The reigning hot topic of conversation for the past year has been the 2016 presidential election in the United States, and so it’s not a surprise to me that political humor has leaked into Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Tina Fey is not one to run away from a political joke, so I definitely picture her and co-creator Robert Carlock gathering little acorns of references to use whenever production for the new season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt started. Suffice it to say that there are plenty of political jokes in Season 3 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Some of them made me laugh, and some of them just made me depressed because they are based on the country's new reality.
The 2016 election was divisive and ugly, and Kimmy Schmidt lives in a world of rainbows and butterflies (even though she was held captive for 15 years by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne). So the jokes are biting towards their intended targets, but they’re not all-out mean. Mostly, they just point out the ridiculousness of the situation, and that’s something that Fey and Carlock are good at. Jokes aren’t funny if they’re punching down on the less fortunate, but they are always funny when punching up. That’s why these 2016 election jokes work on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Jacqueline Attended Trump University
Makes sense to me that she would attend Trump’s beleaguered college. By the way, the school mascot on the show are the "Trump University Pricks," to which Jacqueline shouts, “Go pricks!”
The "Lamestream" Media
This phrase got its start in the big-time with Sarah Palin during the 2008 election, but Trump adopted it as his own, and so has Lillian, who is running for city council and wants nothing to do with the establishment or traditional media sources as she knows them.
Basket Of Deplorables
Hillary Clinton called Trump supporters this phrase (it did not go over well with some), but Lillian embraces it, calling the people in her neighborhood the same thing. I think she means it as a compliment. It’s hard to tell with her.
The "Lock Her Up" Chant
Lillian gets a group of locals to chant this at Jacqueline because she wants to fix up their toxic waste waterfront. It’s a direct callout to the a chant commonly heard at Trump rallies referring to Trump's allegation that Hillary Clinton should be in prison.
Trying To Get Kimmy’s Vote
Jacqueline and Lillian force Kimmy into a tough decision — does she vote for Lillian, who is running a platform of fear, or Jacqueline, who has one of slightly misguided progress? Like America, Kimmy chose fear.
The Benghazi Song
Though CNN reported that a Republican investigator wrote that Hillary Clinton's actions did not contribute to the attack on the United States embassy in Benghazi, but it took a long time to get there. Some, like anonymous Twitter eggs and a conspiracy theorist who Titus sings backup for in Episode 4, are convinced that she was there and orchestrated the whole thing.
"If He Weren’t My Son, I’d Be Dating Him"
Jacqueline, in trying to get the name of the Washington Redskins changed because it’s offensive to her Native American culture, gets involved with the Snyder family. The Snyder patriarch makes this remark about Duke, his son. Sounds a lot like Trump's alleged comment about his daughter, Ivanka, no?
It’s nice to know that this election season was just too much for everyone — at least now Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt can help you try to laugh about it.
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