President Reagan, Mastermind - SNL

[@LastCommodore]

"This is the part of the job I hate!" I still laugh about this skit 30 years later.

[@poppers7317]

No, they did a lot of funny stuff after that. It's on youtube if you want to watch.

[@jasonbourneistreadstone]

That's hilarious!!

[@marshallross3373]

LOL...I know. I remember seeing this one at the time. Still holds up after all these years.

[@lloydkline6946]

It very entertaining, love 💘 it

[@wbenken7655]

Mike Meyers said something in the Chipendales sketch.

[@MrDrmillgram]

The talent in this sketch. Stayed in character, knew their lines, and hit their marks. Phil Hartman was the best.

[@SSerebraSSana]

@The Pikachu Brothers That may be so, but this sketch was obviously finalised to the point that Phil Hartman and the others COULD do it without reading which further added to the genius of the piece. Reading doesn't allow the viewer to fully get into the sketch because the performer's attention is stilted and directed away from the scene.

@@SSerebraSSana man, I completely forgot there was a time when they didn't have to look at cue cards on SNL.

[@bmla88]

Jimmy fallon wouldve been cackling 10 seconds in.

[@BrandMath-ns5yc]

@@SSerebraSSana wow that explains why I was more invested into this one

[@SSerebraSSana]

@@BrandMath-ns5yc @ M D Yup. It's the sort of thing your unconscious is aware of. Remember when Kevin Nealon played the Subliminal Advertising Exec? That premise was based on the very real fact that your brain picks up a lot of things even though you might not be consciously aware of them.

[@bklynbam1978]

I think this is the best SNL sketch ever. I watched this an 8 or 9 year old kid and it had a big impact on me. I think it might have been the first time I understood irony. Never forgot this. Seeing it again as an adult, I can appreciate how perfect the writing and Phil’s delivery are.

[@sleepinggorilla]

This is SNL at its best. Far too often the humor is aimed in the wrong direction or is too one sided. The Big Bang Theory had this issue. They did not really understand nerds so they made fun of them like every other show does.

[@KyleRuggles]

@@sleepinggorilla Both of you are speaking FACTS! As a Trekkie, Reboot fan etc etc etc, I couldn't get past the first few episodes of that show.

[@jedijones]

@@sleepinggorilla Watching the sketch now, people probably think it makes Reagan look good. But, at the time, he was trying to save his presidency by denying knowledge of the Iran/Contra affair. So this sketch was not meant to make him look good or help him. 😆

[@globalado2593]

South Yemen. Iraq. Syria. Gee what a coincidence. I wonder how the wonders of 2023 were created. And people still think he was a great President. I wish I could feel sorry for how America has deluded itself, but you are what you eat.

[@JenSell1626]

@@KyleRugglesreboot!! I never get to discuss reboot

[@ernestkinas5973]

Little known fact. President Reagan loved this sketch.

[@Johnsmith99663]

If he liked it it was probably because it made him look competent, hardworking, and in command of his staff. The exact opposite of the reality.

[@andrewm8063]

@rj zander shut it moron.

[@burgerking220]

cuz he knew it was true. hahah

[@johann8939]

@@mankeez5892 neocons mad

[@grzegorzowczarek3016]

@@mankeez5892 to be honest he wasn't. He was charismatic leader, I admire his hard line on soviet union with real efford towards nuclear disarment. But he started era of big defficit and his voodoo economics was disaster. All presidents had flaws, all had great achivments. Don't be a fanboy.

[@pam0626]

This is an amazing amount of dialogue for a comedy skit. Phil Hartman is incredible in this and never missed a beat. RIP.

[@cainster]

He had an amazing memory. He was a professional pilot, among other things, and would study manuals in his spare time. Phil took copious notes and would memorize all of his lines before air, rarely using the cue cards off stage.

[@MultiSkyman1]

Yeah, I was thinking the same.

[@pam0626]

@@cainster I was too young to properly remember this era of SNL. TY for the background on Phil.

[@cainster]

@@pam0626 If you watch clips here on KZbin, after the first two or three you will notice, or at least catch on, that you can tell Phil DOES sometimes look at the cue cards, but it's rare. You'll see what they call his eye line -- that is, where he is looking at the moment -- stay with his cast members in the sketch. Because he either knows the lines already or is ready to go with a possible ad-lib should it be needed. Lorne Michaels is very strict on ad-libbing, but Phil had freedom to do it. Lorne knew a prize when he saw one.

[@rdj1974]

Ron Reagan, Jr. says this sketch absolutely captured the essence of his father. The genius of Phil Hartman once again on display. A true master of sketch comedy.

[@KobaAM]

Did he really? Like in the sense Reagan was actually a cunning, sharp guy when not around the cameras?

[@rdj1974]

@@KobaAM Yes, that President Reagan played up the 'aw, shucks' angle in public - but in private was precise and laser-focused, and very serious.

