Aaron Sorkin‘s “The Newsroom” is getting a taste of its own medicine in a new parody of the first episode’s memorable speech in which Jeff Daniels‘ anchorman character, Will McAvoy, delivers an epic takedown of America at a college speaking engagement.
In the HBO drama, Daniels is asked by a nervous college student what makes America the greatest country in the world. In the Funny or Die sketch, the same college student asks actor Luke Barnett why “The Newsroom” is the greatest show on television.
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Like Daniels, Barnett just can’t help but tell the cold, hard truth: “It’s not.”
“There is absolutely zero evidence to support the statement that ‘The Newsroom’ is the greatest show on television. Sure, it was nominated for two Golden Globes, but that’s kind of like winning a ‘Most Improved’ award in your 8th grade math class,” Barnett says in a scathing monologue. “They have a storyline based around the kid from ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ believing in Bigfoot, and it has the worst. Writing. For Women. Ever. Period. … The reason Sam Waterston drinks so much on the show is because it’s the only way he can get through a storyline about Bigfoot.”
Vince Masciale — who has directed episodes of several reality television series, including E!’s “Shahs of Sunset” — directed the short, which was co-written by Barnett and Jason Jaggard.
