We're ecstatic to celebrate and nominate the phenomenal Amy Poehler for the SNL Hall of Fame! Together with our fantastic guest, Victoria Fronso, we embark on the journey of Amy's illustrious career, from her kazoo-playing ice cream parlor days to her current status as an award-winning actor, producer, writer, director, and comedian. Get ready to be inspired by her amazing accomplishments, including her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, her Golden Globe win, and her friendships with Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, and Keena Faye.
Discover the incredible impact Amy Poehler has had on the world of sketch and improv comedy. Reminisce on our favorite moments from the Upright Citizens Brigade Sketch Show and how Amy's trailblazing personality inspired us to chase our comedy dreams. Listen in as we analyze her unforgettable characters and sketches, her chemistry with Maya Rudolph, and her collaboration with guests like Justin Timberlake and Katy Perry, which all contributed to her remarkable SNL legacy.
Don't miss out as we discuss Amy's groundbreaking depiction of Hillary Clinton, her hilarious lines like "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go home. I'm going to go home, put my phone on vibrate and call myself." and how she's become an icon and role model for many. Celebrate the one and only Amy Poehler with us and make sure she gets voted into the SNL Hall of Fame!
--------- EPISODE CHAPTERS ---------
(0:00:08) - Amy Poehler
(0:16:38) - Amy Poehler's Comedy Career
(0:26:19) - Amy Poehler's SNL Impact
(0:35:48) - SNL Characters With Amy Poehler
(0:42:46) - SNL Sketches and Character Influences
(0:53:37) - Amy Poehler's Impact on SNL
(1:01:00) - Celebrating Amy Poehler's SNL Legacy
(1:12:11) - Bronx Beat
Transcript
0:00:08 - Speaker 1
It's the SNL Hall of Fame podcast with your host, jamie Dube, chief Librarian Thomas Senna, and featuring Matt Bardille At now. Curator of the Hall, jamie Dube.
0:00:41 - Speaker 2
All right, thank you so much, doug Denats. It is great to be here in the SNL Hall of Fame podcast zone. Please come on inside, but before you do, wipe that spring mock off your feet. The SNL Hall of Fame podcast is a weekly affair. Each episode, we take a deep dive into the career of a former cast member, host, musical guest or writer and add them to the ballot for your consideration. Once the nominees have all been announced, we turn to you, the listener, to vote for the most deserving and help determine who will be enshrined for perpetuity in the hall. Folks, it's time. It's absolutely time. The time has come.
May 23rd is tomorrow and voting opens up. Have you registered to vote? Go to SNLHofcom, click vote and click register to vote there. Your ballot will be in your hands within 24 hours. Once the 23rd begins and all bets are off, we're going to elect another class in the SNL Hall of Fame. So this is really exciting. And what makes things even more exciting is today's nominee, because if you had your ballot set, it might be thrown asunder when you hear who we are nominating today, and that is Amy Poehler. We are closing out this season by nominating Amy Poehler. This is going to be great. I can't wait to hear what our guest has to say, and really I can't wait to hear what Matt has to say. So let's go and talk to our friend Matt. Hey, matt.
0:02:22 - Speaker 3
Hey, jimmy, how are you doing? I'm great. How about you, matt? I am terrific. I'm really looking forward to today's topic of discussion, amy Poehler. Yeah, she's great. Right, she is wonderful 5'2". Born September 16, 1971. So we're starting to get into the cast members that are around my age and making me feel old, since they're already retired from SNL.
She has 94 acting credits, 30 producer credits, 19 writing credits, 15 soundtrack credits and six director credits. Yeah, she was born in Newton, massachusetts, to two school teachers. Her dad pushed her from day one to try new things. Prior to going to college, she worked in an old-timey themed ice cream parlor called Chadwix, where she was made to wear a costume and play the kazoo while singing Happy Birthday to customers. And that's actually what helped her realize that she wanted to be a performer, because making people laugh made her feel like a queen. Yeah, so she started improv with my mother's flea bag. While working on her bachelor's in media at Boston College, she took classes at Second City, where she studied with improv. God, del Close. There's so many people I know who are like one degree separated from Del Close. It's bonkers and it's like man. It must have been wild studying with him.
But yeah, so while studying with Del, she befriended and began performing alongside Tina Fey at Improv Olympics, and she then went on to co-found Upright Citizens Brigade and helped create the ASCAT format with Matt Besser, ian Roberts and Matt Walsh In 1996, growing from just an improv sketch troupe to a school of its own, sitting side by side with Second City and the groundlings, as one of the most influential improv sketch schools in entertainment. Ucb went on to train luminaries like Aziz Ansari, donald Glover, ed Helms, ellie Kemper, aubrey Plaza, nick Kroll and Zach Woods. Basically, if you see a hot young comedian who's actually no longer that young but still hot ripping up the industry right now, they likely took a UCB class. Now she is, like my wife, a noted fan of bone stugs and harmony. In the early 90s she had a recurring role on Conan O'Brien's late night as Andy Richter's younger sister, with a disturbingly intense crush on Conan. It was a lot to watch. Even back then She brought it all Now.
During the first two seasons of Arrested Development she played Willar Nett, god Bluth's accidental wife, before eventually marrying him for real in 2007, before later divorcing. She also played his sister in the film's Blades of Glory with a disturbingly wife-like energy Now while filming the movie Baby Mama with Keena Faye, she was in fact pregnant with her first child, archie. She has formed lasting friendships with both Faye and Seth Meyers, whom she considers her best friends. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, along with a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in Television. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along with a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series for Parks and Rec, as well as an Emmy and Writers Guild of America Award. The award was the third SNL alumni to give a class day address to the graduating class at Harvard.
Alongside Al Franken and Will Ferrell, she started a wine store called Zoolow Wines and Spirits in Brooklyn Park Slope with musician friends Amy Miles and Mike Robertson, where they sell nice bottles of wine for as little as $13. And finally, during the filming of Parks and Rec, polar started a tradition that any time the show was shot on location, the whole cast and crew would have dinner together and she would dedicate a toast to someone, often picking out a cast or crew member, and the toasts would have to continue until everyone was toasted. Mike sure called this the Polar and continued this tradition on the good place. So yeah, she's just a nice human being. Sounds that way.
0:07:21 - Speaker 2
Yeah, nice human being who belongs in the SNL Hall of Fame. What do you think?
0:07:25 - Speaker 3
Agreed, definitely agreed.
0:07:28 - Speaker 2
All right Cool, all right Yes.
0:07:54 - Speaker 4
Thank you so much, matt and Jamie and I am to join here today by a wonderful first time guest here on the SNL Hall of Fame. She's a frequent guest on the Saturday Night Networks podcast. Our great friends over there, john Schneider and them Victoria, i actually heard you on John's shows and decided to poach you. That's kind of what I do here and there is all here talent on the Saturday Night Network and then just kind of get you over here on the SNL Hall of Fame, but John doesn't mind.
0:08:26 - Speaker 7
No, I'm sure he doesn't mind the double dip.
0:08:29 - Speaker 4
No, he does not. We are all good friends, we're all wonderful podcasting communities. So, victoria Fronso, thank you so much for joining us here on the SNL Hall of Fame.
0:08:39 - Speaker 7
And thank you for having me. I'm excited to do this. I love debating Hall of Fame people and who's worthy and who may not be worthy, but we're here to discuss who's worthy.
0:08:49 - Speaker 4
Yeah, absolutely, and we have a really good one today. But before we get to that, usually I go into more detail about my guest during this intro, but I want you to do it, victoria. So can you talk about your experience as a sketch and improv performer and maybe a little about being a 2023 SNL scholar?
0:09:09 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i'd love to, so I always wanted to do comedy. It was kind of second nature, but my parents always told me, to quote get a real job, as a lot of performer parents tell them to do So. After college, probably around 2018, i started taking improv classes at the second city and did a lot of performances there as well, outside of my classes, and then in 2020, i auditioned for the conservatory, which I'll just pair like just for context is kind of like your masters of comedy and improv at the second city, you have to audition to get in and you have to audition to stay in, and then something called the pan pandemic is what it was called happen.
0:09:52 - Speaker 4
I've heard about that.
0:09:53 - Speaker 7
Yeah, I read about on Twitter and it was like, oh, it was a big deal or something. So I had to pause there. Pause there for a little bit. But last year, while living in Detroit, I was doing comedy at Go Comedy Improv Improv Theater. I don't know why I keep can't say improv for the life of me, even though I do it all the time.
