At last, the much awaited Ziwe interview with the GOP congressman fallen from grace, George Santos, is here. The pair answered all of the questions the people wanted to hear, ranging from Santos’ political beliefs and previous intentions with public policy to the lingering question of whether or not he would appear as a guest judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Comedian Ziwe Fumudoh is known for her satirical comedy stylings. Santos was recently ejected from congress after a lengthy investigation found that not only had he fabricated most of his resumé, but that he also mismanaged campaign funds, spending them on OnlyFans subscriptions and Sephora purchases. He made waves as the first openly gay GOP candidate to win an election for the position. Now, as Santos continues to sell his image on Cameo, charging hundreds of dollars for personalized video messages, an important cultural conversation emerges–the extent of which Gen Z should be laughing at the absurdity of it all.
A Look At Santos’ Campaign Lies
The New York Times first found that Santos lied about his educational background, which included a Summa Cum Laude Bachelor’s Degree from Baruch College, and an MBA from New York University. Santos reportedly also lied about his work experience, including his positions at several major firms on Wall Street.
On a personal level, Santos claimed that he was of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and that his grandparents were Holocaust survivors. This turned out to be completely untrue, as his grandparents were born and raised in Brazil. He also did not publicly disclose his marriage and subsequent divorce from a woman. The divorce was finalized just twelve days prior to his initial 2020 bid for Congress.
The IRS also has no records of the charity organizations he claimed to run. Additionally, there is evidence of Santos’ legal troubles in Brazil. The Hill reports that when asked about his resume, Santos said, “I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume. We do stupid things in life.” Due to his GOP affiliation, Santos was embroiled in a number of controversial political schools of thought, including wearing an AR-15 pin to congress and supporting drag bans that began to spread across the American south despite once performing in drag in Brazil himself.
Most recently, following a House Ethics committee investigation, it was confirmed that Santos had spent government funds on his personal living expenses, designer clothing, vacations to the Hamptons, Sephora cosmetics, OnlyFans, and more. It was this conclusion that finally led to his expulsion from congress.
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The Conversation
While some continue to find the humor in the mountain of lies told by George Santos, others ponder the more serious consequences of his actions.
Ziwe: What can we do to get you to go away?
George Santos: Stop inviting me to your gigs.
Ziwe: The lesson is to stop inviting you places?
George Santos: But you can’t cuz people want the content.pic.twitter.com/Osz05aw9qL— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) December 18, 2023
Despite his gay identity and newly unearthed past as a drag queen, the former rep did espouse right leaning and often prejudiced views that do not align with the predominantly liberal Gen Z audience finding the humor in him.
George Santos got on that show and told y’all to your faces that you have no principles because you refuse to disengage.
And here you lot are, making memes about it.
Like, are you not embarrassed? pic.twitter.com/d68JE9dRLn
— Keshav Kant (@MxKantEven) December 18, 2023
Favorite quote from the George santos/Ziwe interview:
Ziwe: shoplift at Sephora or shoplift at Ulta
Santos: I don't do petty crime
Ziwe: *pause* white collar
— blk fem aaron sorkin is READY TO STAFF (@uhdresejwrites) December 18, 2023
Other fans of Ziwe continue to praise her satirical comedic timing in the interview. In addition to gathering his thoughts on future reality television appearances, Ziwe got Santos to confirm that he is a fan of Nicki Minaj, and that he did not know who LGBTQ+ rights activist Marsha P. Johnson or civil rights activist James Baldwin were.
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Ziwe tricking George Santos into say “I con” instead of “icon”…give her the Pulitzer right now lol pic.twitter.com/89mi0HqRgW
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) December 18, 2023
Santos remains embroiled in legal battles and political scandal, but in his own words, there is no diva down, only diva up.