[@brianbagnall3029]

@@rdj1974 He had been planning the downfall of the Soviet Union since the late 1960's. And it happened! The notebooks that he kept (now in the Reagan library) detail his plans at that time.

[@aarondigby5054]

​@@KobaAMhis lame duck session of his presidency 86-88 they were selling weapons to Iran to funnel the anti-Sandinista Contra rebels, Ronnie didn't know what was going on and Col Oliver North was the fall guy, and Nancy R would have to wake Ronnie up in meetings with his administration and Congress, his lame duck session of his presidency was a joke like all other presidents elected to a second term. That's when John"GoodTrouble"Lewis, FancyNancy"thePig"Pelosi and Auntie"MadMaxine"Waters were elected to Congress. Ronnie the SpaceCowboy Reagan instituted SALT StrategicArmsLimitationTreaty ensuring the existence of a Zionist state. And eventually leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Empire.

[@Yanni75]

There's probably still a video circulating on KZbin where some Wallstreet bigshot is ordering Reagan around in public. Telling him what to say and to stick to the script, during a speech. So I'm not entirely sure about the veracity of his son's remembrance.

[@BassByTheBay]

Hartman was arguably the most versatile cast member in SNL history. The Anal-Retentive Chef, The Caveman Lawyer, Frankenstein... to say nothing of his hilarious impersonations. Enormously talented -- he never failed to make me laugh.

[@the4thindustrialrevolution225]

Godbless his soul

[@woodson21]

He is the GOAT.

[@jimfath]

To me, he and Julia Sweeney will always be the King and Queen of SNL. They could act and weren't as tethered to cue cards.

[@josephgaviota]

I'll never forget that morning I was driving to work, and on the radio there was news story about some kind of homicide in Encino (or some place in San Fernando Valley vicinity) ... then a couple hours later, an update came out, and Phil Hartman had been killed by his wife. Such a sad sad loss.

[@Ricobaca]

He was the glue.

[@mike5556]

"You're the only one that understands all this" "And that's just the way its gonna stay!" Brilliant.

[@mr.martinez6932]

"To quote Montesqueue, 'Power without knowledge is POWER LOST!' "

[@sammosaurusrex]

The Jimmy - Reagan interaction is just so believable, just hilarious impressions, this skit kills me everytime

[@LifeOfBrian24]

The only way I thought it could be even better would be if Jimmy Stewart then ALSO dropped "the act" and was actually a critical part of the clandestine operations...

[@garylobo348]

"Don't make me have to kill you Jimmy!"

[@soundepartment]

@@LifeOfBrian24 Stewart was a decorated Air Force (reserve) brigadier general who had flown several B-52 missions over North Vietnam as an observer, it would be super natural if he was in on some of it.

[@LegatusGaius]

@@LifeOfBrian24that would be so much better. Turns out there are some things Reagan can’t trust those morons in his cabinet with, so he has to outsource - but he plays along with Jimmy being some crotchety old guy so they don’t catch on to that fact.

[@gir5o1]

I love when he was on the phone speaking "arabic" he started talking like when he was Jambi in the old Pee Wee Herman stage show. "Mecha lecha high, mecha a hiney ho." Hell yeah.

[@RorySinn]

I knew that had to be a reference to something lol, I just looked it up

[@gir5o1]

@@RorySinn yeah, I might be remembering him playing Jambi incorrectly though. I know he was definitely in it. I just can't remember if he was Jambi or some other character.

[@RorySinn]

@@gir5o1 The clip I saw I don't think he was playing Jambi but it's undoubtedly a reference to it in some capacity, good catch

[@rosebyanyname]

He helped to create the Pee Wee character but I think Jambi was always played by John Paragon

[@giantskunk]

He played Captain Carl on Pee Wee

[@YolandaAnneBrown95726]

Miss Phil Hartman so much.

[@TicklerDude]

It’s Mr. Hartman.

[@Dellaluna13]

Hartman was one of the best. It was especially sad seeing Jon Lovitz’ reactions in the news, they were very close.

[@innovagolf]

Right on, rare talent. NewsRadio remains one of my favorite TV shows of all time. As Bill McNeal would say...."Good times..good times."

[@brushcreek42]

When he quit SNL that was the end of the show for me.

[@innovagolf]

lol miss MISTER Phil!

[@Zeroknight9862]

1:40 can't stop laughing at this, "The red countries are the countries we sell arms to, the green countries are the countries where we wash our money."

[@__-pn1jc]

... uh,oh... Finlands green. ... Is that good or bad?

[@Tjalve70]

@@__-pn1jc Well, I can't really answer your question. But I noticed that the European part of the USSR is green, while the Asian part is not green. I do find it interesting that Reagan would launder money in a communist country.

[@shitelifee]

argentina in red. operation condor in a nutshell

[@NJGuy1973]

@@__-pn1jc You don't need to understand! I'm the President! Only I have to understand!