I was doing comedy there I was an understudy. I did a couple of sketch shows or a sketch show at the planet Aunt Theater, both theaters founded by Second City Detroit alumni, which is really cool. So you kind of get that training trickle down. And then last year I applied for the Saturday Night Live Scholarship at the second city and was one out of four people who got it, which is really cool. It's a diversity scholarship and it kind of is trying to build a pathway for folks who have a different background, whether that be ethnically racial, if they're part of the LGBTQ plus community, just to get them an opportunity to be in spaces that they may otherwise not have. And what that entails is they pay for my training and what my classes are, And I'm currently in the final stage of my classes at Second City. So it's kind of bittersweet there, But then I get to meet with a few of SNL folks and then hopefully get to audition this time next year.
0:11:12 - Speaker 4
Wow, that's awesome And hopefully you won't forget all of us little people who you've interacted with when you're on the show in New York doing that. But that's Victoria, that's so awesome And I just kind of wish you really good luck and wish you well on your venture there. That's so wonderful.
0:11:32 - Speaker 7
Thank you so much. I don't expect anything. I'll be very honest. I don't expect to be on SNL. I'm really just grateful to be doing this work. It's been a part of my life for such a long time And now that I'm able to kind of learn from the best and learn all these different techniques whether or not I make a SNL or whatever it is I end up doing I'm just happy to be doing it. And even being on podcasts like this one and just to share my love for comedy in different ways is awesome.
0:12:01 - Speaker 4
You bring such a great perspective that we haven't had here. On the SNL Hall of Fame You're not just watching Saturday Night Live and watching sketch performers, you're doing it. You're performing sketch, you're taking the classes, you're making your way through. So I just love that perspective that you bring to this. So that's why I think you're the perfect guest to talk about Amy Poehler, because she was so influential in the sketch and improv world. So her first sketch and improv experience, just real quick, was with Improv Olympic. So can you tell us kind of about Improv Olympic and what Amy's background is with that?
0:12:41 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i don't know entirely too much about her time at IO is what it is called But I do know her first class was taught by Sharna Halpern, who is an icon and a staple in the Chicago improv community and just improv everywhere, and so to have your first class in Chicago taught by her is kind of a big deal. You don't see it often. I don't think Sharna is teaching much anymore. She also learned and worked from Del Close, who's also a legend in the comedy world in Chicago and improv as well, and that's actually where she met Tina Fey. So a lot of folks think she met her at Second City, but I think it was actually IO where they met and then they moved on to Second City. But yeah, others at IO, just to name a few, was like Chris Farley was there, and so it's that institution among Second City or where they've built a lot of these great SNL cast members.
0:13:37 - Speaker 4
Yeah, the roots of sketch and improv definitely go back to IO and Del Close especially. Del Close is one of those names that you hear. It's almost like hearing about if you're a baseball fan, like Babe Ruth or something like that, and they name Del Close rings like that amongst these circles.
0:13:54 - Speaker 7
I was going to say, if you're a fan of improv and sketch and learning about where it all started, i highly recommend reading the book called Improv Nation, and it goes a little bit deeper. If you're a little nerd about it, like me, it goes a bit a lot deeper into it And it talks about how Chicago has become this for lack of a better term a cesspool of comedic geniuses, and that's where everyone comes to really get their foot in the door.
0:14:23 - Speaker 4
I think that book delved into Mike Nichols and maybe his work in two And everybody knows Mike Nichols from his time as a director, a really famous director, but he has roots there. Improv Nation is a really good book. I second that. I suggest Improv Nation as well. So yeah, so Amy Poehler joined in 1995, she then moved on to Upright Citizens Brigade where I think most people who caught the me of the tail end are familiar with her before SNL. They know her with UCB.
So she co-founded the UCB Theater in New York City in 1999. That's one of the main training grounds for aspiring and sketch improv and comedians. Like Second City and those others, The groundlings in California and LA, These are like the huge breeding grounds for sketch and improv reformers. So Victoria is someone who's currently a sketch and improv comedian. I know you're most associated with second city but you know we can put into context UCB standing in that world of sketch. So maybe let me tell us about UCB's standing in that world and Particularly Amy's influence.
0:15:34 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i just take a step back to. I want to call out that Amy Polar was on second cities touring company, which has been part of second cities since, i think, 1967, and It was a way for if you weren't able to make it a second city, second city was gonna come to you and Not many people are able to do that. So I just want to call out how awesome it is and how you know Seldom it is that you get to see folks on touring company. It's very competitive. Former touring members include, like Julia Louis Dreyfus and Chris Redd, and they, her and Tina Fey, actually auditioned on the same day and got to tour together, which is really cool. But UCB, i think it was she founded in 1996 with Matt Welsh who you may know is like the doctor from the hangover.
0:16:20 - Speaker 4
Mm-hmm, Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, he's awesome.
0:16:25 - Speaker 7
He's so underrated but we'll talk about him another time Among a few others, and they, you know, really found their footing in New York City and that's where they really created a foundation You know they made appearances with. Back. Then was called late night with Conan O'Brien And they played like some characters in the audience You've seen that and also like late night with Jimmy Fallon and and all that where they sit among the audience. They also had a show on County Central, which is really cool.
It was improv driven sketches like hidden camera stunts, and most notable, i think, is what was called the, the prostitute Parista, where she's this like former prostitute who goes and interviews at a coffee shop and Matt Well should we just talked about is the hiring man is like I don't think you're qualified And it's very funny, and then they end up being best friends and he ends up following his dreams. It was really funny. And then eventually she was one of the co-founders of UCB theater in New York And I think they also had it in LA, which unfortunately closed during the pandemic but is reportedly back. I I'm gonna describe a moment where I kind of like you know, people peak in high school Yeah, i peaked. I peaked in this moment and then it's been downhill since.
It's been stagnant downhill and stagnant a little bit.
But March 2020, right before, like literally two weeks before the world shut down, i Went to New York City and I was standing outside SNL at the what's it called, the, just outside where folks can meet the, the cast members. After the show and Chris read, who I've seen numerous times previously in Chicago, recognized me and said oh hey, victoria, how are you? and He said are you here on Monday, which I was Monday was actually March 2nd, was my birthday And he goes hey, come to UCB, me and Ego are doing an improv show. I was like, uh, okay, and Got tickets. We went and that was my first time at UCB.
It was really fun. They did this cool little. They were. I love the format of it. I won't spoil it, just in case they're they're doing it again, but they basically are doing. They ask questions or they do a little bit at the beginning and then it turns into an actual scene. And then afterward I got to talk to him a little bit and meet Ego, new Odom, and that was my birthday and that was the best Birthday ever, yeah, and yeah, i peaked and I'll never get.
0:18:48 - Speaker 4
You got, i mean, the personal invite from Chris read for one. He didn't. It's not like you went to the show as a fan and then you happen to meet them afterward like you. You Got the personal invite. So yeah, i would. That would be Damn near the peak for me too.
0:19:04 - Speaker 7
Yeah, so and I mean it was just, it was a bit. It's a very cool theater. If you're in New York City I highly recommend you go and check it out. It's you can tell like the comedy and the genius that is Amy Poehler. You know why she's an awesome contender for a Hall of Fame spot, just kind of flows through that space and She's definitely inspired me. Her and Tina Fey when I was younger always inspired me Gilda Radner, of course, but you know from my generation, the folks that I, the women I looked up to, were those two and It was because of them I even signed up for my first second city class. And you know, here We are today, a few years later.
0:19:43 - Speaker 4
But yeah, so she's.
She's definitely an inspiration for you, and And a lot of people and I thought what one of the things that I find fascinating about her As it relates to her time before SNL was you will, you had mentioned the the upright citizens Brigade Brigade Sketch show that was on Comedy Central. So that ran for three seasons. It was with the aforementioned Matt Walsh, matt Besser and Ian Roberts also made up the UCB and it's interesting because she's one of the few, one of the handful of people who get to SNL who Did sketch on television before that. So of course, like we had, keenan Thompson had sketched experience on TV. Darren Killam, i believe, was on mad TV before SNL. Kate McKinnon was known for for Being on a sketch show, but Amy was like that too and I'd watched the upright citizens Brigade on Comedy Central as it was airing and So cool, yeah, so it was awesome.
