The X-Presidents - Misplaced Pages

American TV cartoon series

The X-Presidents is an NBC/Saturday Night Live Saturday TV Funhouse cartoon created by Robert Smigel and animated by J. J. Sedelmaier Productions.

Plot

This cartoon features the four former American Presidents who were still alive in 1997 — Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush (all of whom were voiced by Jim Morris) — as a superhero team. This recurring sketch debuted on January 11, 1997, and a total of nine installments were produced between 1997 and 2004. The four former leaders were endowed with superpowers when struck by lightning at a celebrity golf tournament. The title is a play on words, both referencing that the members are ex-Presidents, and alluding to the Marvel Comics franchise, X-Men. Bill Clinton, who doesn't have superpowers, also occasionally aids the group. Their wives are also members of a similar group, The X-First Ladies, with more flamboyant powers.

In the episode "Nixon," Richard Nixon and his dog Checkers are resurrected to aid the group. In the episode "The Hunt for Osama", Bob Dole, the Republican presidential candidate in the 1996 election and vice presidential candidate in the 1976 election, is shown as the butler of the group's headquarters, asking if he can join the group in hunting down Osama Bin Laden, to which Reagan says "Dole, just be glad we let you be butler".

The episode "Propaganda" features Tom Kenny reprising his role as SpongeBob SquarePants who is roped in by the group to make a pro-Iraq War propaganda cartoon, only to be put off by the racist and vulgar content. George W. Bush also appears at the beginning and end of the episode while Dick Cheney makes a cameo appearance.

The cartoons end with the X-Presidents singing a song that recounts the episode's message. The Ambiguously Gay Duo, another series of shorts created by Robert Smigel and J. J. Sedelmaier, made a special guest appearance in The X-Presidents episode "The Hunt for Osama". The sketch broadly parodies Hanna-Barbera/Filmation cartoons from the 1970s.

In 2006, Smigel said he had written a script for a X-Presidents film with Adam McKay.

Comic adaptation

The cartoon short was adapted to a graphic novel by Random House Books.

References

"Comedy Central puppet show not for kids". CNN.com. 2000-12-27. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
Episode# 1 01.11.1997
Episode# 3 02.07.1998
Layser, Anthony (April 28, 2006). "Gay Duo Host SNL "Funhouse" Special". TV Guide. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
"X Presidents 279-A, September 2000 Graphic Novel / Trade by Villard". Comiccollectorlive.com. Retrieved 2009-02-02.

Saturday Night Live

Seasons

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
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25
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31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
- At Home
46
47
48
49
50

Episodes

History

History

Lists

Commercials
Short films
Cast members
Writers
Guests
- A–D
- E–H
- I–L
- M–P
- Q–T
- U–Z
Awards
DVD releases
Incidents
Unsuccessful auditions

Characters
and sketches

Introduced in season	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

Characters
and sketches

Impersonations	Joe Biden George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton Hillary Clinton Sarah Palin Donald Trump

Digital Shorts

Films based
on sketches

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video (1979)
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures (1986)
Bob Roberts (1992)
Wayne's World (1992)
Wayne's World 2 (1993)
Coneheads (1993)
It's Pat (1994)
Stuart Saves His Family (1995)
A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
The Waterboy (1998)
Superstar (1999)
The Ladies Man (2000)
A Mighty Wind (2003)
Harold (2008)
MacGruber (2010)