[@ShitHappensRLY]

European part of USSR *eyes emoji*

[@falstaffswims]

3:26 "Mecca-lecca ho, mecca chani hey!" Ha. I always suspected Phil Hartman wrote Jambi's lines on Pee-Wee's Playhouse. That character has his sense of humor all over it.

[@williamkrause5831]

Reminds me of "derpa derpa muhammed jihad" from team america

[@jernaumoratgurgeh8548]

@@williamkrause5831 is that real

[@themarjestic8835]

Phil Hartman was on the original stage show of Pee Wee right? He was a sailor I believe.

[@speedyspooley]

@@themarjestic8835 - Yes...he was Captain Carl

[@dlh7989]

This sketch actually came way after Jambi did that chant in the original Pee Wee stage show in 1980, which Hartman co-wrote. I bet you're right, this had to be a reference to Jambi

[@jyjjyc]

I remember the best history teacher I ever had showing us this skit in high school and realizing my love of sketch, history, and satire all in one clip. Thank you, Mr. Jasper.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Pay Services

[@HughJass-313]

You're welcome Josh! 😜😜

[@tomlabooks3263]

Typical US education.

[@jyjjyc]

@@tomlabooks3263 I went to a parochial school so stop being obtuse & just enjoy good satire.

[@lambrosk3790]

Same. We also watched Voyage of the Mimi (with a young Been Affleck) , Glory, Rudy, and spent a day being taught Eugenics by a very confused young Social Studies teacher; who kept saying : "I think these are old books. Don't repeat this to anyone. These aren't good words.". I'll never forget certain days and lessons. Back in (1996/97)

[@wolfpackproductions7270]

Phil Hartman was great. He never broke character and remembered his stuff. And the fact that this sketch is great really helps

[@Kcg99]

That is THE BEST Jimmy Stewart impression we will ever see

[@eshim3961]

I think that Dana Carvey and Jim Carrey are tied on that one.

[@CycloneJack]

Rich Little blows away both those guys with his impression. Look him up.

[@giovannisocci8793]

I was away from the t.v. heard the voice and thought,what the heck is Jimmy Stewart doing there? 😂 right on!

[@jeffreymelillo7671]

Come on Dodge 🤣😂🙃🚜

[@jeffreymelillo7671]

88 elections a life agooooooooo

[@hockley91]

I remember watching this live in '86. That 86-87 season was the best. They added an incredibly talented cast and I was hooked. I was 13 years old.

[@thekidfromiowa]

A big 180 from the failed experiment that was season 11.

[@blessedthistlefarmstead2481]

We are the same age..lol

[@danielm3192]

Same here and the same age. I never missed SNL. Phil and Dana and Jan. So great!

[@jedijones]

@@thekidfromiowa Unfortunate that we lost 7 episodes in 1987 due to the writer's strike right at the start of this renaissance for the show.

[@thekidfromiowa]

@@jedijones *1988

[@woodson21]

3:53 Love what he does with his hands when he’s delivering his “knowledge without power is power lost” line.

[@Lige]

Almost like a fencer.

[@kurtemus]

Look how he isn't reading cards like they do now days. Dude was pure talent with his craft. I loved him

[@preyhunter4179]

His jokes were the best

[@kurtemus]

I should have said it isn't obvious he's reading cue cards perhaps

[@jedijones]

@@kurtemus On a recent podcast they said Phil used to coach the hosts on how to read the cue cards without making it look like you were reading the cue cards.

[@jackpow2004]

Gone much too soon. We missed out on a lot of laughs because of his tragic, undeserved death.

[@NevadaBoss]

Sigh...whenever I see a clip of "lovable grandpa Ronnie" I always hear Phil's voice saying "Jimmy, don't make me have to kill you!!!" Oh, Phil...was the absolute best...ever. Such a horrible, sad loss of such a massive talent...

[@springbloom5940]

You say that but imagine being married to him. Im sure there was some pretty serious emotional abuse involved. Yeah, I know, I liked his work too, but lets be honest, the man was evil.

[@roberts3741]

Spring Bloom What in the world are you talking about? His wife was on drugs.

[@springbloom5940]

Youre on drugs, too, whats your point?

[@blueskye6372]

NevadaBoss Yes so sad.

[@justintahair9119]

yea i saw it on reels channel so sad i wish his wife could had gotten help and i thinkit was a custody battle john lovits and his brother was on the boat and spread his ashed out to sea she was onzoloft and using cocaine i miss philand waking up to captain carl frompee wees playhouse he sure was funny captain carl went backtothe brimy blue

[@Fred.pSonic]

Quite possibly Phil Hartman's most insane sketch ever, masterful riffing playing both Good Reagan and Evil Reagan. "Back to work!!"

[@Charbob-j9w]

Most people that met or worked with Reagan said that he was definitely "good Reagan." But I think the evil side from this skit is funnier.

