Rob Schneider criticizes the way 'SNL' portrays Trump
Former 'Saturday Night Live' cast member Joe Piscopo shares his take on 'Cavuto Live.'
Rob Schneider is doubling down on his comments about "Saturday Night Live," specifically Alec Baldwin's portrayal of President Trump.
The former "SNL" regular took to Twitter a day after his interview with the New York Daily News was published to clarify his remarks on Baldwin and how the actor has let his personal politics take center stage.
"Comedy needs surprise. It must keep the audience guessing," Schneider posted on Twitter Saturday. "It should not be afraid to shock or offend. It should attack the powerful and arrogant. But it must come from a place of inspiration where it made the writer laugh."
Schneider criticized the decades-old improv show for "letting the cat out of the bag" by showing which way it leans politically.
"You kind of assumed they would lean more left and liberal, but now ... they are completely against Trump, which I think makes it less interesting because you know the direction the piece is going," Schneider argued in an interview with the New York Daily News.
The comedian then compared Baldwin's performance to comedian Dana Carvey's impression of George H.W. Bush in the late '80s and '90s, saying Baldwin's impression of Trump is different from Carvey's playful impersonation of Bush.
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"Carvey played it respectfully," Schneider said. "To me, the genius of Dana Carvey was Dana always had empathy for the people he played, and Alec Baldwin has nothing but a fuming, seething anger toward the person he plays."
And it's clear from looking at Baldwin's Twitter account, Schneider added, that he has very strong opinions about the Trump administration.
On Friday night, Baldwin — presumably tweeting from the Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Foundation, which focuses on creating grants for New York City and Long Island — shared some support for Schneider.
"I must admit, @RobSchneider does have a point..." a tweet from the @ABFalecbaldwin account reads.
Schneider, while slamming a poll tweeted by an "SNL" critic, pointed out Baldwin "agreed" with him.
"Your tweet is a mischaracterization of what I said. I never said 'ruined the show,'" Schneider replied to Twitter user "SNLinReview," prompting a clarification from the writer who said he was simply "paraphrasing the coverage."
Though Schneider said he doesn't "find [Baldwin's] impression to be comical," the comedian says he still "greatly admires" the 60-year-old actor.
However, he stands firm on his criticism of the show in general.
"Much late night comedy is less about being funny and more about Indoctrination by comedic disposition," Schneider continued on Twitter. "People aren't really laughing at it as much as cheering on the rhetoric. It no longer resembles a comedy show, it's more like some kind of liberal Klan meeting."
Schneider is now starring in his own Netflix series called "Real Rob," which is based on his family and struggles with fame. He says the third season of the comedy is on its way.
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