Join Thomas, Matt, and jD as they welcome Ashley Bower to the show to discuss the shoo-in candidacy of Kate McKinnon. Do you agree she'll end up in the Hall. Time will tell.

Transcript:

Track 2:

[0:42] Hey, it's J.D. here, and thank you so much, Doug DeNance, for that warm welcome.

We are thrilled to be back here in the SNL Hall of Fame.

Before we go anywhere, take a look at that mat outside that says, Wipe your feet, sucka.

And wipe your feet, sucka. So there's that.

Listen, I'm going to get right to it. The SNL Hall of Fame podcast is a weekly affair where each episode we take a deep dive 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 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.

And that's how we play the game. It's just that simple.

Track 2:

[1:30] So, you're chomping at the bit to get voting. You've only got one more week to wait.

If you are listening to this in real time, May the 6th is the date that we will be starting the voting and it will run through to May 17th, at which point we will tabulate the ballots and we'll check in with you on May 20th for our finale extravaganza and let you know who made the Season 5 SNL Hall of Fame. name.

It's going to be interesting. And today's nominee is about to throw a monkey wrench in all your plans because, well, let's go to Matt Ardill because I've got a question to ask Mr. Ardill.

Matt, my friend, I hope you're doing well. I have a question for you.

Track 3:

[2:22] Where do you start with a girl named Kate?

I don't know. There's so much, there's so much Such an incredible talent.

I'm just going to have to start at the beginning. I guess that's all I can do.

Go for it. All right. Kate McKinnon, height 5'3", born January 6, 1984.

78 acting credits, 4 writing credits, 5 soundtrack credits, and 1 producer credit.

She was born in Seacliff, New York, and attended Columbia University.

University uh growing up she had a pet iguana and she attended ucb in ucb manhattan school and uh yeah she grew up in a funny house full of funny people she and her sister were encouraged to watch mel brooks the producers on a weekly basis always watched snl growing up uh she thought Madeline Kahn was the tops and that that's a fact.

You can't argue with that.

That is, that is a.

Track 3:

[3:24] Great choice. Yeah, yeah. Now, her parents, they encouraged her to approach the world through the lens of comedy.

Now, Funny runs in the family. Her younger sister, Emily Lynn, is also a comedian and does stand-up and is part of a comedy double act with Jackie Abbott. Check her out on YouTube.

Super funny. Unfortunately, their father passed away when Kate was quite young, at the age of 18.

Track 3:

[3:51] But that didn't slow her down. She's a multi-instrumentalist, able to play piano, cello, and guitar.

She can also speak three languages, English, French, and German. She makes me sick.

Yeah. Well, that explains why her prime minister is such a good impression, because she can actually speak German.

Right, yeah. It's not just making the noises.

She knows the language. Her first job was as a little league umpire, but she left because she didn't actually know the rules for little league baseball, which is, you know, that's fair. No, it's foul.

Yeah, it's foul. It's foul. She was PETA's sexiest vegan in 2017, but she actually gave that up that title because she just like a true New Yorker missed cheese pizza.

Pizza um now she is an extreme introvert which she deals with by adopting funny voices uh which honestly sounds like 72.4 of the comedians i know her comedy heroes were molly shannon anna gasteyer.

Track 3:

[5:03] She says Kellyanne Conway, but that's obviously a joke because you can't ever give a straight answer like that.

Her dream role, and this is another one I would pay good money to see, is Willy Wonka. Oh.

I would have rather seen that than Timothee Chalamet.

Really? Okay. Yeah, I would have loved to have seen her playing Willy Wonka.

Um now before snl she starred in logo's big gay sketch show and uh she took over from the original miss frizzle uh lily tomlin uh who became a professor and a phd and as she started playing miss fiona felicity frizzle uh the original miss frizzle valerie felicity frizzle's younger sister.

Track 3:

[5:52] Oh i watched a lot of magic school bus with my kids yeah it's a great show uh yeah yeah and the thing is you think with this great education and all this like higher learning she would be you know a muckety muck when it comes to the comedy she finds enjoyable but honestly she said thing says one of the funniest things is a fart wow it's the ultimate bad thing a person can do and you know farts are funny they just they just are this is two weeks in a row you brought farts to the table well i mean it is comedy there you can't really get away from from a good fart um oh so whoopee cushion is a very funny thing if executed properly whoopee cushion and a rubber chicken comedy staples that's right yeah so that's that is uh that is Kate McKinnon.

