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SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
Wherein Amy Poehler and Rachel Dratch Finally Introduce 'Spring Breakdown'
The 10 Celebrities With The Most To Lose at Sundance '09
Spring Breakdown Reflects A Break Down For Women In Comedies
After Partyness
Martha Stewart Invites A Jew For Easter
Rachel Dratch Explains That Whole Demotion/Recasting Situation
Debbie Downer ~~Demoted~~ Recast
Debbie Downer Demoted

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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
09/09/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
mediocre men: success

mediocre women: not success

discuss
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El_Gato
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
They should be fair, and just fire the ENTIRE staff, because they ALL suck right now. SNL is certainly at it's nadir right now -- utterly the lowest point at which it's ever been in its entire history. I used to love it, now I hate it. There's no point in sitting through a 90-minute show for one or two real laughs.
In fact, Casey and Michaela should be glad they got the boot. Now they can find work on a show that's halfway decent.
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HenryLovesFonzie
09/09/09

@El_Gato: This has been the constant opinion of SNL since the original cast left. Based on the show's format and how it is produced, it is rare to get a show that is skit-after-skit hilarious. You cannot deny, however, that there are some extremely funny skits that do emerge. Remembering a few of these GREAT skits may make you look back at Chris Farley/Adam Sandler days and think they were incredible... but if you really watch one of those episodes - start to finish - and you'll see that they were just as hit-or-miss as today's.
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A Pimp Named DaveR promoted this comment HenryLovesFonzie was starred HenryLovesFonzie was unstarred

A Pimp Named DaveR
09/09/09

@HenryLovesFonzie: And peple were complaining about how Farley/Sander/Spade "sucked" and that "SNL should be cancelled".

Circle of life.
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A Pimp Named DaveR was starred

A Pimp Named DaveR
09/09/09

@A Pimp Named DaveR: er, people
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A Pimp Named DaveR was starred

__
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
I thought Gilda Radner would make it big after Saturday Night Live but she never made another movie after Haunted Honeymoon in 1986.

I don't think Gilda's been in anything in years.
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Phyllis Nefler promoted this comment __ was starred __ was unstarred

jasonelias
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
Yep, I'm still mad about Michaela getting the ax. I can't remember being this mad about a SNL cast member being let go.

As I'm sure it was stated, plenty of dudes from SNL have disappeared more than most of the women. Michaela probably won't go this route because unlike a lot of ex-cast members--she's actually talented.
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Edited by jasonelias at 09/08/09 9:48 PM jasonelias was starred jasonelias was unstarred

DahlELama
09/09/09

@jasonelias: That's true, actually--I don't think I've ever cared about a cast member getting fired before. Certainly not Chris Parnell (although I think he's hilarious on 30 Rock), Horatio Sanz, Finesse Mitchell, or, for that matter, Casey Wilson. But this really pisses me off--she was one of the cast members I actually watched the show for.

Now what? An hour-and-a-half of MacGruber?
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SpyMagician
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
For people who don’t get why folks are upset about this, here is the breakdown:
1) In the world of performance comedy, SNL is the peak. That’s it. There is nothing else. What’s next? A guest spot on a show in the UCB theater under a Gristedes in Chelsea? It’s a pretty major smackdown for this to happen.
2) The wold of comedy is one of the most misogynistic fields of entertainment ever. It’s a boys club. You see a picture with 50% or more women in an improv group? That’s a student team. Go the pros, and suddenly it’s a sausage fest.

So this stinks because SNL, who is the vanguard and peak of performance comedy (see point 1) hasn’t gotten the memo that it’s 2009 and not 1989.

And yeah, the examples given of past female cast members who went on to something is just sad confirmation of this. Julie Sweeney gets on the radar more than others because she is a loon. Jan Hooks? Ellen Cleghorne? Essentially, they went from stars to obscurity pretty fast.

And Julia Louis-Dreyfuss? C’mon, let’s face facts. If it weren’t for Seinfeld 100% of nobody would know who she is or remember.

I miss the days when Fridays, SCTV and such were around. At least there were some other options.

And please, don’t point out small-scale improv shows like The Whitest Kids You Know. Because you know what? Even those are just a bunch of guys.
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Balsa Wood
09/09/09

@SpyMagician: So they shouldn't fire the sucky ones?
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SpyMagician promoted this comment Balsa Wood was starred Balsa Wood was unstarred

Bellyboop
09/09/09

@SpyMagician: What? So performing at UCB is a smack down when their talent pool has gone on to The Daily Show, Colbert Report, 30 Rock, SNL, The Office, Parks and Rec...various comedy films - and even SNL - and who return to perform on any given night at UCB in that hole below Gristedes..?

For some SNL is not the peak. For some SNL was a hell hole filled with cut sketches, crap writing and no exposure. Some people are glad to get out.
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MattGaymon promoted this comment Bellyboop was starred Bellyboop was unstarred

SpyMagician
09/09/09

@Balsa Wood: By that benchmark, more that a few male members of the cast should get the stink eye. It’s a sexist double-standard at play. Nothing more. Nothing less.
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SpyMagician
09/09/09

@Bellyboop: I think you miss the point. UCB does create talent; heck that's where Casey Wilson came from! But after SNL, what exactly can these two specific ladies can do and not look like step down in comparison.

Get booted from booted from SNL and your whole career is held in contrast to being booted from SNL.

SNL is the peak. Everyone at UCB knows that.
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NorthernLite
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
I already bitched about this all over the internet. I hadn't yet become a huge Watkins fan but I thought she showed potential. She seemed calm and collected and not overwhelmed by the experience - unlike several other recent noobs. And like Jimmy Fallon still always seems.

