Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer

Jon Huntsman: The Unfrozen Caveman Candidate?

My article in next Sunday’s magazine on Jon Huntsman, the soon-to-be-official Republican presidential candidate, went live on the Web this morning. If you’re the kind of person, though, who preferred the “Wuthering Heights” Cliffs Notes to the all-night reading experience before the exam, then you can also watch my short video recap here, expertly edited by The Times’s Ben Werschkul. Everything you always wanted to know about Jon Huntsman, and considerably less.

Speaking of 1980s catchphrases, those of you who read the full article will come across a reference to one of my all-time favorite comedy routines: the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, created by Phil Hartman on “Saturday Night Live.” (One reason this character is so enduring, I think, is that something about it captured our fascination with political candidates who seem to embody outsiderness and authenticity.) In my effort this morning to share this genius with a new generation, I found that it’s actually quite difficult to locate a video clip. It seems that NBC is rigorous about protecting its copyrights, and yet the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer is, inexplicably, omitted from the Phil Hartman characters that the network showcases in its online archive. My guess is it’s just an oversight.

I did manage to find this homemade video, which is pretty hilarious:

I’m not sure whether NBC’s lawyers will be cool with my posting this. But if they’re not, then they should do the right thing and post it themselves for the world to enjoy. And just by the way, while a quick Google search will tell you that the character’s name was Keyrock, the show’s transcripts make clear that it is actually spelled Cirroc. Which, of course, is even funnier.

Jon Huntsman: The Unfrozen Caveman Candidate? - NYTimes.com

My article in next Sunday’s magazine on Jon Huntsman, the soon-to-be-official Republican presidential candidate, went live on the Web this morning. If you’re the kind of person, though, who preferred the “Wuthering Heights” Cliffs Notes to the all-night reading experience before the exam, then you can also watch my short video recap here, expertly edited by The Times’s Ben Werschkul. Everything you always wanted to know about Jon Huntsman, and considerably less.

Speaking of 1980s catchphrases, those of you who read the full article will come across a reference to one of my all-time favorite comedy routines: the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, created by Phil Hartman on “Saturday Night Live.” (One reason this character is so enduring, I think, is that something about it captured our fascination with political candidates who seem to embody outsiderness and authenticity.) In my effort this morning to share this genius with a new generation, I found that it’s actually quite difficult to locate a video clip. It seems that NBC is rigorous about protecting its copyrights, and yet the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer is, inexplicably, omitted from the Phil Hartman characters that the network showcases in its online archive. My guess is it’s just an oversight.

I did manage to find this homemade video, which is pretty hilarious:

I’m not sure whether NBC’s lawyers will be cool with my posting this. But if they’re not, then they should do the right thing and post it themselves for the world to enjoy. And just by the way, while a quick Google search will tell you that the character’s name was Keyrock, the show’s transcripts make clear that it is actually spelled Cirroc. Which, of course, is even funnier.

Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer

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