Jenna Bush Hager has opened up about how her father George W. Bush reacted to being used as the butt of the jokes on Saturday Night Live during and after his presidency.
The 42-year-old former first daughter shed some light on her father’s true feelings about being routinely mocked on the comedy sketch show, which famously drags political leaders into its skits.
But while SNL has poked fun at everything from George’s politics and policies to his intelligence, Jenna says he actually enjoyed seeing the different ways the NBC show would portray him — and claimed he laughed at its mockery.
The Today With Hoda & Jenna host went so far as to claim that her father, now 77, actually ‘loved’ being raked over the coals by SNL – and admitted that her family used to make him watch episodes where they knew he was being made fun of as a form of teasing.
Jenna Bush Hager has revealed she loves teasing her father George W. Bush – adding she and him share the same ‘love language’
Jenna shared that she got her sense of humor from her father, 77, who served as president from 2001 to 2009 and ‘loved’ to laugh at the comments made about him
Jenna admitted that she finds it fun to ‘harass’ her dad – before noting that he didn’t pay attention to jokes made about him – especially the ones on SNL (Will Ferrell seen as President Bush)
‘We’d show him like Saturday Night Live (episodes) where they’d make fun of him and stuff. He loved it, she said of her father, who served as president from 2001 to 2009.
According to Jenna, George W’s laid-back approach to merciless mockery has made him a target not only for shows like SNL, but also among his own family members, and admits she finds it fun to ‘harass’ her dad whenever possible .
‘My love language is frying – like gently frying. I’m not trying to be mean. I like to harass my father,” she said.
Afterwards, Jenna noted that when her father was president, she and her twin sister Barbara often showed her father the jokes people made about him online.
One time we were at the gym and there was a bumper sticker that said, “A Texas Village Is Missing Its Idiot.” Barbara and I read it and took a moment and told our father.
“He didn’t care, he thought it was funny,” she said.
Hoda then chimed in, saying his sense of humor was ‘the difference’.
‘See, that’s the difference. I think you can’t laugh at yourself, then you feel there is some truth in it,’ added the 59-year-old.
While talking to Hoda, Jenna explained that she loved to tease her friends and family
Afterwards, Jenna noted that when her father was president, she and her twin sister Barbara often showed her father the jokes people made about him online.
She added that they took it a step further by showing him the skits done mocking him on SNL (pictured as kids with their parents)
Jenna jumped back in, noting that her father also knew it came with the territory.
‘If you’re going to be the president of the United States, people will make fun of you. And guess what? It’s not just about you, said the 42-year-old.
Former President Bush was impersonated by Will Ferrell for many years on the comedy show, branding him as a giggly and argumentative man.
However, the former president often made it clear that he didn’t mind the jabs.
Jenna has often praised her relationship with her father and her family, as she has previously revealed that she and Barbara were given boy nicknames by their parents.
SNL has made fun of a number of former presidents, including George Ford, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and more.
And while some former presidents have been able to brush off the jokes on TV, one decided to fight them.
SNL has made fun of a number of former presidents, including George Ford, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and more (Darrell Hammond seen as Bill Clinton on SNL)
Barack Obama was also one of the many presidents who were teased and joined in on the fun
When Donald Trump’s turn came to be teased on SNL, the former president made it clear he wasn’t going to stand idly by
When it came to Donald Trump’s turn to be teased on SNL, the former president made it clear he wasn’t going to stand idly by.
After Trump found out about Alec Baldwin’s impersonation of him on the show and how it mocked him, he made sure to let the world know he wasn’t going to ignore the jabs.
At the time, he called for the show to be looked into more closely.
He tweeted: ‘It’s really amazing that shows like Saturday Night Live, no fun/no talent, can spend all their time bashing the same person (me) over and over again without so much as mentioning “the other page.” ”
‘Like an advertisement without consequences. Same with Late Night Shows. Should the Federal Election Commission and/or the FCC investigate this?’
He resumed his feud with SNL months later after they once again teased him.
Former President Trump took to Twitter again to vent his frustrations, saying: ‘I once hosted SNL and the ratings were HUUUGE! Now, however, the viewing figures are lower than ever before, and the show will probably be put to rest’.