[@joesuchy1157]

@@Charbob-j9wthanks for pointing that out

[@zzzaphod8507]

Incompetent Reagan and Evil Reagan, perhaps. Good Reagan didn't exist?

[@AbatedToast77]

@@Charbob-j9wwas good Reagan the war criminal?

[@potsdam28]

@@zzzaphod8507I was thinking “pretends to be more senile than he is Reagan”

[@spielberg14]

Such an underrated sketch.

[@billslocum9819]

It sure wasn't a favorite when it aired. That audience sounds practically embalmed.

[@steveconn]

Actually it's a known classic, you just weren't around yet.

[@billslocum9819]

I was around. It is a very well-known sketch, and SNL's most successful Reagan sketch ever. But watching it again after a few years, it's striking how quiet the audience is, esp in the second half when it gets zanier.

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

The audience reaction was pretty lively as far as I saw. The humor was above the heads of many. It got laughs though and at the time it went over very well especially with liberals.

[@thegoldentroll]

Was there an official rating? Because I didn't get to vote...

[@TT-rz5td]

My favorite Phil Hartman skit. I shout "back to work!" All the time when a break goes on too long from stuff I need to do.

[@AJKPenguin]

Brilliant!

[@nerdrage9739]

That one and "Only I need to know!" are two lines that I quote a lot.

[@ritacal557]

I’m glad I’m not the only one 😅

[@beatpriest4314]

Phil is unrecognizable in this, truly a top 5 SNL cast member of all time

[@scott7521]

best

[@andrewsutherland133]

Reagan's experience as an actor came in handy as president

[@daveygivens735]

More useful than community organizing.

[@shawnconvery4899]

@@daveygivens735 How about being a constitutional scholar and former member of the Harvard Law Review.

[@boataxe4605]

Shawn Convery Nope, acting is still the most important thing for any politician of any party.

[@TheFuriousfunk]

If you read his books he was pretty open about playing the role of a Conservative Republican and Nancy was playing a role of Conservative Wife. When he made decisions he didn't follow his own gut, he followed the gut of the character he was playing.

[@boataxe4605]

Jon Jonas I Just hate people who shout in all caps. You must have gone to a public school.

[@trader891]

To me, this is the absolute best SNL skit in history.

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

It would have been but it could have used more cowbell

[@davidayer2168]

Classic Robert Smigel

[@ronbo11]

One that is nearly as good to me was a Joe Piscopo (!) sketch where he played the loud, obnoxious President Lincoln in "What Really Happened at Ford's Theater". Joe wasn't as brilliant as Phil (of course), but he did fine usually and he was PERFECT as the loudmouth, heckling audience member in the box seat who triggers John Wilkes Booth. I guess when you play a POTUS in a diametrically opposed manner to their personality, there's comedy gold to be mined!

[@arriuscalpurniuspiso]

It's the pinnacle

[@cufflink44]

Thirty-seven years ago, and this is so much better than anything SNL puts out today.

[@ItsNotDarkYet]

Phil Hartman was one of the best players to ever perform on SNL. Man, I used to laugh at all of his skits - From Reagan to Frankenstein. Dude was hilarious.

[@Ericwvb2]

So many of his Bill Clinton skits were classics. Like arguing with Moses about "no adultery' in the 10 commandments and jogging with the secret service to McDonald's. "Mrs. Clinton told us not to let you in here." "Boys, there are going to be a lot of things we're not going to be telling Mrs. Clinton."

[@megahappy2bemeIntheStarz]

Frankenstein was great. I love the one where he is singing christmas carols.

[@aarondev3218]

ItsNotDarkYet jss

[@rossh2111]

Fire (begins laughing) BAHAHAHAD!

[@KutWrite]

Do you remember the one in which Mel Gibson played Frankenstein (monster's) Evil Twin?

[@KonstantinGR.]

"Power without Knowledge is POWER LOST." Best part😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@joanamariecanlas21]

😂

[@unpeople]

“To quote Montesquieu… .” 🤣

[@RealAadilFarooqui]

"Please Jimmy" "Okay Good" I was Dead

[@robertbrown-qf8xy]

I am a very long-standing SNL viewer and can say, without any doubt, that this is the greatest skit ever aired.

[@JohnNiemsMusic]

One could easily make the argument that Phil Hartman was the most talented SNL player that ever was on the show! This sketch here is one of the many examples of his genius!

[@daveinindy]

Completely agree. They've had some really great comedic talent on the show - he stands above them all, at least IMO. Second banana, lead, writer, ... whatever - he was the consummate SNL cast member.

[@GlennDavey]

They called him "Glue" backstage because he held every show together. Totally underrated in pop culture history.

[@kamuelalee]

Hartman was the great utility player on SNL..he could lead the sketch -- and be hilariously funny at it -- or just be a side character and be in a supporting role for a sketch. Hartman was an all around performer. He's greatly missed.

