'SNL' decides on 'Fauxbama'
Revealing its Barack Obama impersonator after a week of speculation, "Saturday Night Live" went with a cast insider who also happens to be a former Chicagoan -- and a white guy.
Fred Armisen, in his sixth season with the show, played the senator Saturday in a debate spoof in which the journalists all unabashedly took his side against Hillary Clinton (Amy Poehler).
Armisen's unveiling followed tryouts for the role by black comedians outside the cast (including Donald Glover, mentioned last week in the Sun-Times). In choosing him, producers bypassed the cast's lone black male, Kenan Thompson, who's much heftier than the senator.
A white actor portraying a black politician is not unprecedented on the show, where Darrell Hammond has depicted Jesse Jackson for years, to little complaint.
Before joining "SNL," Armisen was a drummer with the Chicago punk band Trenchmouth.