Track 3:

[6:46] Well, I think that, um, we should head downstairs and listen in on the conversation this week. Excellent.

All right. Take it away, Thomas and Ashley Bauer.

Track 4:

[7:27] All right. Thank you so much, JD and Matt. Yes, we are talking about a very recent SNL cast member, the most recent cast member that we've ever talked about on this show.

This is her first season of eligibility, and I'm so excited to honor the great Kate McKinnon and see if she can make it past the voters, see if she can get into the SNL Hall of Fame.

So to chat about Kate McKinnon is somebody who I go back with for over 20 years.

We've known each other almost 20, probably 21, 22 years now.

We've known each other quite a long time. And SNL was actually one of the things that we really bonded over, my guest and I.

And if she slips and calls me Tom, that's how you know that somebody really knows me.

Because, you know, I kind of go by Thomas and here and there, you know. But if somebody calls me Tom on this podcast, that's how you know that we go back.

So my guest today, Ashley Bauer, if Ashley calls me Tom, then we've known each other for over 20 years.

But Ashley, thank you so much for joining me here on the SNL Hall of Fame. How are you doing?

Thank you, Tom. You're right. I can't even imagine calling you Thomas. That's so funny.

Track 4:

[8:45] But no, I'm great. I'm so excited. Yeah, like you said, this is how we bonded.

And oh my gosh, talking about Kate McKinnon.

I can't be happier. year yeah we really bonded I remember talking about because it was like probably about 2002 2003 that we became friends and we remember we really talked about like the Will Ferrell Sherry Oteri kind of years that was like the cast that that we always laughed about and shared sketches and stuff so I remember having a lot of conversations about those people but I never really knew or maybe forgot because it's been such a long time like your SNL fan origin story so why Why don't you let us know how you became a fan and what cast might have got you into it? What's your SNL origin story?

Oh my gosh, yeah. So I grew up, my parents always had some sort of comedy type show on.

And I remember being pretty young and my dad had on like...

It must have been like a repeat episode or something of like a really old original SNL.

Like I'm talking like Gilda Radner, like Jane Curtin.

And I kind of just sat down to watch it with him. And I was like, Oh, okay. Yeah.

This is kind of funny. Even though I was like kind of young and the humor probably went way over my head.

Track 4:

[10:01] So those are kind of my earliest memories, but I think when I really fell in love and like the light bulb went off that this isn't my parents show anymore.

Like this is my show was, they started to let me watch them when it was Adam Sandler and Chris Farley and David Spade.

And of course, I may have been like, eight, nine, 10 years old.

So the slapstick comedy humor of, you know, Chris Farley, especially his physical comedy just had me in stitches.

And I think that was the lightbulb moment. And when I really became obsessed.

And I remember being, I can still picture this today, however many years later, standing in line at a grocery store and looking over and seeing the tabloids when Chris Farley passed away. And I just started to cry.

And my mom was like, what's wrong? And I was so devastated when I learned that he had OD'd.

And again, I was maybe 10, 11 years old.

And that always kind of struck, hits me in my memory of, I think that's when I realized it was more than just a show I liked, that I was you know kind of borderline obsessed I felt like these comedians were like you know my friends so.

Track 4:

[11:12] But yeah, I guess that's probably one of my favorite casts, again, for sure, because I think that's when SNL really, you know, kind of transitioned into my show.

But like you said, too, you know, gosh, it's hard to compare that that cast to like Will Ferrell, Sherry O'Terry, Molly Shannon.

And, you know, when they started to kind of overlap with Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon and it kind of started to mesh into that newer generation.

Track 4:

[11:37] Gosh, it's kind of hard to top that that cast, if you ask me.

Yeah i always remember us talking about like will ferrell and anna gasteyer the culps so that i think i think that was one of the ones that we would always laugh about was like all the all the mashups and sharing videos that we found in youtube was even was even around when we when you and i were chatting about snl so we probably had downloaded sketches from like uh limewire or whatever i was just gonna say that i think we shared omia on limewire or like Napster or whatever, you know, that's definitely aging us a bit.

Yeah, totally. So, yeah, so I know that, but that's interesting to me because I always associated you, yeah, with like Will Ferrell and Sherry O'Terry and those people.

But yeah, you do go back to like Chris Farley and Sandler.