Specials

International
versions

SNL Québec (Canada)
Saturday Night Live bil Arabi (Egypt)
Le Saturday Night Live (France)
RTL Samstag Nacht (Germany)
SNL Milano (Italy)
Saturday Night Live Japan
Saturday Night Live Korea
- episodes
Saturday Night Live (Spain)
Saturday Live (United Kingdom)
- episodes

v t e Richard Nixon
37th President of the United States (1969–1974) 36th Vice President of the United States (1953–1961) U.S. Senator from California (1950–1953) U.S. Representative for CA–12 (1947–1950)
Presidency	Transition First inauguration Second inauguration Nixon Doctrine "Bring Us Together" Economic policies Nixon shock Tar Baby Option Environmental Protection Agency creation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space exploration 1971 National Cancer Act Vietnam War Cambodian bombing Paris Peace Accords "Peace with Honor" Vietnamization Silent majority Cold War period Linkage policy Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act 1970 Lincoln Memorial visit 1972 visit to China Shanghai Communiqué Détente 1972 Moscow Summit Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty SALT I Treaty Prevention of Nuclear War Agreement Threshold Test Ban Treaty Endangered Species Act National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse War on Drugs Drug Enforcement Administration Cannabis policy Enemies List list of opponents Operation CHAOS Watergate timeline White House tapes United States v. Nixon Senate Watergate Committee impeachment process "I am not a crook" Resignation speech Pardon State of the Union Address 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 Wilson desk Judicial appointments Supreme Court controversies Executive Orders Presidential Proclamations
Life and politics	Richard Nixon Foundation Presidential Library and Museum Birthplace and boyhood home Checkers speech 1958 motorcade attack Kitchen Debate Operation 40 "Last press conference" Florida White House "La Casa Pacifica" Nixon Center Nixon v. General Services Administration Death and state funeral
Books	Six Crises (1962) Bibliography
Elections	U.S. House of Representatives: 1946 1948 U.S. Senate: 1950 California gubernatorial election: 1962 GOP presidential primaries: 1960 1964 1968 1972 GOP national conventions: 1952 1956 1960 campaign 1968 campaign 1972 campaign Presidential elections: 1952 transition 1956 1960 debates Kennedy transition 1968 1972
Popular culture	"Nixon goes to China" Millhouse (1971 film) An Evening with Richard Nixon (1972 play) Richard (1972 film) Another Nice Mess (1972 film) Four More Years (1972 film) Impeach the President (1973 song) The Werewolf of Washington (1973 film) White House Madness (1975 film) All the President's Men (1976 film) The Public Burning (1977 novel) Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977 miniseries) Secret Honor (1984 film) Nixon in China (1987 opera) The Final Days (1989 film) Nixon (1995 film) Elvis Meets Nixon (1997 film) Futurama (1999 TV series) Dick (1999 film) Nixon's China Game (2000 film) Dark Side of the Moon (2002 film) The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004 film) Frost–Nixon interviews (2006 play, 2008 film) Black Dynamite (2009 film) "The Impossible Astronaut" (2011 TV episode) Our Nixon (2013 film) X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014 film) Crooked (2015 novel) Elvis & Nixon (2016 film) The Post (2017 film) Watergate (2019 board game) U.S. postage stamp
Related	Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act Presidential Townhouse Richard Nixon mask
Staff	Jack Brennan (aide de camp) Murray Chotiner (early campaign manager) Manolo Sanchez (valet) Rose Mary Woods (secretary)
Family	Thelma "Pat" Ryan Nixon (wife) Tricia Nixon Cox (daughter) Julie Nixon Eisenhower (daughter) Christopher Nixon Cox (grandson) Jennie Eisenhower (granddaughter) Francis A. Nixon (father) Hannah Milhous Nixon (mother) Donald Nixon (brother) Edward Nixon (brother)
← Lyndon B. Johnson Gerald Ford → Category

