Mark Russell

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Mark Russell (born August 23, 1932 in Buffalo, New York) is an American comedian, pianist and singer.

For more than 25 years he has appeared on the American public broadcasting network PBS at least four times a year. He is known for playing the piano and singing in between periods of talking, and for satirical songs -- making new words for popular melodies, which are meant to express the political situation that he is talking about. Russell criticizes the United States Democratic Party and the United States Republican Party fairly equally, and also criticizes third party and independent politicians, e.g. Ralph Nader.

Russell has often been asked the question, "Do you have any writers?" His standard response is "Oh, yes...I have 535 writers. 100 in the Senate and 435 in the House of Representatives!"

A few examples of Mark Russell's style of humor:

Early in the Reagan administration, there was a news story about a power problem at the White House which was causing the lights to dim, etc. Russell remarked, "Of course, the last power shortage we had at the White House lasted four years!"
In talking about Reagan's "trickle down" theory of economics, Russell said the way it works is that "Money held by someone like Nelson Rockefeller will trickle down... trickle down... trickle down... to Jay Rockefeller!"
"You've got the brain-washed, that's the Democrats, and the brain-dead, that's the Republicans!"
On the day after the 1996 presidential election: "I believe that Bill Clinton's second term will be good for business... my business!"

Russell is a graduate of Canisius High School in Buffalo, New York. For several years, on the Sunday before Labor Day, he has made an annual appearance on the NBC news program Meet the Press, hosted by Tim Russert, also a Canisius High graduate. He also served in the US Marines.

[edit] Cultural references

A parody of Mark Russell was used in an episode of The Simpsons called "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" where the character sang three songs ("The Deficit Rag", "The Trading Gap Shuffle" and "Lisa S.") in the style of Russell's political satire songs.

Mark Russell was satirised by Saturday Night Live cast member Mark McKinney in a sketch in episode 96E.

in the NewsRadio episode "Public Domain", Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman) decides to become a Mark Russell-like singer of song parodies, like "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again (He's Gay! He's Gay!)".