And so that's awesome. Most of us SNL geeks remember watching when we were eight or nine years old, sometimes seeing sketches that maybe we shouldn't have been seeing at eight or nine years old.

Track 4:

[12:33] Yeah, yeah. Yeah, but it helped form form our comedy palettes and our love for SNL. So, so that's awesome. Thanks.

Thanks for sharing. So our friends over at the Saturday Night Network, they did like a cast member countdown.

So they went like, one through 50 talked about and John Schneider, the Lorne Michaels, essentially of the SNN, he kept asking this question, or he asked the question, like, you know, if you were to build a cast member in a lab, what would it look like?

Or was this person and built for SNL.

So that got me wondering, I'm interested in your perspective on this.

Like if you had to create an SNL cast member in a lab, actually, like what traits would you give that cast member?

Oh my gosh. You know, I'm such an SNL nerd.

So I've actually thought about this before. I know what you're talking about.

I saw that, that post in that episode.

I mean, I think it goes without saying, obviously the improv skills, even, you know, I don't think you necessarily have to come from, you know, the Groundlings or Second City or anything like that.

But I think just the ability to...

Track 4:

[13:39] Be able to go with the flow and take something and not be stuck to a script.

I think having that trait, I think being a good writer too, I think understanding how a sketch is created, even if you don't necessarily write that one for yourself, but understanding, I think, the science behind it and what your writer wants you to contribute to that sketch, I think is a really good trait.

I remember seeing an interview too, too.

I think it was with Ana Gasteyer, actually, like you were mentioning and talking about, like musical abilities and how, you know, being on a show like Saturday Night Live, you don't necessarily have to be like a Mariah Carey or a Beyonce type singer who's really good, but just enough to kind of make it through a sketch.

And I think Ana Gasteyer again, like with you know, the cults and anything else where she would have to sing, it was just good enough to get by and make it funny.

So I've always thought I agreed with that assessment that having some sort of musical ability, you know, to make it through a good sketch and execute it. Timing.

I mentioned, you know, I really liked the physical comedy and physicality of Chris Farley.

But even if you don't throw yourself into a wall or a table like he did.

Track 4:

[14:58] I think Molly Shannon did a really good job of that.

You know, Mary Catherine Gallagher would throw herself into something but um sally o'malley would even just stretch and pull her waistband up and i think just knowing whatever little physical ticks your character would have i think really kind of makes that more well-rounded you're not just reciting you know a line or like i said a script for a sketch but you're really creating a person and i always thought that was kind of fun.

Track 4:

[15:25] Um something that i think kate our girl kate was really good at was having zero modesty i think I think you have to be able to not take yourself too seriously and be okay looking like a fool on live TV.

That's such a good point. I never thought of it that way as far as having zero modesty. But you're actually super right.

That type of commitment to the character and the bit.

And I know over the years, oftentimes there's cast members that come along and something doesn't feel right about the fit of the cast member.

And I think a lot of times it's that they seem self-conscious up there and it makes me feel bad for them.

And I don't want to feel bad for somebody who I'm watching on SNL.

I want them to be completely confident and I want to feel like as a viewer, I'm in good hands with the person on screen.

And sometimes I don't get that with certain cast members over the years.

And those seem to be the ones that kind of like peter out as far as cast members.

But you're right like it's just like that lack of.

Track 4:

[16:31] Being self-conscious, like, you know, the lack of modesty, the, the commitment.

And I think our subject today, Kate McKinnon exemplifies that to a T along with like a lot of the other traits that you mentioned, like, Hey, she could sing a little bit, right? Ashley.

Track 4:

[16:47] Yeah. Again, I think just, just well enough where you're like, I mean, I'm not, maybe not like a Cecily strong, you know, type where Cecily could actually sing, but, um, I think enough.

And she definitely sunk herself into a character like yeah you're right kate was like maybe one of the least self-conscious cast members that i could ever think of on the show and her physicality was great i mean we'll probably get to all of that but i think if you built a snl cast member in a lab it would look a lot like kate mckinnon honestly yeah no i agree i kind of thought that when i was you know going through my head and thinking about them like wow it sounds like i'm just describing kate you know like this is a shameless plug just for this topic but no like Like I genuinely believe that those are really good traits and that, yeah, she embodied all of them. And I think that's what made her so great.

Yeah. And do you have a recollection of like what your reaction was to Kate when she joined SNL? She joined in 2012.