v t e Gerald Ford
38th President of the United States (1974–1977) 40th Vice President of the United States (1973–1974) U.S. Representative for MI–5 (1949–1973)
Presidency (timeline)	Inauguration Timeline Foreign policy Federal-Aid Highway Amendments of 1974 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Safe Drinking Water Act Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 Equal Credit Opportunity Act Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Education for All Handicapped Children Act Vladivostok Summit Meeting on Arms Control Helsinki Accords National Security Study Memorandum 200 Nixon pardon Whip inflation now Cannabis policy Wilson desk Assassination attempts Sacramento San Francisco State of the Union Addresses 1975 1976 1977 Judicial appointments Supreme Court candidates controversies Executive Orders Presidential Proclamations
Life	Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens President Gerald R. Ford Jr. Boyhood Home Gerald R. Ford Jr. House Warren Commission Confirmation as Vice President AEI World Forum Death and state funeral Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Elections	United States House of Representatives elections 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1976 presidential election Carter transition Republican Party presidential primaries 1976 1980 1976 Republican National Convention 1976 1980
Cultural depictions	The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) Superman vs. Muhammad Ali (1978) Dynasty (1981) The Betty Ford Story (1987) Assassins (1990) "Two Bad Neighbors" (1996) Saturday Night Live parodies The X-Presidents (1997) Presidential Reunion (2010) The Political Machine (2004) The Butler (2013) The First Lady (2022)
Legacy	Gerald R. Ford International Airport Gerald R. Ford Award Ford School of Public Policy Ford House Office Building USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) Gerald R. Ford Freeway U.S. Postage stamps Statue
Family	Charles Henry King (grandfather) Leslie Lynch King Sr. (father) Dorothy Gardner Ford (mother) Gerald Rudolff Ford (stepfather) Thomas Gardner Ford (half-brother) Betty Ford (wife) Michael Gerald Ford (son) John Gardner Ford (son) Steven Meigs Ford (son) Susan Ford Bales (daughter) Liberty (family dog)
← Richard Nixon Jimmy Carter → ← Spiro Agnew Nelson Rockefeller → Category

v t e Jimmy Carter
39th President of the United States (1977–1981) 76th Governor of Georgia (1971–1975) Georgia State Senator (1963–1967)
Presidency (timeline)	Transition Inauguration Timeline 1977 1978 1979 1980 January 1981 Political positions Judicial appointments controversies Executive Actions Executive Order 12036 Executive Order 12086 Executive Order 12148 Executive Order 12170 Executive Order 12172 Carter bonds Rabbit incident Catoctin Mountain Park Run Carter Doctrine Camp David Accords Egypt–Israel peace treaty Torrijos–Carter Treaties Iran hostage crisis Operation Eagle Claw Canadian Caper Engagement with Ruhollah Khomeini 1979 oil crisis Support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War Diplomatic relations with China Goldwater v. Carter Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 Senior Executive Service Strategic Arms Limitation Talks International trips 1980 Summer Olympics boycott Cannabis policy Community Reinvestment Act Airline Deregulation Act Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 Clean Water Act of 1977 Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act Federal Reserve Reform Act of 1977 Electronic Fund Transfer Act Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Financial Institutions Regulatory and Interest Rate Control Act of 1978 Right to Financial Privacy Act Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act Superfund Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 Solar power at the White House Three Mile Island accident Presidential transition of Ronald Reagan
Speeches	Moral Equivalent of War Island of Stability A Crisis of Confidence State of the Union Addresses 1978 1979 1980 1981
Elections	Georgia gubernatorial elections 1966 1970 Presidential campaigns 1976 1980 Democratic Party presidential primaries 1976 1980 Democratic National Conventions 1972 1976 1980 Presidential debates 1976 1980 Presidential elections 1976 1980
Post-presidency	Carter Center Presidential Library and Museum Habitat for Humanity Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project The Elders Jimmy Carter National Historical Park Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter House Nairobi Agreement, 1999 One America Appeal Continuity of Government Commission Death and state funeral
Books	Everything to Gain (1987) The Hornet's Nest (2003) Our Endangered Values (2006) Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (2006) reaction and commentary Beyond the White House (2007) We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land (2009) White House Diary (2010) A Call to Action (2014) A Full Life (2015)
Awards and honors	Nobel Peace Prize Presidential Medal of Freedom Freedom of the City Silver Buffalo Award Philadelphia Liberty Medal United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights Hoover Medal Christopher Award Carter–Menil Human Rights Prize Grammy Award
Legacy	Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue (1976) USS Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter National Historical Park (1987) Georgia State Capitol statue (1994)
Related	Plains, Georgia Birthplace Home Mary Prince (nanny) UFO incident Jimmy Carter (2002 television documentary) Man from Plains (2007 documentary) Eradication of dracunculiasis "Mush from the Wimp"
Family	Rosalynn Carter (wife) Jack Carter (son) Amy Carter (daughter) Jason Carter (grandson) James Earl Carter Sr. (father) Lillian Gordy Carter (mother) Gloria Carter Spann (sister) Ruth Carter Stapleton (sister) Billy Carter (brother) Emily Dolvin (aunt) Hugh Carter (cousin)
← Gerald Ford Ronald Reagan → Category