It was like a spiritual successor. I would say to kids in the hall. It kind of had that weird out there kids in the hall vibe, also a precursor to like I think you should leave Tim Robinson's Netflix show. There was some weird elements there. But just totally up my alley, did you have you gone back or did you get to watch upright citizens Brigade on Comedy Central?
0:21:06 - Speaker 7
I Wasn't cool enough to watch it. I don't think even I was allowed to watch Comedy Central.
0:21:11 - Speaker 4
I was probably dating myself, because I was plenty old enough to watch it. It was airing live.
0:21:17 - Speaker 7
Yeah, it was hit or miss, like sometimes they could watch MTV But like I couldn't watch other things, or like my parents let me watch a godfather with that. It was just very weird what they pick and chose of what I could see, but I don't watch it then. I have gone back a few times and and watch bits and pieces of it just to. Sometimes you just need to like get re-inspired and Remotivated so you go and watch some of the folks that you really look up to and what they did and kind of make yourself feel better About where you're at too. No, i've watched it too, like the. The prostitute Parisone was again probably most notable, but one of my favorites too. It kind of demonstrates her Ability to be so multifaceted. I don't think that some of that content stands the test of time.
0:22:03 - Speaker 4
Yeah, I don't think they could push it.
0:22:05 - Speaker 7
But if you just look at it like face value for the time it was in it was, it was awesome.
0:22:10 - Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah, definitely Something that, like I compared it to kids in the hall, which was a Lorne Michaels produced show, of course. So definitely something that probably would have caught the attention of SNL producers and possibly Lorne her time on the upright citizens brigade show. That's a tongue twister, upright citizens brigade.
0:22:31 - Speaker 7
So no, i'm a little side note. I'm really impressed that you know what kids in the hall is.
0:22:36 - Speaker 4
Oh, God, no, okay, i watched kids in the hall. I was a weird eight-year-old, okay, watching kids in the hall. So I would watch SNL in the early 90s. So again, dating myself. But so I was. I was probably watching SNL as it was airing probably around 1990, 91, and after SNL finished they would show kids in the hall. So so, yeah, so if I was able to stay awake by then I would maybe catch some kids in the hall. Of course I watched kids in the hall and comedy central when I was like in middle school, high school, so that's, yeah, i don't know. Just people, probably SNL viewers of my age and generation Also love kids in the hall you.
0:23:19 - Speaker 7
You know, before the show, just for context for listeners, we were talking about Sterling Heights, michigan, and how very niche it was. But Kevin McDonald of Kids in the hall did a workshop to a go comedy improv theater in Frandale, michigan. So really. Yes, it was very cool. Yeah, and Again, also like didn't realize that a lot of people knew what kids in the hall is, because usually you mentioned. If you're like, what are you talking?
0:23:46 - Speaker 4
about. Oh, yeah, i, the kids in the hall theme song was my alarm on my my phone for years. I think I maybe changed it last year, but the but the kids in the hall theme song was was my alarm that I woke up to for like year, like a decade. That's awesome. So, yeah, you're talking to a huge fan right there and it's a huge compliment to Amy that I would compare Her some of her work before SNL to kids in the hall, a show that I love Just so dearly.
So we talked about her, her background before SNL Are flexing her muscles, already doing a lot in the sketch comedy world. So she was on SNL from 2001 to 2009. She debuted during a tense and confusing time in the country and SNL. So in her book yes please, which I highly recommend. Since we're recommending books on this episode, i recommend yes please by Amy Polar. So she talked about how difficult it was to start SNL right after 9-11 Because of the mood of the country. She wasn't sure if people were ready to smile, much less laugh, which is something that I remember Is. Well, that was just kind of the mood of the country in general. So, as far as her SNL stuff goes, what stood out to you about Amy as a sketch performer?
0:25:12 - Speaker 7
so I know that a lot of the SNL Performers and cast members are able to take, you know, an ordinary thing and kind of exaggerate it, but I think what stood out about her is how she was able to do it and she, i think, a lot of her stuff What's the what's the word? like what? how do I phrase it? It was simple, yet like punchy, you know, like she didn't have to do a lot to get her point across, and we're gonna talk about a few of these characters, you know, coming down. But she was able to take something so ordinary and mundane and turn it into something Wild and funny and, you know, provide a different outlook. And you know she as as a woman, and especially as a woman in comedy, she was able to be a like a full-on feminist and kind of push through barriers. Not that she's the first to do it and not that she perfected it, but again, someone in my generation looking up to folks. She was right there after, you know, especially after the internet, and I think she was ahead of her time to you on some topics. I could talk about her pre SNL days forever, but she did which I'm gonna go back to really quickly here.
She did a pilot, i think, with SNL slash IO called RVTV, with Del Close. You should, it's on, it's on YouTube and You know she has a line in there where she kind of calls out the establishment And she calls out the NRA and she goes it's cool to be a Republican, guns are cool, so is the NRA. Murder is hip, like she already had. She knew before we know, and she brought that perspective To SNL and to all of her, her comedy really. And so that to me, while it's general that her POV, is what stood out to me in her characters and what she wrote and how she performed them.
0:27:00 - Speaker 4
Yeah, i think you brought up a good point. I think it she had like an economy of words. She didn't like it was just just just little punchy Kind of things. We would see a lot of that on weekend update, a lot of that on her UCB show, on Comedy Central. I can sell. Just kind of going through the previous seasons which I did recently, it was like, oh this is, this is Amy, and I think Victoria, you brought up just what I didn't even Consciously, i guess think that as far as Amy goes, like why did? why is she so appealing to me? Why is why, like when she was on weekend update, like why do I find her jokes more satisfying than like Seth Meyers jokes? And I like Seth Meyers? but there's a reason why I liked Amy's jokes maybe a little bit more. And then you I think what you said Perfectly encapsulates that- I mean in a word She was fearless.
0:27:52 - Speaker 7
Yeah she really like she did her thing and I don't think she let much get in the way of her, you know, getting her point across and how she felt about things. It was always her point of view, which is what we need. We can't just have a shared point of view, which in some cases yes, but when she came, you know, to the writer's room or to the screen, she Was uniquely, always herself, which was brilliant.
0:28:17 - Speaker 4
Yeah, and with packed with a lot of confidence To and that's the thing you can have a message and you can have ideas and what you think is a point of view. But I think you need to also really relay that with confidence and Amy had that in droves. She was super confident which is inspiring.
0:28:35 - Speaker 7
I mean, we I'm, we being me. I'm gonna bring my perspective as as a woman, especially as a minority in comedy. Like we didn't have a lot of that, you know, on TV where a Woman is outspoken Like some of her character. A lot of her characters are outspoken and they weren't really a shy or reserve. She was up and center and, you know, really didn't care what people had to say. And it's inspiring to me to kind of bring That to the table too and it's allowed me to also in my comedy, to be fake confident. You know, fake it till you make it. But Yeah, she's, she's awesome in that way.
0:29:16 - Speaker 4
Yeah, so as far as specific Characters and sketches from her time at SNL, where should we start?
0:29:25 - Speaker 7
My goodness, that's a loaded question. I Think the most obvious is probably like what do you think Hillary Clinton?
0:29:33 - Speaker 5
It has been such an honor to serve you, the citizens of my home state of New York. Oh, my kidding, this is not my home state. It never was my home state. Pack up the house a chap, a quad bill. What's that We never unpacked?
0:29:50 - Speaker 4
even better, Yeah, that was one of her first recurring characters, especially she. She started that in her third season. So her depiction of Hillary Clinton. So we talked about what Amy brought to the table as a sketch performer. You saw some of that in her depiction of Hillary Clinton.
0:30:10 - Speaker 7
Yes, she played, of course, an exaggerated caricature of Hillary Clinton, but again, it was this fearless confident. You know I'm calling out the sexism in politics. You know I'm calling out how insane like, especially with her. You know, with Tina Feyess, sarah Palin, calling out how kind of ludicrous it is that Sarah Palin has gotten a little well in 2008, got a little bit further in politics. And she did. And you know she brought her personality to Hillary Clinton and, you know, made it, made it really funny.
0:30:49 - Speaker 4
Yeah, and as far as doing impressions and everything like that I'm preaching to the choir, probably here, but you got to find that hook right. As a performer, and I've heard, i've heard some of the masters, like Daryl Hammond, dana Carvey, love, they love talking about how they conjure up impressions. But you have to find that hook And I think with her, hillary Clinton, with Amy Pollars, hillary Clinton she started you know her mannerisms, that laugh, because Hillary didn't really laugh like that, to be honest with you, but it was something that Amy was able to grab onto and say this is an element of this character that I'm creating and let's work from there.
