Gran Cuñado Political Spoof Returns

Marcelo Tinelli’s Saturday Night Live-like spoof on Argentina’s top political figures returned to the airwaves Monday night. The skits, which air on Canal 13 at around 11:309pm every night, are about as close as Argentine television comes to producing something like a Saturday Night Live sketch.

Tinelli’s political spoof’s, which are based on a satirical version of the reality show Big Brother, became famous during the failed presidency of Fernando de la Rua. Back then, and even now again, Tinelli made De la Rua look like an utter fool.

But stereotypes, of course, are often based on at least a grain of truth, and Tinelli’s take on De la Rua wouldn’t have worked had De la Rua not been so inept in so many ways.

In the same way, Tinelli’s take on Cristina Fernández Tuesday night was very nearly spot on, especially when it came to imitating the way she moves her eyes, brushes her hair and talks in long pauses.

For all of you interested in politics, the sketches will be not just the talk of the town until the election but they could, analysts say, actually have a real impact on the results of the June 28 election by leading swing voters to vote for or against certain candidates. In a tight election, even a comedy show like this could make the difference between winning and losing.

When: Weeknights at around 11:30pm
Where: Canal 13, Show Match

If you’re outside the country, you can watch Canal 13 live by clicking here.