MESA, AZ — The closer we get to election day, the world of political satire garners more and more material to help us make sense of where politicians stand on their issues.
One Mesa comedian was thrust into the spotlight partly because of her unique talent.
The comedy career of Allison Reese started at Desert Ridge High School. She wanted to be part of the sketch comedy show the student council puts on and she ended up becoming student body president.
Now she’s made a name for herself – impersonating the vice president.
When Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, in the Chicago audience was Reese.
”I got a seat, thankfully. It was a mad dash to get a seat,” she said.
She recognized the importance of the moment because she can thank the VP for a big bump in her comedy career.
When asked what Harris would have to say about the Arizona heat, Reese didn’t hesitate as she started her Harris impression, saying, “You know, I like Arizona, but it is too hot. I thought I was in a hair dryer.”
A written quote doesn’t do her impression of Harris’ laugh justice.
It’s uncanny.
Reese had that impression in her back pocket from when she was invited to do a comedy showcase for Saturday Night Live back in 2019.
In that time, Reese worked at clubs, voiced an animated character produced by Stephen Colbert in "Tooning out the News," and was even in the movie, "Bros."
But she admits the Harris impression is her biggest break yet.
When Biden stepped down and endorsed Harris, Reese said she was “gobsmacked” and “shocked.”
”I knew things would pick up if she became the nominee but I could not have predicted all of this,” she said.
The impression has taken a life of its own on social media where she has nearly 300,000 followers on TikTok. She got invited to the DNC where she interviewed Kerry Washington and created plenty of material.
On the surface, it may look like just imitating a political figure, but this kind of satire can help people understand complex parts of politics. It can help some cope with disheartening news and engage people who may otherwise not be interested in policies that shape our lives.
Heather LaMarre is a professor of communication and social influence at Temple University.
“That entertaining piece of it really brings people in, then they will go do information seeking about what that comedian is even talking about. That’s really important for undecided voters or the politically inattentive voters,” said LaMarre.
Reese says the voice she mimics can be a powerful one.
”When it’s brought to you in a fun, light-hearted way, that’s respectful to the topic still, only good comes from that,” said Reese.
Reese has taken her character for a podcast where she does interviews as the VP and much of her content is on TikTok, a key driver for young voters.
