Jamie Reidy raves about Bruce Springsteen’s hilarious skit on a recent episode of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”
Check out this clip from TVguide.com to see The Boss reveal his playful side while dueting with the host on a cover of LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It.”
First of all, how amazing/creepy is Jimmy Fallon’s Neil Young impersonation? Wow. Hands down, JF is the most talented late night host in history.
But the story of this clip is the leader of The E Street Band.
Full disclosure: Bruce is a hero of mine. I attended high school in New Jersey. I spent the summer after college graduation living down The Shore. I’ve seen him in concert five times. I may not be as rabid of a Bruce fan as some of my friends, but I do know all the words to “Lost in The Flood.”
Yet, despite all that, I still didn’t recognize The Boss when he strode to the mic during that bit on Fallon. It looked like someone pretending to be Bruce circa the “Born in The USA” tour from ’85. (Note: in a later interview, Bruce admitted that the bandana was from the aforementioned tour.) That hair! And even his nose looked like a costume.  Maybe it’s Adam Sandler, I thought.
But then I heard that voice. Unmistakable, even if singing LMFAO lyrics. BrucefreakingSpringsteen is poking fun at himself! Â (Sorry about the nose comment, sir.)
The Boss showed just how comfortable he is in his own skin.
We talk a lot at GMP about what makes a good man in the 21st century. Thank you, Bruce, for reminding me of the rarity and importance of being able to laugh at one’s self.  “Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.”
Are there any other superstars who would have been willing to parody themselves to such an extent?
Photo: Associated Press
In Bruce’s case, though, he is right. He’s sexy and even if he doesn’t know it, I always have! He’s pretty much the only white guy I ever fantasize about…. 😉
Chad Smith (RHCP) looks nearly identical to Will Ferrell and is constantly mistaken for Will Ferrell, even by paparazzi, because Ferrell is so much more famous. Most people who care about rock music think Chad Smith is one of the top 5 rock drummers in history, so Smith could have a really douchey attitude over being in Will Ferrell’s shadow, but he thinks it’s funny. I’ve seen tons of interviews where he makes fun of being the SNL star’s identical twin brother. I once even heard Will Ferrell joke about being confused for Chad Smith. Bet I’ll think of more,… Read more »
If you’re famous and you have no sense of humor about yourself, or you take yourself too seriously, then the press will hound you mercilessly. Making fun of yourself takes all the sting out of it when someone else wants to make fun of you. It’s just good public relations.