0:31:32 - Speaker 7
Yeah, and it's funny that you mentioned that, because when she was with Hillary, which is, i think it was March, march 1st 2008. I think I forgot what season that was, but she does a call open with Hillary Clinton and Hillary Clinton asked her I don't laugh like that, do I? And she was well like, yeah, you know it was. It was just very funny that she you get to call impressions of yourself. You don't really see that And then, of course, in a cold open, which is even more rare, in Second City Saturday Night Live. So I mean, it's just iconic. She's done things that others have never done on that show.
0:32:08 - Speaker 4
Yeah, she played Hillary Clinton 13 times throughout the years, from season 29 all the way up to her last season. It was season 34. So she played Hillary Clinton quite a few times. One of the sketches and I don't know if you remember this one, but it's it's what I kind of go back to as far as when Amy first announced herself with confidence something that she first led, it was in her second episode and it's it's a sketch that she wrote with Sean Williams Scott. It was the porn star sketch.
0:32:39 - Speaker 8
Hey, can I ask you a question?
0:32:42 - Speaker 1
You can ask me anything. You know that.
0:32:48 - Speaker 9
When do you think it's a good time to mention in a relationship that you've done some porn?
0:32:56 - Speaker 10
What Just like? how long do you think like in a relationship you should wait before you tell somebody you did a little porn?
0:33:05 - Speaker 7
Like, first of all, what an era It was. It was again right after, you know, september 11th, unfortunately, but like those early 2000s, like when it comes to comedy, they were so out there It was almost the Wild West.
0:33:21 - Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah, people were taking chances, it was. I mean, some of the bad stuff was like it was. I think it was the height of like edge lord kind of comedy which wasn't so wonderful, but then. But you also had people taking chances and delving into ideas that that that maybe are taboo or risque.
0:33:39 - Speaker 7
Yeah, I mean Sean Williams, scott himself was in what American Pie Like again wouldn't go so well if it was released as is for the first time today. But yeah, i mean just having him there and then, you know, having her. Like I said, she takes simple things, which I guess being a porn star, dating is something you don't usually see, but it's a simple thing.
0:34:04 - Speaker 4
She takes every day right.
0:34:06 - Speaker 7
Yeah, and it is a slice of life.
Yeah, and it's a different POV. We don't usually see that POV, but you know I love that. She was like downplaying. I know I was, i was in a porn movie and he's like, well, i don't care about your past. There's like, well, this afternoon I guess was my past And then you know, it was just very funny. I think again, really cool that she got to be she was fresh to SNL in the second episode, got to be in, got to be a main character with the host, her second episode. It just I don't know, man, do I? I'm preaching, i'm also preaching to the choir, but like she is doing things that are essentially unheard of in at SNL. Yeah, that's soon.
Yeah, that's soon And it's your own sketch that you have co-written. But yeah, I mean, if you wanted to walk through, I guess how it how it went for the rest of folks, I don't want to ruin it for you if that's where you're going.
0:35:05 - Speaker 4
Oh, no, yeah, go ahead.
0:35:06 - Speaker 7
No, so I mean she's you know having I thought it was a dinner with a boyfriend or it's like.
0:35:12 - Speaker 4
Yeah, And she was like Or just like it seemed like a they've maybe a first date or they were in the early stages of dating.
0:35:19 - Speaker 7
Yes, Early stages of dating She's like oh, when is it a good time to mention that I've done a porn movie? And he was like what? And then you know she's like, oh, it's. She kind of does like, oh, it was like a one time thing, but she's been in multiple. And he finds out She's like oh, it's your past. And she's like well, this afternoon, i guess, is my past. And yeah, he's like I thought I thought it'd be cool to date a porn star, but it's now that I'm am. It's not fun. She was, i'm not a porn star yet.
0:35:51 - Speaker 4
And I think she crossed her fingers to her. She had the mannerism like I'm not a porn star yet, Like yes, I might be looking soon And you know what?
0:36:01 - Speaker 7
That's how you want to get your bag. Get your bag, like, not shaming Women for their choices. And then, of course, seth Meyers, who, like I think, was probably her top collaborator throughout her time on SNL, you know, comes in as the waiter. He's like, oh, i think I know you from somewhere, and then it turns out he casted one of her movies and then he goes and rushes to the kitchen and tell his friends And then at the end of it she's signing autographs. So, you know, josh, aka Sean Williams Scott, is just at the end, i guess, accepting of her career.
0:36:37 - Speaker 4
Yeah, and I'm sure viewers at the time who knew Amy from her Comedy Central days were waiting for some kind of showcase like that And it came really soon. So she does cite that in her book too. It was just something that of course, was one of the more memorable experiences for her on the time from her time at the show. So that was, like her, basically the first Amy Polar led sketch on SNL. That was from season 27, episode two, sean Williams, scott, go check that out. I think it's a fun episode, just kind of overall. But that I think, and I think this porn star sketch I call it porn it's like porn star date sketch. I think it was like a 10 to one. So I think they kind of just put it at the end of the show. Yes, and it fit perfectly, yeah, so I'm glad it made air.
0:37:27 - Speaker 7
I will plug Peacock. It's on Peacock if you want to watch it. So everything, mostly everything, is on Peacock, if I'm not mistaken.
0:37:34 - Speaker 4
Yeah, So sometimes when you get to seasons like 30, 31 or so, you find like 15 minute episodes on Peacock. But I think season 27, we're still you can find mostly full episodes.
0:37:46 - Speaker 7
Yeah, so go check that out If you're looking for musical performances. I think they cut a lot of those out. But other than that, if you Michael Jordan episodes on there, so just go for it and watch it.
0:37:58 - Speaker 4
Another great episode as well. Yeah, and the LeBron James episodes on there too, just if you're more of a LeBron person.
0:38:05 - Speaker 7
Oh, you can't say that to me. I literally live in Chicago. I know I was born in the 90s, lived in Chicago during Michael Jordan's era. What are you doing? I got it. I'm just going to start a different podcast about that.
0:38:23 - Speaker 4
So what other sketches or characters could we not do the show without talking about?
0:38:32 - Speaker 7
Bronx beat.
0:38:33 - Speaker 4
Bronx beat Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph Just great chemistry.
0:38:38 - Speaker 7
Yeah, they were like I'm surprised it was brought. I mean Bronx. I don't listen, i don't want to offend culture here. I don't know if it's a Bronx or Staten Island. I didn't realize that it was Bronx. I thought it was like the Italians were in Staten Island. But again, i don't want to be wrong, i don't want to offend any New Yorkers. I make it ignore me, but I really loved it. They were like these disgusted, outspoken, sassy women.
0:39:06 - Speaker 10
Let me ask you something, frank. You married Well.
0:39:08 - Speaker 7
I have a girlfriend.
0:39:09 - Speaker 10
Why haven't you asked your girlfriend to marry you? You know what? Don't get married. Listen to us. Don't get married. Your life is over Over.
0:39:15 - Speaker 11
She is right. You know what? My husband? I want to kill him. I want to strangle him while he's asleep. I want to kill him. You know what I love him.
0:39:23 - Speaker 10
He's in love with my life. Here we go with the waterworks. He gave me my two dollars. What am I going to do? So emotional these days, it's true, i can't help it. He gave me my two dollars. I would die without him. You know what Frank Do. Whatever you want, what am I an expert?
0:39:35 - Speaker 7
Who like fond over male guests and would flirt with them. There was a line I don't know if I'm allowed to say on this podcast Go ahead and say it, and if I feel I need to cut it, i will.
Okay, she, amy Poehler, was with Jake Gyllenhaal, i believe, was it Jake? No, it was with Justin Timberlake and Andy Sandberg, and she was. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go home. I'm going to go home, put my phone on vibrate and call myself Like so gross but like so funny, like again, kind of talking about that confidence and that fearlessness and all of her characters, like I don't know that I'd be ever confident enough to say that. And then she's like now leave before I change my mind.
0:40:19 - Speaker 4
Total Amy Poehler. Just we were talking about how confident she is And these characters both the characters that both she and Maya played in these sketches were sassy, aggressive, just shameless. Yeah, absolutely Just. And they played against most of the male. It was usually a host that would come in. They were shy and just trying to. You could tell they were maybe interns on their show, just trying to learn the ropes or whatever guests who were kind of shy. So they played really well off of these sassy, aggressive women. So I think perfect Amy was like one of the perfect people to play this.
