NYT political reporter Glenn Thrush is high on life.
In a recent interview with Adweek, he admitted something that no Washington reporter should: that having his own Saturday Night Live impersonator has been a boon for his public image.
In a way it’s refreshing that he admits it. Except the only thing worse than a Washington reporter caring about his public image is a reporter who announces that he cares about his public image.
Screen grab.
Comedian Bobby Moynihan played Thrush in a sketch in early February. Comedian Melissa McCarthy, who plays White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, got into a brawl with Thrush’s impersonator. “Just by show of hands, who hates Glenn?” McCarthy asked the White House press corps during the fake presser.
Less importantly, his kids like it.
More importantly, he says, it helps him get his phone calls returned.
Not sure he enjoys how fat or balding his impersonator is, though. And it doesn’t seem like he always liked it. He flatly refused to comment on it during a February interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, who told him that his body is better than Moynihan’s.
But as far as Thrush’s brand is concerned, the impersonation is now a giant two thumbs up.
“My kids loved it,” gushed Thrush, who made the bottom of Adweek‘s keepin’ it real power player list. “It’s had no impact on the way I do my job. It’s been nice in terms of raising my profile and it probably gets my phone calls answered a little bit more quickly,” says Thrush of his SNL spotlight, adding, “I can’t do anything to control the way that Sean Spicer treats me or answers my questions. Remember, he’s the one with the microphone.”