When Tucker Carlson needed an impressionist to deal with Vice President Kamala Harris, he contacted a mother of three with no professional experience on the comedy scene.
And Ester Paltielova – AKA Estee Palti – killed it. That is no surprise.
Paltielova’s impression of Harris made social media users howl for a while, starting with the first time she approached TikTok during the pandemic. Her Harris impersonation is spot on, from the infamous chuckles to the Democratic Party’s sleazy speeches.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find an established imitator who can do better, and that’s part of the problem. Professional comedians won’t go near Harris, whether to poke fun at her political flaws or imitate her chants to Venn diagram or school bus.
“Everybody understands that if you follow an image you will be portrayed negatively. A lot of people are afraid to take on this role,” Paltielova said.
Not this petty impressionism.
Paltielova, known on social media as mommyrn88, said: “She pleased me for days with her eccentric speeches.
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Paltielova started her curious hustle on TikTok. She did some lip-syncing routines until someone noticed her voice sounded like Harris’s. She decided to give Harris an “official” try, and a few months later, she had one of the best roles online about the next woman to run for President.
She may not have any stage experience, but she has appeared multiple times on both Fox News and Rebel News to impersonate her vice president.
Turns out she’s a natural imitator.
“I am a very observant person by nature. I’ll see [Harris’] her speech, her rhythm, what she does with her face when she smiles,” she says of her technique.
Until recently, she may have had an impression of a coworker or family member. Now, her craft work is being viewed by millions. Her Fox News appearances boosted her online profile, which includes over 16k YouTube subscribers, 40,000 Instagram followers, and a 110k strong TikTok herd.
Paltielova describes herself as conservative, and she’s had a hard time figuring out what happens when you share far-right views on select platforms. For instance, she has been de-monetized on TikTok, but often shares her work on multiple sites to increase other revenue streams.
She was also branded as a racist without anything to support the hurtful allegation.
“I don’t do blackface. Race has nothing to do with it,” she said.
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Paltielova isn’t the only Harris impressionist on the web. Elsa Kurt done smartly about Vice President, happy to exploit her flaws for humorous purposes. The talented Maya Rudolph from “Saturday Night Live” occasionally brings Harris to NBC shows, but something is still missing, according to Paltielova.
Satire.
“That’s not really an impression,” she said. “There’s no way she’s targeting her own flaws.”
That’s a problem, she added.
“It’s not good, we can’t laugh [at political figures],” said Paltielova, who once mocked former President Donald Trump. “Comedy should have no limits. It’s okay to laugh with everyone.”