0:40:56 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i think the most I mean. Correct me if I'm wrong. I would think the most notable and beloved sketch of that is with Katy Perry, where she comes in in that Elmo t-shirt and they're like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You know, like you know, today's episode is brought to you by the number 38 in the letter D And just like, very funny and she was in but also very empowering for women. This, this feminist POV, comes in, she goes they go never be embarrassed by your body, never, ever. And so it just yeah, it was very funny. Betty Caruso has a piece of my heart. She's America's, america's mom.
0:41:36 - Speaker 4
Just wonderful, yeah, and it seemed like this Bronx beat show for these characters was like their outlet, because they do allude to just their moms and they have families at home. So it almost seems like this is their outlet just to kind of say what they want and flirt with who they want. So, yeah, the Bronx beat we don't have to tell our listeners to I'm sure they've checked this out so many times Definitely, as far as Amy Polar goes, part of her canon for sure. Yeah, so, and one another recurring character that we're volleying over here. So another recurring character that I want to mention is Caitlin Rick.
0:42:18 - Speaker 8
Rick, rick, listen, rick, i know it's 16 hours until Uncle Scott's wedding And I know that you told me it was too early to put my dress on. But as co-junior bridesmaid, i really feel like I need to walk around and practice in my dress, with the heels and the head thing, and I'll be like dum dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum dum.
0:42:42 - Speaker 4
Oh God Which. And Amy says this character, it was the hyperchild who hung out with her uncle. I think it was usually Horatio Sands was the uncle. Yeah, and Amy says that this character was an homage to Gilda Radner and her Judy Miller character. From now And it's kind of funny when I just had that in my mind this reminds me of like the Gilda character. And Amy says that it was an homage to that Judy Miller character from Gilda's I didn't realize that.
Yeah, so we're seeing Gilda's influence to an SNL Hall of Famer in her own right. She got voted in Yeah. So, yeah, we're seeing Gilda's influence And Amy, just I love that. She's paying homage to her heroes, essentially, and this was a fun character.
0:43:28 - Speaker 7
No, now that you say that, that makes total sense And it comes out in the mannerisms. I mean, Caitlyn is such great birth control if you're debating whether or not you want kids.
0:43:40 - Speaker 4
I just took a drink of water. I almost did a spit take.
0:43:44 - Speaker 7
No, i just that's. When I think of Caitlyn, i think of great birth control. I was like, oh, i don't know if I want kids, just watch Caitlyn, you know if you're leaning. No, that'll solidify, solidify your decision there. No, i mean, she's like annoying kid with braces. I love the one with. Oh man, he retired twice. What's his name? Tom Brady, and you know, just, she puts on a dress. She's just so annoying, she's hyperactive, she's overly annoying, but that's the point. That's the whole point.
0:44:14 - Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah, and I usually yeah, i usually don't love a lot of shouting in sketches. That's why I don't know, that's why I've had to. I've had to come around on Sarah Sherman. I love Sarah now and I love most of her stuff, but a lot I've had to really come around to her more shouty types of pieces that she does on SNL. But I still enjoy these Caitlyn sketches because of her interplay with her ratio And then the character feels fleshed out to me Like there's some hints for a sad home life, forcing Yeah, she's like always just kind of hints at that that she has a really sad home life.
0:44:55 - Speaker 7
I think the best characters no matter if it's Saturday Night Live or Key and Peele or whatever it is always have a fleshed out POV And you can tell exactly who they are, where they came from. You can visualize their life outside of the scene that you're seeing. I think those are always made for the best characters. You don't really have to guess who they are outside of the scene. I think that was Caitlyn And I agree The shouty stuff is hard for me too, and I agree with you with Sarah Sherman. I think she's funny, yeah, And I think what she does is so unique and so niche. This is Sarah Sherman we're talking about, but yeah, no, those those louder ones are take a little bit more time for me to warm up to them, but I eventually do, and I think this was at that time, one of the few that were. So it worked because it wasn't constant. I don't think they've ever done constant shouting characters or something that I could be wrong, but I think it worked for her time there.
0:45:57 - Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah, i agree, and I think part of her character which I find funny and it's, you know, hinting at how she is outside of the sketch is like her references are old. So she referenced like Dennis Leary Like what little kid references Dennis Leary? or Amadeus, the like the Amadeus? And it tells me that maybe, and this was probably by design by the writers and Amy for this character. It tells me that that that Caitlyn grew up being babysat by the TV and she probably watched a lot of adult content that she shouldn't have been in, not not like sex and violence, but just adult stuff, like like that.
That's how I was when I was a kid and yeah, like I said, i'm not talking about like when I was a kid, i would watch movies with nudity. I would watch movies that had like themes of divorce and like finding yourself in midlife crisis, and I was like seven years old Sitting in front of the TV eating cocoa puffs just in my pajamas, watching like Kramer vs Kramer. Yeah, and I kind of think that's how Caitlin was with her homidaeus and Dennis Leary types of references.
0:47:09 - Speaker 7
I wonder if her reference to Dennis Leary was kind of an homage to her Massachusetts upbringing as well, since they're both from Massachusetts.
0:47:17 - Speaker 4
That's a good point. I'm gonna go ahead and say it was.
0:47:20 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i mean, i don't know how close. I think she's from Newton, he's from Warchester, warchester.
0:47:27 - Speaker 4
I don't know. You're not a person from Massachusetts, apparently Warester.
0:47:32 - Speaker 7
I am a Midwestern gal, through and through from Chicago and Detroit. I call myself a chitroiter.
0:47:39 - Speaker 4
Don't let somebody from Massachusetts hear you pronounce it, warchester.
0:47:44 - Speaker 7
Okay, listen, i love.
0:47:44 - Speaker 4
Duncan.
0:47:46 - Speaker 7
I love Duncan, i love Winter, i love the movie Feverpitch Oh yeah, okay With Jimmy Fallon. Yeah, sorry, sorry to the Massachusetts community. You can't see my face.
0:48:06 - Speaker 4
So I brought up. Caitlin, so I believe it's your turn. What characters sketch kind of stands out to you?
0:48:14 - Speaker 7
Do we want to talk about the needlers?
0:48:16 - Speaker 4
We can talk about the needlers.
0:48:18 - Speaker 8
Does everyone know what they're getting? Yeah, i think I'm gonna get this beet salad. What.
0:48:24 - Speaker 2
The beet salad Bee salad.
0:48:29 - Speaker 10
Beet salad. Well, the first two times you said bee salad.
0:48:34 - Speaker 8
Yeah, honey, i have a real craving for putting some bees in my mouth.
0:48:38 - Speaker 7
I mean, we all know that couple in real life And sometimes I think that they perhaps solved those sketches back in like what 2005. And copy them on purpose, just to make all of us sad and mad.
0:48:54 - Speaker 4
Yeah, just to make everybody uncomfortable for their own amusement.
0:48:57 - Speaker 7
Yeah, it was. Just it was very like toxic, like the kids today would call that relationship toxic, i think I don't know. Maybe you know this. I have a question because I don't know everything about SNL. Was there a previous version of that called Dan and Sally Harrison, the couple that should be divorced?
0:49:16 - Speaker 4
Yeah, so that was the first sketch. They were called Sally and Dan Harrison, the couple that should be divorced. I think they had a theme song.
0:49:24 - Speaker 1
You're the horn in my side, you're the face that makes me angry.
0:49:30 - Speaker 5
Nothing you ever say or do is right. Sally, and then Harrison, the couple that should be divorced.
0:49:39 - Speaker 4
In SNL canon. I consider that the first Needler sketch was that, sally and Dan Harrison. I think their names are Sally and Dan Needler. Possibly going forward They changed the last name from Harrison to Needler, which of course they're needling each other, so there's a bit on the nose, but you want to remember. Sometimes it's on the nose, but yeah, we all know that couple.
0:50:03 - Speaker 7
I don't know why I wrote that down when you said it. I wrote it down in my notes as if I'm going to have to retain that for a later day.
0:50:11 - Speaker 4
You might.
0:50:12 - Speaker 7
You might be on some SNL trivia show and it might come up, maybe that's like if I ever get to audition, they're like, hey, what was the first Needler sketch? I'm going to have to know it.