[@cowapocalypse75]

helluva great talent, but imo Aykroyd was best ever, or at bare minimum equally as funny.

[@castroleiro]

IMO him, Eddie Murphy and maybe Billy Crystal are the only ones in the discussion.

[@laserbender2773]

This skit is so brilliantly acted. Phil Hartman at his best. I love the Dana Carvey impersonation of jimmy Stewart too. What I never picked up until now was the fact that during Reagan's phone conversation at 3:28, Hartman sneeks in a line from Jambi the Genie on Pee Wee's Playhouse. Great skit all around.

[@jedijones]

Interestingly, the first season of Pee-wee's Playhouse had just aired its last episode this same day, on Saturday morning. Phil even appeared in that episode, his last ever appearance on the show and as Captain Carl.

[@crashburn3292]

Good to see someone else caught that. So close to "Mecha hinny ho mecka hinny hay."

[@garyb67]

This skit is a historical gem. There are so many things said that probably aren’t thought about much by people born after the 90’s. The ‘President’, during his ‘cabinet meetings’, mentions Iran-Nicaragua connection, Casey and the Contras, South Africa, Don Regan, Casper (Cap Weinberger) , Frank Carlucci, ‘Afghanistan needs money’, Iraqi deal, NSC Review Board, Tower Commission, Edmund Muskie, Ivan Boesky. This would be a great basis for a history lesson, and a lot of fun.

[@msminmichigan]

Phil Hartmann and Dana Carvey were two of the best impressionist in SNL history.

[@justintahair9119]

yes despite dana doing the master of disquise dana was good and impernations i wish he could had done more roleslike garth from waynes world

[@justintahair9119]

that movie was pretty bad

[@kamuelalee]

Both men were/are awesome impersonators.

[@Thenotfunnyperson]

Carvey was annoying.

[@FredGarvin-gr3vx]

Gotta love Aykroyd too

[@maasicas]

The fact that he just did an allnighter and started his morning by talking fluent german to the german bankers just broke me . Had a nice laugh :D

[@georgezee5173]

Swiss bankers (which makes way more sense). He even mentions Zurich.

[@tsuba14]

7.8% interest on savings account? nice!

[@RuiOliveiraTV]

It was another times xD

[@DN_13]

tsuba14 7.28%*

[@winstonsmith116]

yes! yes! we know 28 - don't waste our time!

[@criskity]

Yes, that's how it was at the time. By the same token, if you borrowed money, you paid high interest rates.

[@naughtlyeclie8780]

In 2009 we had the first significant inflation since Carter left office. We had the Federal Reserve Board lower interest rates in 2009, after the head of the New York Fed was appointed Obama's Treasury Secretary in thanks for getting the Fed to contract the money supply in late 2008 to make the economy seem weak. By late March, 2010 inflation was above 10% for the first time since 1980. But they kept printing money to make it seem like the economy was still growing. Before the central bank, and the prior year's imposition of the income tax (1913), the average income doubled every 5 years and prices fell several percent annually. The criminal class keep causing catastrophes and then blaming their victims for them, hoping nobody will notice what the real cause is.

[@tylerkeller8869]

"The word processor" 😄😄😅. Oh the 80's

[@Frisenette]

Search Xerox PARC Alto. The Regan administration had a bunch of those. Better than just about anything then, and in most ways a great improvement on the very machines you are using right now, which it is the grand mother of.

[@sharonminsuk]

@Kevin Michaud No, the 80s. Reagan's presidency ended in January of '89!

[@individualapproach9866]

Tyler Keller ?

[@cyprezz]

@@individualapproach9866 The Sketch was made in1986.

[@kdub1242]

Oh yes, I used my Mosaic browser to read a newsgroup post about those over my 56k modem connection. (You can't call my house for the next hour or so, as we are on the internet and are in the process of downloading a huge MB file.)

[@jeffingram8279]

One of my favorite Saturday night skits of all time. And definitely my absolute favorite Ronald Reagan skit

[@RossMalagarie]

Dang I never noticed that Phil Hartman looked very similar to Bryan Cranston

[@joddeurter2448]

meth-head!!!

[@thienbaongo7997]

See I actually thought it was Bryan Cranston, turns out I was wrong-

[@goodbadbill]

It's funny because I always though Phil would've pulled off Walter White however he is a lot older than Cranston and the character

[@kelownatechkid]

Bryan cranston is very similar to phil, it's pretty cool

[@elizabethbennet4791]

yep!!!

[@ErisRising]

I keep coming back to this as one of the greatest SNL sketches ever: The writing, the acting, the timing, all absolutely perfect.

[@DavidBoe]

This is one of the greatest SNL sketches of all. Phil Hartman’s genius is unequalled. Only John Belushi comes close, in terms of pure talent, but then they’re so different that you can’t really compare them. Both untimely deaths were incalculable losses, though Hartman left a much larger body of work, which has only made him look better over time.

