After nearly seven years as President, George W. Bush has left enough comedy material for us to laugh at to last at least as long as his next three successors. Not only that, once he moves out of the White House in the fall, people might finally lay off Jimmy Carter a little. Okay, maybe not but at the very least they might be on equal footing in the mockery department.
The animated Comedy Central series Lil’ Bush: Resident of the United States isn’t the first to poke fun at Bush’s pedigree but it certainly is an interesting take. Shrinking him and his cronies down into Fisher Price Little People, Bush rules the school much like he does America – with a lot of help from his friends and direction from his papa. The result is a satirical and juvenile look at a America’s dim-witted yet strong-willed leader – literally.
In his own words, Lil’ George isn’t a thinker or a doer, he’s a talker. The first season plays out like a warped right wing version of The Little Rascals with the son who could do no wrong looking to cover his tracks to ensure the record showed he couldn’t do wrong. For example, in “The Mexican” Lil’ George nearly loses Martin Luther King Day for all of America unless he bucks up and does his chores. Because he likes to sit back and drink milk on this special day (it’s MLK Day, you know), Lil’ George goes out and hires a Mexican immigrant to do his work for him at less than the going rate. Although the ensuing situation is hilarious in its own right, there’s added comedy with the timeliness and truth behind the joke. As you’re looking in the mirror, there’s a nervous laughter that comes out once you realize that it’s not all a gag.
Like an episode of The Monkees, each show contains a musical number featuring Lil’ George and his band. Although the lyrics are funny, there’s just something irresistible about seeing a Little People version of Donald Rumsfeld decked out in KISS garb or dressed as one of The Grateful Dead. Irreverent as these numbers are, they definitely add something a little extra to the package.
Even with the timelessness of Bush’s blunders, I have little doubt that much of Lil’ Bush’s humour will become dated within a couple of years. Why? Because it’s all about now. Presidents will change, issues will change and if the show intends to thrive beyond this fall, it must continue to evolve with the times. And should the show’s interpretations of Barrack Obama, Hillary Clinton or John McCain be any indication, Lil’ Bush’s run may come up short as they’re simply one-joke ponies – and some of the lamer jokes in the show at that.
Still, on this very day Lil’ Bush is funny. Lil’ Cheney and his mumbling will always be funny and so will Lil’ George and Lil’ Tony Blair evading gay innuendos whilst cheerleading. I’ll take what’s been served and hope that there’s still a little more left in the proverbial fridge. If not, Lil’ Bush was sure tasty while it lasted.
Lil’ Bush: Resident of the United States: Season One DVD Review
Lil’ Bush arrives on DVD with a solid mix of features. Audio commentaries are available with not only the show’s creators and cast, but with special guests as well. Jerry Springer, Ralph Nader and Tucker Carlson all drop by for individual episodes. A bonus episode called “Walter Reed”, which was made as a precaution in case Dick Cheney died and another episode would be deemed insensitive (so the introduction goes). Other features include “Lil’ George’s White House Tour”, cast and crew interviews and a six-minute table read.
Each episode is presented in its original full screen format with Dolby English stereo sound.