0:50:24 - Speaker 4
Most people don't know that if you audition for SNL, there's a written test to go along with it. We hear stories about what it's like to be up there not getting laughs and still doing the thing, but then what we don't know is that there's a written test. Thorne Michaels is the proctor for the test and he's walking around, so this might be on SNL's written test, victoria.
0:50:46 - Speaker 7
Okay, that's so good to know. I'm going to also, after this goes live, download it and like memorize everything we've said word for word, just in case.
0:50:55 - Speaker 4
Yeah, just commit it to memory. So this sketch I love that you brought it up because Amy and Seth, they go from aggressive to passive aggressive just in an instant and they have really good chemistry here, that which we've seen a lot throughout SNL, throughout them in particular.
0:51:13 - Speaker 7
They're a great duo. Hey, always comparing her to Tina Fey, but they were kind of each other's counterparts at the time but, like Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon, i think, have the same energy as Seth and Amy. they just worked really well together. I think they co collaborated a lot during, you know, their time in SNL. So you see, that which we'll talk about hopefully, i mean which I'm sure we'll talk about later is, you know, we can update and the needlers and and other things that they've, you know, written together and just they did that so well together. I really couldn't see her doing that sketch with anyone else. I love the fertility, fertility clinic one with Natalie Portman because it's like it describes those quote toxic and quote couples so perfectly. we're fighting all the time and then they end up like doing it Like they were doing it in the, in the waiting room, and Jason Sudeik has come and he's like I don't think we'll have any more patients for the day and she's like why is that he goes there doing it?
0:52:16 - Speaker 4
Yeah, of course, that's like often the the button to those sketches. The first one, johnny Knoxville, is the one that walks in on them and yeah, that's just perfect, and that's that's how it is with those couples. It's so intense and passionate and it's in past. It's passionate negatively and sometimes passionate very positively.
0:52:35 - Speaker 7
Yeah, oh, that's maybe a good word passionate versus toxic and that's what those couples will tell you.
0:52:41 - Speaker 4
We're not talks, we're just passionate.
0:52:43 - Speaker 7
Yeah, you don't know him like I know him okay. Okay, yeah, like they're like little lines of like, oh, we're late because he thought it was better to take the back roads instead of, oh, the highway. And then they were at dinner and she's like oh, be salad, be salad. He's like beat salad, yeah, because I wanted a bunch of bees in my mouth, just like. Very like. We know those couples, unfortunately, and if you think you're in that couple now and you're listening, please break up and find peace, please do everybody.
Yeah, for the sake of society.
0:53:21 - Speaker 4
So, yeah, you brought up weekend update, so I want to talk about that now. Actually, good segue. So she, yeah, started weekend update in her fourth season. So she did it season 30 to season 34, final update. Final update was in the middle of season 34. So what did you? and I know they say comparison is the thief of joy, but that's almost Kind of what we do here. Even if we don't do it overtly, it's almost applied that we're comparing cast members and errors and all of that. So I mean, what did you think of Amy on weekend update?
0:53:55 - Speaker 7
Of course, to be reckoned with. You know she was part of the first and only female duo to host week and update with Tina Fey. Then, of course, she had a successful run with Seth Myers and she's just had like really great bits. You know, one that stands out to me was you know her and Tina Fey mentoring Lindsay Lohan at the time, who was like that was such a great mean girls era and you know, for folks who are younger, like millennials, i should say that was kind of like our Like the comedy growing up of was you know mean girls and and you know the Tina Fey and Amy Polars growing up. So it was really awesome. You know it was very like.
I'm confronting her about rumors they've heard about her which, like at the time everyone had a rumor was very. I think as a side we've done a little bit better, not too much better, but we've progressed a little bit how we treat women and people who are famous but just like saying, you know you have me to Barton arms. You're too skinny, are you eating? I went to the club and then The fun part of the you know the twist of Lindsay Lohan throwing it back on them. She's like well, you slept with people for Tanta movies, are you know? you're drunk right now. And Amy Polars like, yes, i am, no, i mean, she was great. She brought a lot of originality to it again. It's that POV of I am myself, i am me, i'm fearless, i'm confident, and you better listen to me, and this is what I've got to say. She brought that there too.
0:55:26 - Speaker 4
Yeah, amy, on update to me, that really allowed her to display her wit and charm on the show she was out of character.
Well, kind of out of character, but it was. You know she. She straddled the line is weekend update anchors Do, but she really was allowed to display her wit and charm. She did like playful crowd work in spots. That was really entertaining. She and Tina did a lot of bits amongst themselves outside of the update jokes, like you mentioned that Lindsay Lohan mentorship bit. They would rap, they would sing songs, they would have bits like the The nutbird news quiz, the bitch news quiz, kind of different things like that. So I like that she and Tina When outside of we're just gonna take turns doing jokes and then have like a cast member do a week a bit with us or whatever, like they would do bits amongst themselves, which I think, yeah, really interesting.
0:56:25 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i mean out of the wraps, which was your favorite.
0:56:29 - Speaker 4
Oh man, not to put you on the spot. Yeah, they did one. It was either the one that I remember most and I went back and rewatched kind of Her weekend update stuff here and there and the one that always stood in my mind was I ended up being the first one that she did in season 30. And that stood out to me to watching it in sequential order because that was one of the first kind of bits that they did outside of the update jokes, so you never really saw like Kevin Niel and rapping.
Or like Chevy Chase yeah yeah, jane and Bill Murray rapping together, so yeah, so I did like that first one because I maybe it was just because of the significance, as as if you are watching it how I did, but that one for sure stood out to me.
0:57:24 - Speaker 7
And I'd be remiss if I didn't give Jane Curtin a shout out for being the first female weekend host. But no, the one that stood up to me wraps wise is the Sarah Palin rap. I don't know if you remember that.
0:57:53 - Speaker 5
Smile, because that smile be creepy. But when I'm being all the leaders in the world gonna finally meet me, how's it go, eskimo?
0:58:02 - Speaker 7
Tell me, tell me what you know Eskimo, how you feel Eskimo, tell me, tell me what you feel Eskimo Again. like that era of SNL, like 2000, like the 2008 election specifically, was so awesome to see the actual candidates come on to that show. I think now people would be like we're in such a crisis. what are you doing on SNL situation? so it's cool that we got that from then while we, while we could, and you know, sarah Palin joins the weekend update desk and then kind of like Amy Poehler kind of brings, brings the house down with a wrap about you know, about Sarah Palin like delivering her message and then Andy Sandberg and Fred Armisen as her backup. just really with like the fur coats and you know.
Yeah, that was one that stood out to me. I she just man. Again, she's in a lot of things on that show that not many people got to do. I mean, i think I don't know if we're gonna end with a why she deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But yeah, she was well, we'll get to it, but I had to, yeah, yeah, we'll get to it. So I'll leave my the rest of my thoughts there. I'll pause them for now.
0:59:10 - Speaker 4
Yeah.
0:59:10 - Speaker 7
so before we move on to what maybe she did after SNL and to your appeal to the voters, what else on SNL should we talk about as far as Amy Poehler goes, I would just love to give a quick honorable mention to two sketches, again also in a in the 2008 ish, you know, near the end of her time is the Bush twin secret language sketch.
0:59:38 - Speaker 8
Jenna, we're twins. We have to share our most secret thoughts about everything. It's disrespectful. Just answer me in our secret twin language.
0:59:52 - Speaker 10
Barbara, we haven't used that language since. We were like 19.
0:59:56 - Speaker 8
Do be you, but think, but dance, but good. but president, but yes, i think, but he's, but really good.
1:00:09 - Speaker 7
Like so funny there was, like you know they slapped on some Southern accents and they were drunk and you know they were using their, the secret, the language, to Figure out I'm trying to do it to figure out, like if their dad is actually like smart enough and competent enough to be president, which like was funny because I guess at the time when the rest of America was like what Is is he? and then another one was to love, honor and stock with John McCain hello, gillian.
1:00:45 - Speaker 10
The conference wish cut short, so I rushed back to see you.
1:00:49 - Speaker 9
David You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. You scared me half to death.
1:00:54 - Speaker 10
Forgive me, darling, you know I'd never hurt you.
1:00:59 - Speaker 7
That was so funny. It was just like her husband, her older husband, who was like very in love with her, invades her privacy and she's just like he's always in my space and like tries to sue him and so like you're literally married, like She's just a marriage, Yeah he's like he's just a poet and it's like kind of funny because it's like They also bring up again this feminism, feminist point of view of like if you were, if it was a rose reverse, it would be a big deal.