So it's like April. We're coming up on 12 years almost of when she started on SNL. It was April of 2012.

Do you have any recollection of like what you may have, what some of your first impressions might have been of Kate?

I do actually. And I do this every season. And I always have this, like, cause you really do kind of grow to, to be fond of some of these.

You're right. Maybe not so much the ones that kind of peter out and Lauren gave him a chance and it's like, okay, maybe not.

Track 4:

[18:04] Um, but especially like you said that year, that was when Kristen wig left and she was hired to replace Kristen.

And so I think I was really like, hold on, who do you think you are?

Nobody can come in here and replace Kristen wig. Are you serious?

Is like there's no way anyone's going to be able to top what Kristen did and so I remember being like okay let's let's see what what this girl can do um but her first sketch ever on SNL that Sofia Vergara um Penelope Cruz impression that she did oh my gosh I just remember thinking, holy cow I wouldn't believe that she's a brand new featured player I thought that she embodied such confidence and comfortability in that sketch.

Like she'd been doing it her whole life.

And to be sitting next to such a big star at the time, Sofia Vergara and I'm sorry, I'm laughing because I'm thinking about the sketch, but I thought, wow, okay, she can hang. Maybe this is going to be okay.

And that was kind of my first impression, even though I was kind of, you know, like a mean girl attitude about it at first, like my loyalties to Kristen, not to you. And it's funny to look back because now I say that about.

Track 4:

[19:16] Yeah, exactly. You know, I think a lot of people felt that way.

There were obviously a lot of really hardcore Kristen Wiig fans, even someone like me who she wasn't my total favorite, but I loved her a lot of her characters.

I think Kristen Wiig's an all time all timer.

So having so you do look at somebody like Kate a little bit with like a skeptical eye and it's like, okay, well, you know, it seems like you're the person that they hired to replace Kristen.

I don't know if the show Out and Out said that. I don't know that they would because they don't want to put that in there.

Kind of pressure on her but the optics were such that Kate McKinnon seemed like she got hired to replace Kristen Wiig and so you're gonna look at her skeptically and be like okay well I don't know show us what you got and that Penelope Cruz sketch the Pantene one with uh yeah that with Sophia was just it showed me like the confidence with which Kate sunk herself into this character i must have given the show and snl fans like assurance like she was going to be a keeper on snl i can't imagine that was her first episode too that sofia vergara episode that was kate's first episode the sketch happened later on in the show and it was almost like i couldn't think of a more perfect introduction to somebody that was potentially going to replace a legend than this It's like, what kind of pressure is that for Kate? Gosh.

Track 4:

[20:40] Right. Oh my gosh. Like she could, like you said, we as audience members could have felt so bad for her.

Like, you know, she could have been so nervous and unsure, you know, even with her, you know, prior experience in improv.

I mean, it's so different when you do it, you know, for such a big institution like SNL.

And I think that demonstrated too, because not all SNL cast members have been good impressionists necessarily.

Necessarily um and i think that showed too what her range was going to be that she could come on and do such a big impression again first sketch first show ever and just nail it glossy nice.

Track 4:

[21:22] No no no no no no no penelope it's phytomorphogenesis, refrigerator no no sweetie listen to me it's it's not refrigerator okay say it with me fido fido good morpho morpho genesis jeff bridges no.

Track 4:

[21:44] What i love about kate's impressions too is a lot of times they are like pretty accurate she can do the accurate thing but a lot of them are always maybe 20 20 20 to 25 off kilter like she has that perfect she sprinkles in the perfect amount of caricature for a lot of these impressions and we saw that right away with this penelope cruz the way she was pronouncing things and then she kind of like turned penelope cruz into this sympathetic human kind of person where she kind of says is it it just me am i the only one who thinks that like i'm getting the big words here or you know what's going on like so she kind of turned penelope into this more human like you kind of relate to her like yeah she's right she is getting the hard words isn't she so kate did that little trick right away with with this one yeah it was so genius even then in her first sketch like you know she could have turned penelope into a diva or something but it was just kind of this like nice little timid like um excuse me but are you not seeing this am i the only one who thinks this and i just thought it was so so genius to bring to the sketch yeah that was great season 37 episode 18 kate's first episode on the cast and she already turned in something memorable and that just completely fits what what kate would become on snl so she started her first full season, season 38, that's the post-Kristen Wiig era.