[@coolcat6303]

"BACK TO WORK!" Haha. Phil Hartman was hilarious & this is one of SNL's finest sketches.

[@mrjasonwhite73]

One of the best sketches in the history of the show.

[@seanjenkins6947]

mindre begavet I bet your a drumpf lover

[@vika0194]

It’s too long

[@ryanvaubel7186]

Absolutely agree. This is a terribly underrated sketch that is an all-time great

[@martyklestadt6766]

Yup. I'd been looking for this one for years. Glad I finally found it here.

[@stevenashe8900]

I remember first seeing this. Watching it again so many years later I am so taken aback about how perfectly written and executed this skit was. Wickedly funny and right on the mark. But I find it difficult to imagine how those who were not old enough to live through the Reagan presidency can fully appreciate the genius of this skit. The two parts where he speaks in different languages are off-the-chart pure genius comedic ideas, but can only be really appreciated if you were around during President Reagan’s tenure in office.

[@bighands69]

Reagan was a fantastic president.

[@_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

What are we missing?

[@stevenashe8900]

@Some Random Person on the Internet Reagan is revered today by many as a great president, but when he was in office, it wasn't quite that way. He was often perceived as someone who was not particularly up on details or what was going on with his own cabinet - particularly in his 2nd term. The Iran-Contra scandal was a good example. As he aged, he relied more and more on his avuncular, aw shucks personality and humor to cover up his declining cognitive state. Only 6 years after he left office, he wrote that famous letter to the world that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimers. I have always believed he was already impaired when he was in office. Just look at his interviews from the 60's and 70's and compare it to 1985 and after. Biden is old. And the words don't come out as freely or clearly as before. But WHAT he says in extemporaneous interviews still sounds very cogent to me.

[@owieri]

@@stevenashe8900 you're kiddin, right? biden is barely able to read the teleprompter maybe reagan was more an actor than a president, but he sure was a top notch actor to me to the very last day of his presidency

[@jedijones]

@@stevenashe8900 But a lot of the "perception" of Reagan at the time was the mainstream media trying to create a negative image around him, just as they do with any and all Republican Presidents. We haven't had one Republican President who hasn't been reduced to a concise negative image that's been perfectly tailored and refined by the media to become easily understood "common knowledge."

[@XDRONIN]

Phil Hartman, truly the Golden Era of SNL.

[@justintahair9119]

i wished prehaps ed begley jr and him could had both figured out what his options were prehaps a divorse in reallife phil avoided confrontation she fet like she was being dismissed he caleded and asked if he could stay at his flat prehaps the 2 could had discussed what he couldhad done or something

[@daveinindy]

Hartman and Hooks - as good as it got. Well, ... Hartman and just about anybody, but especially Jan Hooks (RIP - another gone way to early).

[@dackmont]

Second Golden Era imho, but yeah... so much talent. Phil later said that they saved the show, and I think he was right.

[@MrAitraining]

I agree. I'm old enough to remember the original cast and those early years, and They don't hold up as well to me as the Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey years.

[@jonlocke1624]

All the makeup coming off on his collar somehow makes this funnier.

[@patgalvez4563]

So Reagan was Mister Rogers in public and Tony Soprano in private....sounds legit

[@NJGuy1973]

Tony Soprano only operated in New Jersey. Reagan operated across the globe.

[@miamitten1123]

@@NJGuy1973 Wooosh, right over your head.

[@jrpark05]

Yup, a real badazz. My favorite president.

[@skylady64ish93]

😂😂😂

[@bobert8618]

Actually Dick Chaney

[@golperuano]

One of the top 10 all time SNL skits.

[@yomomma2054]

Roast beef, on rye....

[@Kasino80]

Very good Stewart impression

[@TheCoreyHodges]

Kasino80 Dana Carvey, my friend.

[@GiantPinhead]

"JImmy, don't make me have to kill you." The classic of classic lines.

[@pshaw8406]

Phil Hartman will live forever in my heart.

[@justintahair9119]

yes mine 2 every timei see a river or bodyof water thinkof captain carl returning backto the brimy blue

[@keldonmcfarland2969]

@3:36 Most people probably don't know this, that Phil Hartman was the one who came up with Jambi's magic phrase from Pee-wee's Playhouse. He was using the same phrase here! 🤗🤗🤗

[@DaveMalkoff]

It's actually at 3:26 I instantly caught that. Just searched the comments for "Pee" to see if anyone else did as well.

[@MrWolfTickets]

RIP Captain Carl :-)

[@jedijones]

@@DaveMalkoff Did you find any pee?

[@MontanezCrew]

Dude, the professionalism in this sketch is wild! Everyone knew their lines especially Phil! No one was looking at a stinken board to read! Preparation at its best! 🎉

[@mdarrenu]

Hartman was an amazing talent. This sketch was-is-and-always will be phenomenal.

