“Thank you Thomas Middle School” shouts Jack Aiello in his best Hilary Clinton impression. This sensational 8th grader was chosen to be one of the four, out of around three hundred students, to give a speech at his graduation. He does not give the typical inspirational nostalgic speech dictating all of the good times he had both in and out of class with his peers. Jack puts his own unique spin on a classic using his brilliant comedic timing to engage every single person in the audience. A select few teachers were reduced to laughing tears and one even fell from his seat on stage.
I, having given the speech at my own eighth grade graduation speech, understand the process behind creating a moving speech for your peers and their proud families. I mentioned all of the places we had been, the challenges we had overcome together both in and out of the classroom, and the infinite potential inside all of us looking toward the future. I made powerful allusions to greatness. I counted down the days until my class would enter into high school. I used all the tricks in the book and on the day of my eighth grade graduation delivered an inspirational speech that was well received. However, not a single person in the crowd was laughing so hard they were reduced to belly aching, tearful laughter.
Jack, in the spirit of the upcoming presidential election, decided to impersonate the candidates in his eight-minute speech.
Jack’s Donald Trump is “just fantastic”. His impression of President Barack Obama captures his cadence perfectly. When Jack goes on to impersonate Secretary Hilary Clinton, he escalates his voice throughout each sentence to match her speech pattern with the utmost accuracy. Jack then goes on to close his cripplingly hilarious graduation speech with a spot on rendition of Bernie Sanders, calling for a “cinnamon roll revolution”.
Jack Aiello, the 8th grade internet comedic sensation, went viral instantly. His parents were kind enough to record, for posterity, their son’s comedic genius. With his newfound fame, Jack gained the attention of many highly influential people. One of those people being the highly entertaining host of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon.
Jimmy Fallon, appreciating the comedic talent in the fourteen-year-old, invited Jack to join him in a political skit. Jack and Jimmy share an uncanny likeness to the infamous republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. In the skit, Jimmy Fallon, impersonating Mr. Trump, announces his running mate and vice presidential candidate stating “The only person good enough to be my vice presidential candidate is me”. Jack joins Jimmy on stage as ‘Little Donald’ and the two proceed to prank call both Secretary Hilary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders.
This graduated eighth grader has a comedic gift. He has been on ‘The Tonight Show’ at the age of just fourteen. His next stop has to be landing a gig on Saturday Night Live making people laugh until they cry.
