Modern technology helps impersonators, impressionists, mimics, and actors wield their craft in ways never before imagined! A perfect example of this is none other than well-known actor Jim Meskimen, who recently went viral for an interesting and slightly disturbing video.

In it, Meskimen recites the poem ‘Pity the Poor Impressionist’ using the voices of 20 celebrities. All while being deepfaked with the help of SHAM00K. Scroll on because you’re about to see how weird living in the 21st century can be.

More info: JimMeskimen.com | IMDb | YouTube (Jim Meskimen) | Twitter (Jim Meskimen) | YouTube (SHAM00K) | Twitter (SHAM00K)

You can watch the full video right here!

60-year-old Meskimen has acted in Parks & Recreation as Martin Housely, starred in the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and even voiced characters in cartoons like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Johnny Bravo (he voiced a whiny man and a waiter, hoo ha hooah).

Jim Meskimen – Impressionist

John Malkovich

Colin Firth

Robert Deniro

Tommy Lee Jones

If you’re a video game fan, then you’ll be awed to learn that Meskimen has loaned out his voice to such legendary series like Baldur’s Gate, Call of Duty, Diablo, Hitman, Kingdom Hearts, various LEGO games, as well as The Lord of the Rings. The man is a well-oiled, hard-working, efficient, and talented machine who loves his craft.

Nick Offerman

George Clooney

Christopher Walken

Anthony Hopkins

Dr. Phil

Deepfakes are getting faker the deeper we go into this century. New Scientist draws attention to the fact that artificial intelligence and deepfakes are already being used by Israeli tech firm Canny AI and other companies to dub advertisements or messages from celebrities into different languages. Which sounds wonderful until you consider all the possible applications. I’ve got a feeling that the fake news we see now will seem like a drop in the ocean compared to what’s coming.

Nicholas Cage

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Morgan Freeman

Bryan Cranston

Christoph Waltz

Dear readers, what do you think of Meskimen’s impersonations? Do you think that actors who are able to mimic others will be able to do one-man movies in the future with the help of technology? Do you think deepfakes are a force of good, evil, or just another tool? I can’t wait to read what you think, so drop a comment below the post.

Joe Pesci

Jack Nicholson

George W. Bush

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Sir Ian McKellen

Ron Howard

Robin Williams

Here are the poem’s words if you want to recite it in celebrity voices yourself

Pity The Poor Impressionist
By Jim Meskimen ©2016

Is anything more sad and lame
contemptible, beneath disdain,
In short, provoking of disgust
than being an impressionist?

A third rate, even fourth rate skill,
the definition of “cheap thrill.”
Like watching farm equipment rust
is watching an impressionist.

A relic from a distant day
that long since should died away,
dishonorably mentioned is
the pitiful impressionist.

Weird, and somewhat ostentacious
tired debris from old Las Vegas,
whose former fans have all dismissed
allegiance to impressionists.

How many opportunities
passed up and wasted because he’s
Hell-bound to follow what he must?
Pity the poor impressionist.

Doomed to live an abject failure
dogged by his own echolalia.
Better to crumble into dust
than live as an impressionist.

His borrowed voices can’t deflect
a life of well-deserved neglect.
His name’s on simply no one’s lips;
forgotten, vain impressionist.

That sound–did anybody moan?
That creature at the microphone
is last on everybody’s list;
forgettable impressionist.

When Peter at that shiny gate
condemns those souls who imitate
he will but shake a heavenly fist
and curse condemned impressionists.

But ’til that time we’ll tolerate
the good for nothing reprobate,
and hide the truth: that we’re just pissed
that WE can’t be impressionists!

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