‘The Masked Singer’ unveils one of the world’s most well-known politicians

The panelists have been taking a lot of flak on The Masked Singer (Wednesdays, 8 pET CTV) so far in season three for not being able to properly guess the identities of the celebrities underneath those funky masks. But no one—no one—would have been able to guess who was under the Bear costume when the series introduced the six final competitors in Group C.Bear was joined by Night Angel, Swan, Astronaut, Rhino, and T-Rex, and had she been in any other group she probably wouldn’t have been the first eliminated. Group C seems to be the most enthusiastic and personality-filled of the entire season, and you couldn’t help but grin (and bear it?) as the furry one pumped up the crowd and rapped out all of the words to Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” changing the lyrics to “exploit men.” Almost the entire audience was wearing pink sweatbands and grooving along, and even the panelists were there for it.It was actually a bit of a surprise that she was at the very bottom. Astronaut had a better voice but a more low-key performance, while T-Rex’s iteration of “So What” was mediocre—her dance moves and energy are totally what kept her there. Even the panelists seemed a bit shocked that Bear was going home, since they fell in love with her even more when she revealed why she did the show: “To not really be able to see much of anything out of this is really nice. It’s like, it takes the sharp edges off the world. Everything looks a little bit softer, sweeter. I needed this. I love this,” she said.[video_embed id='1501883']RELATED: Ken Jeong showed us his infamous dance moves and it was the best[/video_embed]By the time Nick Cannon pulled that mask off it was clear why: the personality underneath was none other than former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin. Yup, the one and only woman that so many people used to mock back when she was considered one of the most cartoonish people in politics. (How the times have changed.) The panelists had no idea—Jenny McCarthy thought Candace Cameron-Bure was underneath the mask because of the “full house” deck of cards and the hockey skates, while Robin Thicke leaned towards Tina Fey for the Saturday Night Live clue and the “mama bear” references. Little did he know just how close he actually was.

Figured I’d do it because, well, this is America! And don’t you have to conquer a major reality show before big-time politics?! ? - SP #TheMaskedSinger

— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) March 12, 2020

Even Cannon seemed shocked—his reaction was probably the best thing of the night when he screamed as Palin put on her glasses with her back turned and told his co-stars they’d never believe who it was. Because in what world does the woman who was running for vice president of America get up in a pink-and-purple bear costume and sing “Baby Got Back?” “I’ve seen it all. I’ve literally seen everything,” Thicke said as he shook his head.

Tonight’s reveal ? #mood ? #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/zIiyhBQFtm

— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) March 12, 2020

“This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever done, that’s for sure,” Palin said. “But it’s all about fun. It’s unity. This is all good. This is something that our country needs right now too.” Well one thing is for certain, and that’s that Palin definitely did find “the courage to come out of my cave to stop hiding and face the world head on.” Like her, and her politics, or not, she put herself out there.And, maybe she’s right about leaning into the sweeter, sillier side of things. People are talking about how the world is a dumpster fire right now with coronavirus causing widespread cancellations and closures of all kinds,  the recent Nashville tornadoes and the overall political tension (to name just a few things). Heck, even eternal optimists like Reese Witherspoon are feeling anxious about it all. So if Palin can spread some cheer by rapping about big butts? Well, that’s kind of a welcome distraction.Now let’s see how the remaining five celebs in Group C follow up next week, when one more celebrity is unmasked and sent home. Considering this season has brought out new sides of Tom Bergeron (Taco), Dionne Warwick (Mouse), Tony Hawk (Elephant), Chaka Khan (Miss Monster), Drew Carey (Llama) and Lil Wayne (Robot), it’s anyone’s guess who might be unveiled next.The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 pET on CTV.[video_embed id='1919249']BEFORE YOU GO: You won't recognize your favourite celebrities after these bizarre face mashups[/video_embed]