Tina Fey On Being "On The Wrong Side" With Some 'SNL' Jokes

Doing some pre-emptive spring cleaning. A bit tragic to be so hyper careful and sensitive, not really conducive to a flourishing comedy environment.

She’s a star she’s on top somebody bring her some ham!

Probably smarter not to. Social politics is very different from politics in general, and I think she could still be interested in taking over for Lorne Michaels when he retires Edit: misspelled name Edit 2: grammar

I distinctly remember her returning to Weekend Update to advocate for Clinton over Obama in the '08 primary by saying "B**** is the new Black" which is, you know, big white woman yikes. Caused Tracy Morgan to go on the next week to say "B**** may be the new Black, but Black is the new president, b****." I remember being glad I didn't have to be on the 30 Rock set that week lol

She has a long history of making racial jokes about Asian people. Especially making light of underage Asian girls being preyed upon by older men. Edit: Downvoted because I replied to someone asking for examples with an example.

The jokes on 30 Rock are not nearly as outdated as they should be for a show that started nearly 20 years ago. Looking at you, M*** Island.

Jenna Maroney specifically has some of the most insane lines, you couldn’t have a character threaten to kill themselves every episode of an NBC comedy anymore.

A lot of writers and comedians have talked about this, but a big thing that has hurt comedy over the past 10-15 years is social media taking something out of context and just posting a screenshot or 10-second clip, which inevitably leads to backlash and an internet pile-on. Because of that, it's just not worth the hassle for networks and writers to bother doing anything other than relatively sanitary and straightforward comedy. Satire, in particular, has essentially been killed by this (and the insanity of modern life)

was actually just thinking about this. Been watching Abbott Elementary and that show feels so safe and sanitized. Like I get it’s supposed to be a different vibe than something like 30 Rock but sometimes it feels like everything has been filtered through an HR rep before making it into the script

From the same Guardian article: >Legend also has it that the viciously funny cast member **Norm Macdonald was booted from the show after taking one too many** [**cracks at OJ Simpson**](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2024/04/12/norm-macdonald-fired-oj-jokes/)**, a close personal friend and golf buddy of the NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer**; who was not amused by Macdonald’s persistence. >**Rage Against the Machine, acclaimed distributors of communist-flavored nu metal, were** [**banned from SNL forever**](https://www.loudersound.com/news/what-happened-when-rage-against-the-machine-were-banned-by-saturday-night-live) **after draping their amps in upside-down American flags** during their sole performance on the show in 1996. No one at home even saw their protest, but the attempt was enough to confirm their banishment. >**While it has balked at its performers punching up at powers that be**\*\*\*,\*\*\* **SNL has been more comfortable with guest hosts and hosts that punch down – as far back as the earliest days of SNL, you could find white stars like John Belushi embodying Asian stereotypes; in 1985 Dana Carvey played a Chinese shopkeeper in a sketch called “Ching Chang in Love”. Chevy Chase** [**said the N-word**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuEBBwJdjhQ&t=100s) **on national television. Countless other sketches have aged just as horribly: Fallon** [**had to apologize**](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52815624) **for performing in blackface in a Chris Rock impersonation in 2000.** >SNL also helped the explosion of the career of [Andrew Dice Clay](https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/32-most-outrageous-mtv-vmas-moments-of-all-time-2-16342/andrew-dice-clay-is-banned-for-life-1989-16372/), offering him a hosting s*** just as his rampantly misogynistic comedy made him a 90s pariah. >**It has given a similar boost to billionaire businessmen in more recent years, inviting** [**Elon Musk**](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/elon-musk) **and Trump to host.** >Musk, notorious for his affinity for stale meme humor and, more recently, gestures that [look like](https://apnews.com/article/musk-gesture-salute-antisemitism-0070dae53c7a73397b104ae645877535) Nazi salutes, stuck to safe humor about his Asperger’s and his son X’s weird name when he hosted in 2021. But he had already been spreading doubt about Covid vaccines when he assumed the stage in a bandanna covering his mouth and nose: a perfect cypher for SNL’s [no-stance centrism](https://www.vox.com/culture/2021/5/7/22421455/elon-musk-snl-host-saturday-night-live-controversy). >Trump [hosted SNL](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2025/01/14/did-snl-help-get-trump-elected/77577697007/#:~:text=Trump%20hosted%20%22SNL%22%20in%20November,gig%20amounted%20to%20an%20endorsement%3F) in 2015, months after he announced his first candidacy for president, which many argued after his victory was ultimately tantamount to an endorsement.

Two of the longest running comedies are Always Sunny and South Park. Both still have plenty of edge. New shows don't because we are currently in a Post Ted Lasso/ Schitt's Creek world and all studios were greenlighting was hopecore comedies. We are pretty much past that now. I imagine we will see new edgy comedies soon.

Im gonna take this comment out behind the middle school and get it pregnant.

F****** thank you. Literally every character is a stereotype on purpose, that’s the point.

This is why Blazing Saddles will always be funny. No one with half a brain thinks Mel Brooks is racist after watching it because they understand context and satire

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You watch 30 Rock enough and you understand that everyone is awful in their own way. However, most of the time it makes for funnier characters.

I just watched the Heather Graham one and holy shit what a horny episode 😂 starts off with a mono of her getting shown the p**** of almost the entire main cast, then immediately goes into a sketch of her/Will dealing with Chris/Cheri being the classic horny couple duo

I’m fine with her looking back and saying “yeah that was not a great thing to say and knowing and being who I am now I wouldn’t say it”. That’s personal growth. But being forced to apologize (even if by the internet keyboard warriors) for things said at the time because they’re viewing them through the lens of today is nonsensical. The internet can be so f****** exhausting sometimes.

The only real answer. Lord knows we all need to apologize for shit weve done but she seems like a good person and none of us are perfect or will get it all right... but she's great at what she does and she should be celebrated for that, not nitpicked, by herself or anyone else

Its kinda good i feel to have people admit their past faults and move on and change. Especially with this weird political or social atmosphere of people doubling down especially when they know it hurts people or see saying sorry as a weakness when its a strength of character. We need some more humanity and humility right now

If you have nothing to apologize for, you lived too safe a life or never grew as a person.

People like Tipper Gore would be very happy in today’s environment. Even the wholesome 80’s family sitcoms I watched growing up have more of an edge than tv these days.

Where is all this “puritan” media you speak of? Most of what is coming out anymore is chock full of graphic sex scenes, there’s barely anything for families anymore aside from what Disney churns out year after year. You’re going to see the trailer for the new season of Euphoria and really say media is going puritan??? We’re getting incest twink Menendez Brothers, movies about hookers by a guy obsessed with hookers winning an Oscar, Heated Rivalry for fucks sake. I think we NEED media that isn’t just for “adults.” What are kids and teens supposed to watch that’s supposed to make them feel cool without just showing them a ton of sex? Just because most comedies don’t use slurs as casually anymore doesn’t make media “puritan.” It’s Always Sunny still has plenty of edge and it’s more popular than ever. American Dad, Family Guy, South Park, even f****** CBS comedies have some edge anymore. You watch Ghosts US? It’s hilarious and definitely “goes there” often!

There is zero context to this quote and it is totally meaningless. What does any of this even mean?

Listening to her audiobook, she had strong bully tendencies growing up, and in my opinion carried into her adulthood.

It's partially a pr thing but also Listnook loooooves these kinds of threads so you can't really blame em.

Imagine going through life never cringing at something you said 20 years ago. NO RAGRETS