly undercut Kamala, try to say, ‘Well that is not the way it is done. That is not what we expect. Or that is not what we believe.’ Trying to somehow put her in the box of ‘the inexperienced woman candidate’,” Clinton said.
“And she is not going to stand for that, and she is not going to put up with it. And she has to modulate her responses because we know there is a double standard that is alive and well when it comes to women in politics.
“She has got to be firm and effective in rebutting any implication that comes from the other side, but to do it in a way that doesn’t scare or alienate voters.”
Watch the full fundraiser event below.