But I like the little note she got in in - Michaels told her she should have her own show and she said, "I agree."
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crutnacker
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
Wow, Bobby Moynahan gets to stay while Michaela Watkins is tossed to the curb? She appears to be more talented and subtle than pretty much anyone in the crew. If anything, she's more like Phil Hartman than she is the comedic stylings of the broad players they have today. I used to think Kristen Wiig was brilliant until I realized she essentially had three characters to her name.
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richardmarxhatesmyhair
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
Dear SNL,
The women on your show ARE the funny ones now. Will Forte and Seth Myers are never ever funny. Ever.
Good luck,
RMHMH
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richardmarxhatesmyhair
09/08/09

@richardmarxhatesmyhair: Keenan is painful to listen to in every skit, too.
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notapredator
09/08/09

@richardmarxhatesmyhair: Whenever I see a sketch where Forte has a big role (e.g. MacGruber) I always just fast forward. I don't get him; he is not funny at all. When they were decreasing the size of the show I couldn't believe he got to keep his job while Chris Parnell and Rachel Dratch didn't. fjkdhfskjhfksjhdfskjsdfhkjsfhksdj...
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DahlELama promoted this comment notapredator was starred notapredator was unstarred

DahlELama
09/09/09

@notapredator: I think Rachel Dratch left voluntarily because she was supposed to be a lead in 30 Rock, but then they gave the role to Jane Krakowski and tried to make it up to Dratch by giving her a string of ridiculous cameos before she eventually disappeared. She got the most shafted by far, but I don't think it was by SNL.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong; I very well may be.
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WackoJacko
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
I basically want to be buried with this sketch when I die.
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richardmarxhatesmyhair
09/08/09

@WackoJacko: beyond brilliant!
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Whittaker
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
The women are far more successful than the men recently. Your complaint should be that SNL doesn't hire and keep around mediocre women the way they do mediocre men.
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richardmarxhatesmyhair promoted this comment Edited by Whittaker at 09/08/09 8:20 PM Whittaker was starred Whittaker was unstarred

richardmarxhatesmyhair
09/08/09

@Whittaker: correct and promoted!
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DennyCrane
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
Casey Wilson was a Mad TV alum who got chosen when they needed a replacement for Maya Rudolph when she got preggers. Watkins, on the other hand, was fantastic (her weird blogger lady on Weekend Update was awesome) and should have stayed, at least over Bobby Moynihan, who's also great but isn't given enough to do.
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badasscat
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
What a weirdly incoherent post. The premise seems to be that female SNL castoffs never amount to anything... except for Janeane Garafolo, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Tina Fey, Gilda Radner, Amy Poehler, Sarah Silverman and Jane Curtin? (You could spell that last one correctly, too.) Good lord, that's about half the entire historical female cast of the show. You also forgot to mention Joan Cusack, Rachel Dratch, and Laurie Metcalf, all of whom went on to either successful film careers or in Metcalf's case, both a film career and a long-running sitcom.

The obvious truth is that not every SNL cast member goes on to anything post-SNL, but some do. Male or female doesn't matter. How big was Brad Hall's post-SNL career? Or Rich Hall's, for that matter? Jim Breuer hasn't really done a hell of a lot, and he was pretty popular. Where's A. Whitney Brown? George Coe? Dean Edwards?

It's unrealistic to expect everybody you see on a TV show, whichever sex they are, to continue on with that level of success or greater later in life.

It may not seem fair because some of the least funny SNL actors go on to have some of the most successful careers (don't get me started on Adam Sandler), but I just can't agree that there's any gender bias happening here.
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secretagentman
09/08/09

@badasscat: When was Laurie Metcalf on SNL? I've watched the show since the beginning and am a huge fan of Metcalf and I don't remember her being on.
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NigelAstydameia
09/08/09

@badasscat: Truly, you could say the same thing about the entire cast of "Friends," or 90% of actors in any show, ever. That's showbiz, folks.
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TedSez
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
For what it's worth, quite a few male comedians have had lucrative post-"SNL" careers because Adam Sandler is incredibly loyal to his friends. Whatever you think of his movies (or actors like David Spade, Rob Schneider and Jon Lovitz), they owe their success to the fact that Sandler put them in his movies and produced theirs.
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DahlELama
09/08/09

@TedSez: True for Rob Schneider for sure, but Jon Lovitz? He's done tons of voice work (like The Critic), guest spots, and a season of Newsradio, all of which had nothing to do with with Sandler.
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TedSez
09/08/09

@DahlELama: Actually, he's the only one I'd like to see more of. But he was on a talk show last week bemoaning the fact that he can't get work. So he's running a comedy club in Universal City.
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thatgirlinnewyork
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
victoria jackson's post-snl efforts are really not worth reporting, unless you find comedy in the birther movement.
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oldgraygeek
09/08/09

@thatgirlinnewyork: Yeah, she's crazier than Glenn Beck now... but she did trailblazing work in Weird Al's UHF.
Oh, wait: nobody SAW that film...
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Carol Gardens promoted this comment oldgraygeek was starred oldgraygeek was unstarred

Carol Gardens
09/08/09

@oldgraygeek: I did!
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shostakobitch
09/08/09

@oldgraygeek: michael richards did.
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semiserious
09/08/09

In reply to SNL Dooms Two More Women To Lives of Obscurity
Michaela Watkins was probably the most promising new cast member to join the show since Kristen Wiig. Sad to see her go.

Anyway thanks to Wiki I just found out Siobahn Fallon has three kids named Bernadette, Peter, and Sinead. I hope to God those are actually funny for the reasons I think they are.
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Edited by semiserious at 09/08/09 7:31 PM semiserious was starred semiserious was unstarred

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