Toronto Star

The ultimate GOP mixtape

A traipse through titles to tell the tale

- NICK PATCH ENTERTAINM­ENT REPORTER

There may be no better place to be this weekend than a Cleveland open mic night, because the comedy world has shifted Midwest for the Republican National Convention (RNC).

With Donald Trump clinching the nomination, funny people all around town are in a competitio­n of their own for viral-comedy supremacy.

A roundup of some of the comics joining the mockery:

Samantha Bee Bee journeyed to the “43rd and possibly the last Republican National Convention” in a bus wrapped in a Herman Cain campaign ad, with her image simply slapped over his.

Later, she tried to enjoy the lakeside city’s sites before being overcome by a horde of zombies in Trump merchandis­e.

Stephen Colbert Colbert scored the first comic coup of the RNC by hijacking the stage at Quicken Loans Arena in a sky-blue wig (he’s been riffing on the “hungry for power games” with a character inspired by Caesar Flickerman).

Then, he launched a week of Late Show convention coverage with the jubilant song-and-dance tune “The RNC Is like Christmas in July,” during which he called Trump an “orange manatee” and shimmied in a Stars and Stripes spangled vest.

Eric Andre The eccentric comic crashed an unofficial event hosted by radio host and prolific conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

In a video captured by Tim & Eric’s Tim Heidecker and posted to Facebook, Andre is filmed cutting through an agitated swarm to get onstage and telling Jones: “They keep pushing me, but I just wanted to sign up for the open mic.”

Jon Stewart The Daily Show’s longtime host was lured from blissful, bearded semiretire­ment (and self-made kale jerky, apparently) by his old pal Colbert, who broke the news to Stewart that Trump was the presumptiv­e candidate.

The duo then swapped turns insulting Trump, with quips including: “decomposin­g jack-o’-lantern,” “the guy whose eyes look like tiny versions of his mouth” and “angry Creamsicle.”

The other contenders Trevor Noah’s taking his Daily Show on the road for a week, deeming the convention a “dangerous joke.”

Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” team of Michael Che and Colin Jost are crashing both parties’ convention­s for specials. And James Corden is swimming against the stream by skipping the convention for a “Carpool Karaoke” instalment starring First Lady Michelle Obama. Maybe Melania Trump can lip-synch along?

 ?? CBS/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? First lady Michelle Obama appeared on James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” segment on his late night show.
CBS/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS First lady Michelle Obama appeared on James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” segment on his late night show.
 ?? J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Comedian Stephen Colbert performed his “hungry for power games” bit.
J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Comedian Stephen Colbert performed his “hungry for power games” bit.
 ?? @BECKET/TWITTER ?? Samantha Bee brought a Herman Cain bus and slapped her image over his.
@BECKET/TWITTER Samantha Bee brought a Herman Cain bus and slapped her image over his.

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