Super Deluxe’s Vic Berger has forged a comedic niche by editing existing footage to exploit the subtle behavioral tics or odd phrasings of his subjects, which can run the gamut from Donald Trump to doomsaying televangelist Jim Bakker. One of his favorite subjects of late is one of the highest paid entertainers in the world: Steve Harvey, whose misery Berger has chronicled both on Family Feud and the Ask Steve segment of his daytime talk show. When Harvey recently met with President-Elect Trump, it was only a matter of time before Berger would show up.
“Steve Harvey Sells His Soul To Donald Trump” opens with Harvey’s well-documented criticism of Trump for saying “the p-word” in the leaked Access Hollywood audio, then quickly segues into Harvey and Trump hobnobbing in the Trump Tower lobby. Although Harvey has spoken favorably of their meeting, saying Trump seems “sincere” in his efforts to help inner cities, Berger’s zooms and pans reveal sad eyes and pursed lips, a cry of “Why hast though forsaken me?” bubbling just beyond them.
The clip is only a minute long, but 60 seconds is all it takes for Berger to approximate the war raging inside Harvey’s head. Like so many of his videos, Berger is chronicling the country’s short attention span. How quick are we to abandon our convictions if doing so can put us in a place of power? The video is bookended with Harvey’s flip-flopping takes on the president-elect. The final shot of the host’s despondent, thousand-yard stare says everything about the state of his soul.