[@EricBrinkman]

This is possibly my favorite SNL sketch of all time. "And you don't need to understand!" 1:30 RIP

[@swagchief98]

its up there for sure, but Bill Clintons McDonalds Trip has got to be my favorite

[@markmower6507]

Intercepted by Warlords, Hahahahahahahaha 😀🌶️⚡!!!

[@bc1969214]

This and Hartman as Bill Clinton at Mickey D's are two of the best sketches.

[@ishmaelm1932]

bc1969214 Oh hell ya. That McDonald's one had me crying. Remember how he explained how the warlords steal the food lmfao

[@John-xc5ko]

I haven't watched SNL much over the years, but I'll never forget that sketch!!

[@ludwigfan3013]

Hartman as Sinatra was great too.

[@DarlingNikki2]

@@ludwigfan3013 He had so much talent. Of all the shocking celebrity deaths, his is among the top 10 for me in terms of the sadness and shock I felt.

[@LBart218]

Race you to the Pizza Hut!

[@Malcontent-]

Phil Hartman parodying Bill Clinton stopping at a McDonald's while jogging was also one of the best ever.

[@lqr824]

6:15 he's right, the Zurich banks DO open at 3AM EST...

[@jacobdavis3876]

RIP Phil Hartman Damn this sketch reminds me what a genius he was at knowing just how exactly to deliver his lines exactly the right way at precisely the right time. Great satire with this sketch!

[@mouradlad]

Absolutely. Nowadays the "delivery" is done without eye contact staring at cue cards. Hartman knew his characters to perfection every week

[@justintahair9119]

yea he did

[@jedijones]

@@mouradlad They said Lorne liked having Phil on the show because Lorne didn't even have to show up. Phil was a professional who really helped everyone out on the show behind the scenes. It's also a reason the show took a major nose dive in critical reception in season 20 after Phil left in season 19.

[@SingleTax]

"This the part of the job I hate" .... "Back to work!"

[@kevmorris3000]

Love this sketch because it is one of the few that portray Reagan as an intelligent man. Many don't know this, but before his Presidency, Reagan used to give political speeches for years and many he wrote himself. His positions on the Cold War, the USSR, and other issues of the day were thought out by him as he addressed these topics. His aides saved many of these speeches and published them in a book called "Reagan: In His Own Hand." They show that far from being an amiable dunce, Reagan was a One-Man Think Tank.

[@moonriver601]

Phil Hartman was one of the funniest, most versatile comedians not just on SNL, but ever.

[@crithon]

20 years since his passing and this skit still holds up better than ever.

[@SpaceCowboy-u7j]

One of the greatest ensembles of talented comedic comedians.

[@DoomSaurus]

This has to be one of the best skits of SNL all time. RIP Phil Hartman.

[@IMP3TIGO]

Overshadowed by his co-stars for years but Phil Hartman was one of the best and most versatile cast members on SNL for years. A legend!

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

I don't think he was ever over-shadowed. he stole the limelight in every skit he appeared.

[@whydoineedahandle406]

Phil Hartman was a the best performer in SNL history.

[@wesleydeer889]

this is 37 years old and I still love it. Hartman was one of my all time favorites. I was 10 when it aired, and have to watch it every so often.

[@lucasblanton5203]

"👏 BACK TO WORK!!" 😂😂😂😂

[@scott7521]

Hartman IMO was the best SNL sketch comic in the history of the show.

[@carlr8061]

Damn I'm old. I saw this when it aired live in 86 when I was 20. Still love it. Toss-up between Phil & Dana who's the greatest cast member ever.

[@scott7521]

Phil but Dana was great as well.

[@realrobh]

Phil Hartman was such an amazing artist

[@rtothec1234]

Phil Hartman was the immaculate professional. His talent, unrivalled on SNL.

[@peytonbass5396]

One of the best. And to hear names such as Ivan Boesky, John Tower and Musky again really brings the mid-80's back.

[@dixonpinfold2582]

*Muskie

[@JoseLopez-nk6fn]

I have never seen this skit before. Wow! I am dying laughing! Phil Hartman was the man! RIP! Ronald Reagan RIP!

[@warlordofbritannia]

Well…maybe not the second one

[@matt9591]

Phil Hartman was on another level

[@waterandafter]

Only 2 people in the audience got the "mecca lecca high mecca heiny ho" reference.

[@peacelord]

waterandafter That was a Groundlings sketch before the CBS kids show. So was Pee Wee's Playhouse. Hartmann started with the Groundlings.

[@MrDruism]

Yeah I thought of pee wee as soon as I heard him start talking in that fake foreign language. I thought Jambi was gonna pop out somewhere and give Reagan a wish!?