v t e Ronald Reagan
40th President of the United States (1981–1989) 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975)
Life and politics	Birthplace Pitney Store Boyhood home Rancho del Cielo Filmography Political positions Governorship of California Presidential Library and Museum Reagan Era Death and state funeral
Presidency	Transition First inauguration Second inauguration Domestic policy Economic policy Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 Tax Reform Act of 1986 Assassination attempt Strategic Defense Initiative Foreign policy Reagan Doctrine Cold War 1st term 2nd term Soviet Union summits Geneva Reykjavík Washington INF Treaty Moscow Governors Island Constructive engagement Invasion of Grenada Iran–Contra affair Libya bombing Cannabis policy International trips The Grace Commission Cabinet Judicial appointments Supreme Court controversies Administration scandals "We begin bombing in five minutes" Impeachment efforts Executive orders Presidential proclamations Bush transition
Speeches	Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine (1961) "A Time for Choosing" (1964) Neshoba County Fair "states' rights" speech (1980) First inaugural address (1981) Joint session of Congress (1981) "Ash heap of history" (1982) "Evil empire" (1983) Second inaugural address (1985) "Tear down this wall!" (1987) State of the Union 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
Books	An American Life The Reagan Diaries
Elections	1966 California gubernatorial election 11th commandment 1970 California gubernatorial election Republican presidential primaries (1968 1976 1980 1984) Republican National Convention (1968 1976 1980 1984) 1976 presidential campaign 1980 presidential campaign "There you go again" "Let's make America great again" 1984 presidential campaign "Morning in America" "Bear in the woods" United States presidential election (1976 1980 1984)
Cultural depictions	Bibliography In music Let Them Eat Jellybeans! (1981) U.S. Postage stamps Rap Master Ronnie Ed the Happy Clown (1983 comic series) Spitting Image (TV series) (1984) A Mind Forever Voyaging (1985 game) The Dark Knight Returns (1986) film adaptation Pizza Man (1991 film) The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001 film) Reagan's War (2002 book) The Reagans (2003 film) Reagan (2011 documentary) The Butler (2013 film) Killing Reagan (2015 book) Killing Reagan (2016 film) Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020 game) The Reagans (2020 miniseries) Reagan (2023 film) "What would Reagan do?" Reykjavik (TBA)
Memorials	U.S. Capitol statue USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) Namesakes and memorials Ronald Reagan Day Reagan Day Dinner
Family	Jane Wyman (first wife) Nancy Reagan (second wife) Maureen Reagan (daughter) Michael Reagan (adopted son) Patti Davis (daughter) Ron Reagan (son) Jack Reagan (father) Nelle Wilson Reagan (mother) Neil Reagan (brother) Rex (dog)
← Jimmy Carter George H. W. Bush → Category

George H. W. Bush

41st President of the United States (1989–1993)
43rd Vice President of the United States (1981–1989)
Director of Central Intelligence (1976–1977)
UN Ambassador (1971–1973)
U.S. Representative for TX–7 (1967–1971)

Presidency

Life

Speeches

Joint session of Congress (1989)
State of the Union addresses
- 1990
- 1991
- 1992
Chicken Kiev