Like we'd all be like, you know, leave him alone if she was the one doing it to him. But yeah, i think the amount of times she's gotten to play with you know politicians, especially during these Really important I mean she came during important time in in the US. I feel like that kind of set the tone for, like what she was gonna do in the years after. So I just wanted to give a shout out to those two. I now that I'm like we're talking about it. She did a lot of a lot of political stuff and good for her. I mean, she's involved politically in her personal life, so it just makes sense that she again is enough, is is authentic and genuine and says to herself, even when she's being someone else.
1:02:08 - Speaker 4
Yeah, and I don't know if those lifetime movies Exist in that fashion anymore, but that was such a good parody of a lifetime movie from that area. So, that to love, honor and stock the the Jillian Woodward story, that's what that was called. It was in her second season, so that would have been about 2000, late 2002, when that's aired, and that was just Such a perfect parody of a lifetime movie from that era. They captured it so well and I don't know if there's anything Comparable now. Lifetime, does it exist?
1:02:42 - Speaker 7
I think it might, but I haven't watched a lifetime movie since like 2006, yeah, so Sorry to say watched in 2006.
1:02:52 - Speaker 4
This is, i'm sure. Yeah the reason why you appreciate something like that. So I think those are two excellent choices and really great examples of of her work on SNL. I also highlighted her Dakota fanning show that she did three times. That was a good one. She just was hilarious depiction of a precocious young girl. Amy, amy played that so well. Yeah, when she had Drew Barrymore Barrymore on and Drew Barrymore was playing The Abigail Breslin is a little miss. Yes, and then yeah yeah, Amy played that so well.
1:03:25 - Speaker 7
How old were you when you first Scott your, when you got your first nomination?
1:03:28 - Speaker 4
and she's like And she's like oh, i didn't know you were that young.
1:03:34 - Speaker 7
Yeah, that's so funny. That's a good call out. That was such a. You know, dakota fanning, if you're watching this or if you're listening to this and I know that you are I hope you're doing well And I hope that you felt justice was served in your impersonation of you by Amy polar because it was done out of love.
1:03:53 - Speaker 4
So yeah, and I think I think she knows that. So after SNL Amy polar, her main gig was playing Leslie nope in Parks and Recreation. I was a big fan. I imagine you were to Victoria.
1:04:09 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i think it was. It just calls out a lot of the nonsense that we may or may not see in Politics, but especially, you know, local politics. A lot of like, a lot of pop culture and societal phrases that we used to like treat yourself, came from that and it's, it's made an impact on on TV and on how we speak to each other. And you know, you know again her and Tina Fey, i Think, are probably one of the few who had these successful TV shows after leaving SNL. Not only that, like producing and directing and and writing and being so successful at it and where it's So ingrained into our society, like.
Another example would be like bridesmaids, you know with with Kristen Wiig and how, after SNL, you know she created this really awesome piece of piece of comedy for us to enjoy. And you know we Like I always say shit that is fresh. I pull that from from bridesmaids, but I always pull like treat yourself and you know it's, it's. They're not enough words and maybe they are, but I'm not smart enough to know them. I have a limited vocabulary. But she is Amy Poehler is She's not the first to do it. We like it. We've mentioned Gilda Radner and you know we also mentioned Jane Curtin. They're not the first but they are today's. You know they stand on shoulders but us after them are standing on their shoulders too. So We've been with, you know, parks and rec. She's opened some other doors and avenues for us to be creative and, you know, freed us a little bit to be Open about ourselves in our comedy and how we write and how we look at comedy.
1:05:58 - Speaker 4
So after a very successful run on parks and recreation She returned to SNL numerous cameos throughout the years, especially at the weekend update desk. Her most recent was This past season, season 48, during the Aubrey Plaza episode. She returned as Leslie. Nope, it was surprised me, i thought. I just thought that was Wonderful to see her and Aubrey do their thing on weekend update.
1:06:22 - Speaker 3
How does it, how does it take to run a federal agency?
1:06:25 - Speaker 9
Well, all you do is you show up every day and you do the job. But I want to pick your brain about this job, about this show, because I used to watch this when Seth Meyers did it by himself, with no one else. He made it look really easy.
1:06:43 - Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah, so you said you were here to talk about the government.
1:06:46 - Speaker 9
Yeah, but quick question, president Biden when he zoomed in before, could he see me, or were the cameras off?
1:06:54 - Speaker 1
I think, i think he pre-recorded that.
1:06:57 - Speaker 7
I can't tell you I prayed for that cameo and the Lord answered my prayers. I was like, even if it's like a split second, please Like you, there's like no way you can't. She was, aubrey was a page and Amy was on SNL and just like then they worked on a show together. There's no way that she couldn't and I was just so happy to see them, see them together, so that that made me really happy.
1:07:19 - Speaker 4
Yeah, that was wonderful, and Amy's also returned twice to host. She hosted in September of 2010 and she co-hosted with Tina Fey in December of 2015. Wonderful show classic meet your second wife. Sketch that just yes, that's one of the classics from that era. She and Tina just did a wonderful job co-hosting together man and they.
1:07:40 - Speaker 7
They also hosted a bunch of award shows. I think it was Golden Globes that they host out, right, i always get them mixed up and they're just. They're a Do. I'm really I'm hoping to find my, my Tina Fey or my Amy polar during my second city and, you know, follow their footsteps a little bit, not exactly because I need to forge my own path, but it's always good to have a partner in crime when it comes to these things. And, yeah, they've done so well for themselves. But I think Tina Fey recruited Amy polar to set SNL, so I'm willing to do that for somebody else. They're any takers? No kidding, i mean yes, but I'm not kidding, but I'm kidding.
1:08:21 - Speaker 4
So Tina Fey is an SNL Hall of Famer. She got voted in, so you. So now's the time, victoria, where you tell the listeners and voters why Amy polar should be strongly considered for the SNL Hall of Fame.
1:08:38 - Speaker 7
No pressure for me. I mean, what's why not? is the better question. She was promoted from featured player to full cast member in her first season on The show and her first season on the show, making her the second cast member to ever have that happen to and the first Woman to earn this distinction. You know she Has worked. I mean, as we've highlighted many times about this show, she's worked with various politicians and and kind of confronted them in in her own way and Pulled her own point of view and then even outside of SNL, her foundation of being IO, second city UCB makes her contender right then and there, even before she starts a show.
I don't think people really realize and understand how hard it is to get those accomplishments even before the show. You know it's incredibly competitive and she is, is, has uniquely stood out. And all of that not only has she been able to get onto second cities touring company, or You know she's worked with Del clothes, she's thrived in that and she's blossomed into this really awesome iconic performer. She's, you know, brought these characters who've inspired other characters, just as others before have, and Let's just be honest, she's one of the goats She is, you know, when it comes to female comedians. She is one of the goats. There is not many like her.
If you can find somebody who's not Tina Fey, of course, and that's only because they, you know, came up together Who has accomplished as much as she has, i would like to know. Please call me at I'm not gonna give my phone number out here, but send me, send me a DM and we'll debate it. But she's um, she's done a lot of firsts and she will continue to do so, and You don't find as many folks who are back then, who are as unapologetically themselves as she's always been. So there's that. Thank you so much to Victoria Franco for pinch hitting here.
1:10:55 - Speaker 2
It was great to have her on the show. I look forward to hearing her again. What do you think of her argument? I think she's a great singer. I think she's a great singer Hearing her again. What do you think of her argument that she laid down for Tina Fey a goat? She said she said a goat. I can't disagree. As You know, one of the, i like. I feel like she's one of the. This is an AEW reference, a wrestling reference, but I feel like she's one of the four pillars. Like in terms of theme, you know, in terms of the female side of things, she's one of the four pillars. She's. She's potentially on Rushmore, right, right, am I wrong? Send me an email, jamie at SNLHOFcom would love to hear what you think. Voting begins tomorrow. But before we seal the deal and wrap up this episode, let's listen to a sketch. This is a polar classic. This is a Bronx beat sketch. You'll love it. Let's go to it now.
1:12:01 - Speaker 10
Are we going or are we stopping? No one's giving us anything. No one's waving. Somebody's going to wave a sin. Are we going? No, we're going to talk to a star. We're on. Hello, Welcome to our show. This is Bronx beat. I'm Betty Caruso, she's Jodi Deets. Hello, you know what I'm already exhausted. Tell me about it. I'm so exhausted. Why do we say we're going to do the show? We don't have time, tell me about it.