[@jeffreyike841]

Yeah, hear the 2 people chuckle. It was a fast reference to the days when Phil played Captain Carl on Peewees Playhouse. Brilliant

[@negascoot23]

@Jim McCracken In the 80s, just about every SNL cast member and writer came from Second City, Harvard Lampoon, or the Groundlings.

[@negascoot23]

@Jim McCracken You chide me for quoting what you consider "Common Knowledge", then follow it up with absolutely the laziest joke about my last name possible (and no: pointing out that I must hear it all the time doesn't get you off the hook. It just proves you knew better, but did it anyway)... You're as big a smartass as I am... I still haven't decided if I mean that as a compliment😋

[@johnharbaugh1165]

Phil really showed his talent in this sketch. He is sorely missed.😢

[@Nhamp2000]

The fucking glue of that era

[@adamjg4]

May be one of the best written SNL skits ever.

[@nicholasfox966]

Ah, the days when the SNL audience didn't interrupt sketches every ten seconds with "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!!!!!"

[@NEONOIRERA]

This is comedic gold

[@mrmojorisin8752]

Phil Hartman as Ronald Reagan and Phil Hartman as Bill Clinton. Regardless of your politics, these were two brilliant sketches. They both slay me.

[@mmille10]

I love how they're so good about moving the furniture. :D This was a rare instance when political satire portrayed Reagan as smart. Most satire of the time had him out of his depth, and blithely clueless.

[@Golfstar17]

Reagan was smart.

[@mmille10]

@@Golfstar17 - Sorry if I might've implied otherwise. I agree. I was just saying that our popular political satire had him as a doddering, aimless, clueless fool, and this was a rare piece of satire that portrayed the opposite, and sort of "explained" the other image of him, lol, saying that the "clueless" image was just a disarming, comforting front he put on for the public. But "behind the scenes"... :)

[@scipioafricanus5871]

I thought the joke was that Reagan only knew all the details and it would be a major problem when early dementia started to set in.

[@boke75]

Think the gag here is quite straightforward : Do a skit with Reagan the complete opposite to what he was in real-life. With hilarious results. Phil Hartman nailed this one as he always did. I never seen him flub once that’s sharp !

[@miserychickadee]

That's not surprising. Most people are bad at satire and end up at parody.

[@wajahatali1234]

Hahaha, awesome sketch.Spot on Regan impression.

[@Scyllax]

Donald Regan fan?

[@SpaceCowboy-u7j]

I like that Dennis Quaid was cast as Phil Hartman impersonating Ronald Reagan in the new movie *_Reagan_* Perfect Guy to play the part

[@jamesfarrell8339]

Phil Hartman was such a wonderful comedian. This is my favorite scetch from Saturday night live. I miss him and to have died in such a terrable death that was senless.

[@jeffw1267]

This was the first time I ever saw Phil Hartman, when this sketch first aired. We were asking each other, "Who IS this guy??"

[@jedijones]

This was the first time he played Reagan on SNL, was his 6th episode, and the hosts were the three stars of Three Amigoes. It looks like Phil played Reagan on SNL 8 times in total.

[@nickcolbert9615]

I honestly think this might have been the finest single performance of Phil Hartman’s career, and the writing some of the best most scathing satire in SNL history. There are just so many fine details that are so funny.

[@americanpatriot9865]

The real Reagan would have laughed hard at this skit. He would have loved it!

[@cacauldr]

American Patriot yep, and he would probably come up with some funny anekdote that would make this skit even better than it already is.

[@PureGreggy]

He was very much alive when this aired.

[@cacauldr]

@Greg Bolin, No one said he wasn't.

[@rflcanela]

very true! I did

[@NeoCreo1]

Actually he was pretty silent on his SNL appearances. Considering the subject matter (this particular skit is reference to some VERY dirty shit that he pulled) it makes sense.

[@thuydoan7496]

This is the first time that I've seen this sketch and it's so good. Phil Hartman did a great job of impersonating President Reagan to core.

[@moviereviews1446]

That Jimmy Stewart impression was brilliant

[@sayakdaskaizer]

Man!! the acting transition.

[@ToonsCraft1]

I misread the title as "President Reagan, Nevermind"

[@Gonzo_Filmz]

DankLizard56 these days people do say that

[@MuppetCore]

Ryan Platt No one tell Nirvana.

[@mikekolokowsky]

I remember seeing this live in the 80s. Still amazed. Hits every note. Brilliantly done.

[@GoatHouseBlues]

Classic sketch. Something future comedians can learn from, forever. RIP Phil. What genius.

[@SJNaka101]

Whoa, this is my first time seeing this sketch, and it's gotta be one of the best snl sketches of all time.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Funniest part at 3:50: "To quote Montesquieu, power without knowledge is power lost."

[@kippchapin7750]

The “Back To Work” line kills me

[@moonriver601]

Extremely versatile and always entertaining, Phil Hartman was the perfect fit for SNL.