FakeBamas: The New "It" Guy In Political Parody

Ever since Barack Obama popped up on the scene with his handsome mug, gorgeous family and fascinating multicultural background people have become obsessed with recreating the look, either in parody, in respect, in art, in advertisement or just for poops and giggles. I have become fascinated with collecting this army of "FakeBamas," mostly because they are (well, most of them are) even better looking than the original model. Some don't look like him at all, but that's the point. Obama has become the black, multiracial "everyman" for the unnaturally good-looking FakeBama. Here is my collection of who is "hawt" and one who is not.

Iman Obama: Iman "Alphacat" Crosson, actor/internet superhero

A YouTube sensation, many individuals from random bloggers (like me) to better known bloggers (like Andrew Sullivan) think someone should give this brother a job. Like Saturday Night Live. It's not that we all hate Fred Armisen's Obama for committing the Cardinal sins of "not-funniness" and "light Egyptian pancake brown-face" (even though Armisen is technically brown, being part Lebanese). It's that Alphacat is THAT GOOD, as evidence by his T.I. parody of Barack.

It also doesn't hurt that Alphacat is as good or better looking than Obama, which is the key to being a hot FakeBama. Really. It's insulting to pick an unattractive person to play the president-elect. As good looking or better, it's the only way to better exemplify the "Obama Fetish" everyone is rapidly developing like a full-body rash.

Parody skills: **** (four out of four stars)

General Hotness: ***1/2 (three and a half out of four)

Staff Sgt. Obama: Derrick Brooks

He stood in for Barack during the Inauguration rehearsals. Obama didn't see the resemblance, and yeah, they really don't look that much alike, other than the "light browness," but he's hot, so he's here.

Parody skills: None. He was just doing his job like any ridiculously sexy man in uniform would.

General Hotness: ****

Tropicana Obama: Michael Duvet, model/actor

Tropicana swears they were not trying to capitalize on "Hope Fever" when they cast this incredibly good looking actor for their print ad campaign.

Suuuuure. He's just Fake Obama Sexy for no damn reason at all.

Parody skills: *** (If it's a parody of looking cute while brown, he passes with flying colors.)

General Hotness: **** (That is a beautiful man, my friend. Once again, doesn't really look like Barack unless you squint, but ... ahem, he's dreamy.)

Keegan Obama: Keegan Michael-Kay, comedian

Now unemployed due to the slow death of SNL rival, Mad TV, Keegan Michael Key put up a serviceable Obama that was delightfully goofy and madcap (to match the sophomoric and weird energy of Mad TV). Keegan's only sin is that he's not as good looking as Barack, but he's good-looking enough to meet the standard.

Parody skills: ***

General Hotness: **1/2

Lamar Obama: Michael Lamar, professional FauxBama

Lamar, a professional Obama impersonator, recently went to France to spread some of that "Hope and Change" to our struggling black n' brown French homies. (One love to my Frenchie Snobs!) I don't think he looks anything like Obama (he looks a bit like an old, you know? Obama's younger looking and this guy's face is much more elongated). I think it's better when more youthful people play Obama, even individuals younger than him because it plays up the fact that Obama doesn't look "grandfatherly" like past presidents. He's energetic and hip.

Parody skills: Unknown (I've never seen the man do his thing)

General Hotness: * (He's cute, but not Obama cute ... if you know what I mean)

Roman Obama: Roman Watson, Jesus-loving male model

He starred in a Harper Bazaar's editorial last summer, helping Tyra Bank's indulge in her Michelle Obama fantasies. We weren't really impressed with Tyra's playing pretend, but Fake Barack was incredibly delicious looking, ears and all.

Here is what I initially wrote about RoBama:

He's a Miami-based, 6-foot-2-inch, Jesus-loving hunk of a male model who works for MC2 Model Management. I suggest restraint while looking through his portfolio. He really does look like Barack's insanely hot half-brother.

Parody skills: **** (All he had to strike a pose and that pose was hot)

General Hotness: **** (Did I mention he's a professional fashion model?)

Fred Obama: Fred Armisen, Saturday Night Live comedian/Habitual offender

You know how I all feel about Fred and his sometimes piss-poor forays into Barackatude. He kind of sucks at it. It's gotten better, but ... you know? Still kind of sucky. My fair Alphacat -- he's no you!

Parody skills: **1/2 (He's hit or miss)

General Hotness: *1/2 (Fred actually looks better dolled up as Obama than he does in real life. I don't know how to score that one. But, I also thought Fred made a cute Mahmoud too! Maybe he should just start tanning or something. Couldn't hurt, my fair not-white-white-guy.)

SNL's Fred Armisen Returns To The Snob's Bad Side

1) The biggest crime here is that this is a craptastic impression of New York's governor. I mean, really, he doesn't sound shit like David Paterson. Fred Armisen is officially just screwing with me now.

2) And is he really going to play every non-fat, notorious black man? Because he sincerely isn't good at it. Really. Darrell Hammond, a white man, does an outstanding Jesse Jackson impression despite the handicap of not being an actual black man. Almost makes me forget how annoyed I am over SNL not employing any black people. That's how good it is. Almost.

So what is your DEAL, Fred? Why are your black people so lame? I thought we were getting somewhere with the last Obama "Cool" sketch. I really thought you were improving. And now this abomination.

3) It goes without saying that Lorne Michael's needs to DIVERSIFY his staff, but ... whatever. We all know SNL isn't Mad TV and when they do hire any minorities they don't know what to do with them, and by "minorities" I mean the occasional black person, half black person, Latino and whatever Fred Armisen is (I believe he's part Lebanese). Asians Bobby Lee and Aasif Manvi need not apply.

If they're not going to take the integrated world seriously I don't know why they just won't make the whole show Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg. Or just Andy Samberg. Or just this digital skit here, shown in a loop for perpetuity. (I also love this one, and this one, and this holiday themed one and especially this one.)

4) New Jersey bashing: The one liners and put downs were funny, but, once again, what did that have to do with David Paterson?

5) Gov. Paterson has a lot of funny things about him that are fair game (some of which he, himself, has made fun of). While the Mr. Magoo shit Armisen did was in poor taste, I wasn't surprised because this is comedy. Mocking the blind gets cheap laughs. But the real thing that annoyed me was how they made it seem like Paterson couldn't do his job. No one as far as I've heard or read has ever said Paterson was unprepared to take on the job. Both Democrats and Republicans and Illinois were pretty happy to see him take the post because Paterson is considered to be highly intelligent, self-deprecating and pragmatic. Alluding that he's incompetent to do his job even though he was dully elected as the replacement for former New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer, made no sense.

Much like how Armisen's original portrayal of Barack as a clueless neophyte didn't make any sense based on who Obama is and how he actually carries himself. But maybe this is the default here. All black politicians are comically unprepared even if they are not in real life. Insert joke.

Hardy, har-har! Lame, SNL! Lame, Fred Armisen! LAME!!!