1:12:23 - Speaker 11
I got to take my daughter to school, the other one with the extra class. She's got to be there at 6.30 in the morning But I don't got enough going on my mornings Like a triathlon with a swimming, running, jumping. Are they horses? I don't know, it's ridiculous. Are they horses and kids? It's too much, it's not something else.
1:12:35 - Speaker 10
It's nothing else. Please, no, thank you really Seriously, beat it. What's in the news? Oh God, the weather here It's 70 degrees. Outside in New York It's nuts, it's nuts. What is that? What's wrong with it? The whole world's going to blow up, it's true.
1:12:47 - Speaker 11
My mother gave me the most beautiful leather coat on my birthday. You know how many times I've worn it this year 0.00. It's bananas.
1:12:55 - Speaker 10
The whole world is bananas. You know what I say Live your life, because the world's going to blow up. She's right.
1:12:59 - Speaker 11
Enjoy your family, enjoy your friends. Have a glass of wine, have two glasses of wine, have two glasses of wine.
1:13:04 - Speaker 10
What am I? The police, or something. You know what I say. Smoke them if you got them. Smoke them if you got them.
1:13:09 - Speaker 11
Alright, let's introduce the guest. Oh God the guest. I know, tell me about it. Alright, here we go.
1:13:13 - Speaker 10
Here we go. Alright, i can't read this. It's chicken scratch. Who wrote this? It's mine. I'm sorry, i'm a mess. You have terrible penmanship.
1:13:20 - Speaker 11
That's my eyes.
1:13:20 - Speaker 10
Well, you tried the best you can. Alright, here we go. Let's just bring him on. Alright, bring him on. Yeah, he'll tell us his name, come on out.
1:13:26 - Speaker 11
Come on out, come on out. I'll have you in that. Have a seat Put down. Put down What's your name. Hello, I'm Franco Conner.
1:13:34 - Speaker 10
Oh my God, Look at him, he's gorgeous. He's gorgeous. Look at that face. Look at him, he's adorable. You're adorable, you're adorable Face.
1:13:42 - Speaker 11
So you wrote a book, sweetheart. Yes.
1:13:46 - Speaker 10
Look at his face. I'm laughing his face. What are you? What are you? Pot Indian Cherokee. Look at those cheekbones. What are you? A suit, a suit. That's a suit in you. You chip a wand. Yeah, you got a little suit A suit. What are you? A patchy, a mohegan.
1:14:04 - Speaker 8
A mohegan.
1:14:05 - Speaker 10
Yeah, when you go gambling, you go to a mohegan or a foxwoods. What are you doing? A suit, a suit. You got a suit in you. A suit, a suit. Well, I'm Irish Italian. Oh God, Tempa, tempa. That's a terrible mix.
1:14:17 - Speaker 11
You're not features wise?
1:14:18 - Speaker 10
obviously Not features wise, but temperament. No, terrible bogey.
1:14:22 - Speaker 6
Tell us what your book is about sweetheart, it's a guide to the best mountain biking trails in the United States, uh-huh.
1:14:32 - Speaker 10
Let me ask you something, frank, you married. Well, I have a girlfriend. Why haven't you asked your girlfriend to marry you? You know what Don't get married. Listen to us When you get married, your life is over Over.
1:14:41 - Speaker 11
She is right. You know what? My husband? I want to kill him. I want to strangle him while he's asleep. I want to kill him. You know what? I love him.
1:14:52 - Speaker 10
He's loved with my life. Okay, here we go with the waterworks. He gave me my two daughters. What am I going to do? So emotional these days, it's true, I can't help it.
1:14:57 - Speaker 11
He gave me my two daughters.
1:14:58 - Speaker 10
I would die without them. You know what Frank Do. whatever you want, what am I? an expert, oh?
1:15:02 - Speaker 11
she's right. Don't listen to us. We're not the police.
1:15:05 - Speaker 10
So your book? Uh, you like to ride bikes.
1:15:07 - Speaker 6
Yes, I traveled all over the country and found the best trails and rated them according to difficulty and size and uh.
1:15:14 - Speaker 11
Uh-huh, how many times I had sex last year. Frank, zero point zero, zero. And it was my choice. This area down here, this area, it's got the ghostbusters thing over it. No one's allowed in there. No trespassing, no trespassing. Clothes for business. You know that red circle thing with the line the ghostbusters thing?
1:15:33 - Speaker 10
Yeah, it's my choice, yeah you know what, when my husband wants to get sexy, you know what I say to him Go, look at a picture of Angelina Jolie. Ah, take a high five, call that one, give me a break. Always talking So dumb. Oh, i had enough. Oh, got enough of her. Ah, please, alright. So thank you very much, frank. Good luck with your book, frank, thanks, bye-bye, alright, bye-bye. Um, okay, uh, thanks.
Delicious. That's kind eyes. You can say that again. Very kind eyes. Hey then, God bless that book. I loved him. He was a tall. I loved him Alright. Now we have to take a call How does this work?
1:16:06 - Speaker 11
Oh please, I have no idea. this thing drives me nuts. It's too complex.
1:16:09 - Speaker 10
It's like Starship Enterprise over here. Press that That thing Here we go, here you go.
1:16:13 - Speaker 11
Hello, hello Paula, hi girls Hi.
1:16:16 - Speaker 10
Deedy, hi Deedy. How cute was he. Cute was he? What? Can you hear us, deedy? Wow, the speaker phone is junk. I'm at the shop, right, the lines are huge. Deedy, hello, can you hear us? I can't find one cashier in this whole store. Alright, you know what? Hang it up. Does Ocean Spray have cobs? Jodi, hang up, she's going to stop swearing. Hang it up, she drives me nuts. How do I know What is she doing? looking for a cashier? Goodbye, deedy, i'm hanging up. Why is she at Shop?
1:16:39 - Speaker 11
Right, i don't know, she drives me nuts. You know who? I miss That kid. Oh, frankie, frankie, let's get him back. God, he's adorable.
1:16:46 - Speaker 10
Where is he? Where is he, Jenna? where is he, Jenna? where is he? Is in the bathroom. Get him back out here. What is he? The king of England? Knock on the door. Get him back out here. Knock on the door, should I?
1:16:54 - Speaker 11
bring my book. No, no, no, just sit, honey, you're adorable. Have a seat.
1:16:58 - Speaker 10
Look at you. Tell me something, frankie. What are you Leo? Areas, areas, sorus.
1:17:02 - Speaker 11
Sorus You're a bull, you're a bull. You're a bull, a Gemini, gemini. Oh.
1:17:06 - Speaker 10
Gemini Boy twin, twin twin, you know what He's a good boy.
1:17:10 - Speaker 11
You know why? Because he's good to his mother. He's got a nice mother. You love your mother, don't you, Frankie? Look at the mouth. Look at the corner of the mouth.
1:17:17 - Speaker 10
He's adorable. He's adorable. Love you, love you All right, tell us about your book. I've been writing for years, by the way, did you? smell that weird smell in the city the other day Weird, oh my God bitch.
1:17:28 - Speaker 11
What was that? You know what it smelled like. It smelled like a pickle. You know what it smelled like? It's like when you cook fish in the house. Oh, you know what?
1:17:33 - Speaker 10
When my husband brings fish home into the house, they say go have your other wife cook it, We'll have Angelina Jolie cook it. That one, You were in your ashes. She said tell me.
1:17:40 - Speaker 6
what was that? How old were you? How old were you? I was 22. I'm a Gemini.
1:17:47 - Speaker 2
A whirling dervish. A whirling dervish, a tour de force performance there from Amy Poehler and, of course, my Rudolph. Just a fantastic edition of Bronx Beat. Does it seal the deal for you? I don't know. We're going to have to wait and see. But voting opens tomorrow. Tomorrow, May 23rd. I hope to see all of you registering and letting us know where you're at. That, my friends, is what I've got for you this week in the SNL Hall of Fame. So on your way out, as you walk past the weekend update exhibit, do me a favor and turn out the lights, because the SNL Hall of Fame is now closed.
1:18:35 - Speaker 1
Thanks for listening to the SNL Hall of Fame podcast. Make sure to rate, review, share and subscribe to the show. Wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on social media at SNLH OF. This is Doug Denanth saying. This is Doug Denanth saying see you next week.
1:19:16 - Speaker 2
Do a podcast some such.