Elections

U.S. Senate	1964 1970
U.S. House	1966 1968
Vice Presidential	1980 campaign selection convention election transition 1984 campaign convention election
Presidential	1980 campaign primaries 1988 campaign primaries running mate selection convention "a thousand points of light" "Read my lips: no new taxes" debates election 1992 campaign primaries convention debates election Clinton transition

Public image

Saturday Night Live parodies
- The X-Presidents
- Presidential Reunion (2010 short film)
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)
What It Takes: The Way to the White House (1993)
The Silence of the Hams (1994)
George Bush: The Life of a Lone Star Yankee (1997)
The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty (2004)
George H.W. Bush (2008)
Bad for Democracy (2008)
Family of Secrets (2009)
41: A Portrait of My Father (2014 book)
Destiny and Power (2015 book)

Books

A World Transformed (1998)
All the Best (1999)

Legacy

Family

Barbara Bush (wife)
George W. Bush (son
presidency)
Pauline Robinson Bush (daughter)
Jeb Bush (son)
Neil Bush (son)
Marvin Bush (son)
Dorothy Bush Koch (daughter)
Barbara Bush Coyne (granddaughter)
Jenna Bush Hager (granddaughter)
George P. Bush (grandson)
Lauren Bush (granddaughter)
Pierce Bush (grandson)
Prescott Bush (father)
Dorothy Walker Bush (mother)
Nancy Walker Bush Ellis (sister)
Jonathan Bush (brother)
William H. T. Bush (brother)
Samuel P. Bush (grandfather)
George Herbert Walker (grandfather)
James Smith Bush (great-grandfather)
Obadiah Bush (great-great-grandfather)
Millie (family dog)
Sully (service dog)

← Ronald Reagan
Bill Clinton →

Category

Bill Clinton

42nd President of the United States (1993–2001)
40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas (1979–1981, 1983–1992)

Presidency
(timeline)

Life and
legacy

Speeches

Joint session of Congress (1993)
Joint session of Congress (health care reform) (1993)
State of the Union addresses
- 1994
- 1995
- 1996
- 1997
- 1998
- 1999
- 2000

Elections

U.S. House	1974
Gubernatorial	1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1990
Presidential	1992 campaign "Make America Great Again" primaries running mate selection convention debates election theme song 1996 campaign primaries convention debates election

Books

Namesakes

Popular
culture

Family

Hillary Rodham Clinton (wife)
Chelsea Clinton (daughter)
William Jefferson Blythe Jr. (father)
Virginia Clinton Kelley (mother)
Roger Clinton Sr. (first stepfather)
Roger Clinton Jr. (brother)
Jeff Dwire (second stepfather)
Socks (cat)
Buddy (dog)
Whitehaven (residence)

← George H. W. Bush
George W. Bush →

Category

George W. Bush

43rd President of the United States (2001–2009)
46th Governor of Texas (1995–2000)

Presidency
(timeline)

Life and
legacy

Speeches

Joint session of Congress (Feb 2001)
Remarks at the Islamic Center of Washington (2001)
Joint session of Congress (September 11 attacks) (2001)
Mission Accomplished (2003)
State of the Union addresses
- 2002 ("Axis of evil")
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008

Elections

U.S. House	1978
Gubernatorial	1994 1998
Presidential	2000 campaign primaries running mate selection convention debates election Bush v. Gore 2004 campaign primaries convention debates election

Public image

Books

Popular
culture

Family

Laura Bush (wife)
Barbara Pierce Bush (daughter)
Jenna Bush Hager (daughter)
George H. W. Bush (father
presidency)
Barbara Bush (mother)
Robin Bush (sister)
Jeb Bush (brother)
Neil Bush (brother)
Marvin Bush (brother)
Dorothy Bush Koch (sister)
Barney (dog)
Miss Beazley (dog)
India (cat)
Spot Fetcher (dog)

← Bill Clinton
Barack Obama →

Category

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