There’s a lot of people who are classics for impersonation, even after the originals have left the scene. You still hear people do Nixon impressions, particularly the, “I am not a crook line.” What’s weird is that some generations know people only through their impressions. Take Humphrey Bogart, for instance. I’ve seen some of his movies, yet I probably know his voice primarily from actors and comedians imitating him.
But the leader in the living-on-through-impersonation category would have to be Ed Sullivan. I’m too young to have seen his show; of course, I’ve seen clips such as the famous Beatles performance. But mostly I know his “really big shoe” voice and mannerisms through years of comedians hamming it up.
But, when I hear people imitate Bill Cosby, I wonder, can I really trust impersonations of Ed Sullivan? If they're as far off as Cosby routines, we've been lied to.
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