Paul Shanklin (born 1962 in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

) is an American conservative political

satirist This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires. Under Contemporary, 1930-1960 ...

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...

, and conservative speaker. Shanklin wrote and voiced the characters for the songs and satirical comedy segments used by

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

host

Rush Limbaugh Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American conservative political commentator who was the host of '' The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nationally syndicated on AM and FM r ...

. Shanklin first came to media attention after doing his vocal impersonation of then-

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

for Memphis radio show host "The Big Kahuna", Bill Young. Shanklin was brought to the attention of Limbaugh by announcer Johnny Donovan, and was first featured on Limbaugh's show in May 1993. One of Shanklin's most controversial works was his 2007 parody "

Barack the Magic Negro The Magical Negro is a trope in American cinema, television, and literature. In the cinema of the United States, the Magical Negro is a supporting stock character who comes to the aid of white protagonists in a film. Magical Negro characters, w ...

", in which he impersonates

Al Sharpton Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, talk show host and politician. Sharpton is the founder of the National Action Network. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic ...

lamenting that white voters will perceive

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

as a "

magic negro The Magical Negro is a trope in American cinema, television, and literature. In the cinema of the United States, the Magical Negro is a supporting stock character who comes to the aid of white protagonists in a film. Magical Negro character ...

" and therefore favor Obama for president over him. This was based on a column titled "Obama the 'Magic Negro'" by black columnist David Ehrenstein in the ''Los Angeles Times''. The inclusion of this song on a CD by

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...

chairman candidate

Chip Saltsman John Bruce "Chip" Saltsman Jr. (born March 24, 1968) is an American politician who has served as chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party from 1999 to 2001, senior political advisor to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and manager of ...

in 2008 caused some consternation, resulting in him withdrawing his candidacy. Shanklin has released a total of 15 albums of political parody and has performed over 1,900 parody songs and skits for Limbaugh incorporating over 80 voice impressions.

Discography

Albums

* ''Bill Clinton: The Early Years'' * ''Bill Clinton: The Comeback Kid Tour'' * ''This Land Was Your Land'' * ''Executive Privileges'' * ''Simply Reprehensible'' * ''Vice Vice Baby'' * ''The Usual Suspects'' * ''Mama Told Me Not to Run'' * ''Talk Radio Classics Vol 1'' * ''Talk Radio Classics Vol 2'' * ''Holiday Classics'' (2006) * ''American Spastic'' (2006) * ''We Hate the USA'' (2008) * ''You Didn't Build That'' (2009) * ''Songs of the Revolution'' (2010)

References

External links

www.paulshanklin.com
nbsp;— Paul Shanklin's Web site {{DEFAULTSORT:Shanklin, Paul 1962 births Living people American satirists American parodists American impressionists (entertainers) Parody musicians People from Memphis, Tennessee The Rush Limbaugh Show 21st-century American comedians