Track 4:

[23:10] What kind of stands out to you, Ashley? Like what should we start with in terms of, of Kate McKinnon's work on SNL?

Oh my gosh. Yeah. Where do you start with somebody like Kate? Um.

Track 4:

[23:22] You know, I think Ellen DeGeneres was one of her big impressions, for sure.

Like you said, doing just enough to nail it, but kind of taking her a little bit over the top and making it a caricature.

Now, as many of you know, this Sunday I am hosting the Oscars.

And I can only hope that somewhere a guy named Oscars hosting the Ellens. I'm kidding.

Track 4:

[23:44] But you know what movie I love this year? Twelve Years a Slave.

Slave that's about how i've been forced to dance on this show every day for the last 12 years, i'm just kidding it's about slavery i'm alan the justin bieber again the mannerisms you know the shrugging of the shoulders and the you know thumb in his nose and um but gosh i think my favorite i lump those two together though and it's kind of it's cool that you started like with those two specifically mentioned those two because i do lump them together the ellen degenerates and the Justin Bieber and you'd mentioned physicality with the performer like you're going to build somebody in the lab you want them to have some sort of physicality and Kate she's not necessarily like like Chris Farley like or Molly Shannon like jumping through sets and tables and and stuff like that with like Ellen and Justin Bieber but she's just doing those little moves like with Ellen it's like how she just kind of contorts her body when she's dancing, Too bad this isn't a video podcast because I'm sitting here like kind of like swaying in my chair.

So only Ashley gets treated to my little chair dance moves here.

But yeah, the way Kate...

Track 4:

[24:57] Moves her body as Ellen, and then I love even her exasperation.

Like, you know, I shouldn't have danced my first episode because now everybody just expects me to dance and I have to do this.

And so she takes that, like, kernel of something about Ellen or something about Justin Bieber and kind of dials it up, puts that absurdity, that caricature on it so perfectly.

It's interesting that I, in my mind, associate Justin Bieber and Ellen DeGeneres.

Those two are kind of almost one of the, they're very different, but I just lumped them together in my mind.

Yeah, no, so epic. You're right. And I think she kind of debuted him around the same time as well.

And I like when she takes, you know, celebrities like that in the impressions.

And regardless of how much kind of they grow and change throughout their careers, I like that she kind of picks an era and kind of keeps the characters that, like, Justin Bieber, no matter how much he grew up, she kind of still played him as this, like, you know, baby heart.

Heartthrob, you know, kind of still a little bit nervous and playing flirty, like throwing the hood up.

It's okay. People can't see me doing my little shoulder shrug either, but, um, throwing the hood up and trying to act all coy.

And I just thought, oh my God, it was so spot on.

Track 4:

[26:06] Yeah. Her Bieber, he, she played him like, uh, she captured the spirit of this young oblivious pop star who's so in love with himself.

And I think that maybe that's the angle that Kate saw. And she just captured that aloof kind of thing about bieber that he just like really loved himself he did those they did those parodies of those calvin klein ads and i think that's where we first saw that seeing kate and tidy whiteys that was hilarious i think that's what you're saying like lack of modesty like she didn't care she she would parade around in tidy whiteys and for a sketch.

Track 4:

[26:42] And go all in. Like, I just, yeah, I love that about her.

And I loved, too, if we're going to keep talking about favorite impressions, her, of course, Ruth Bader Ginsburg impression.

And it makes me think of RBG like that and kind of wish that she was like that in real life.

And I'm, like, convinced myself that that's how she was.

But, you know, I mean, the Ginsburg.

That's just so brilliant. It seems so simple, but I can't tell you how hard I laughed every time she came out on Weekend Update and did Ruth Bader Ginsburg and then would just burn all these people and, again, get up and dance and have the Ginsburg and just be all into it and being this little frail old 80-year-old woman just getting down.

Let's focus. Now, were you swayed by any of the arguments you heard on Tuesday?

Oh, man. They were useless.

Useless. next time I'm just gonna put a crumpled up black cocktail napkin in my place no one will know I'm good the arguments I heard they were so weak I just hope they're not holding up Justice Scalia's chair oh that's a gills burn.

Track 4:

[27:57] Total commitment to to the character and to the bit that's what I always know Kate from her time at SNL as just somebody who just immersed herself into something.

This Ruth Bader Ginsburg was perfect. And this wasn't even...

Her voice was pretty spot on, the squeaky voice, but that was about it.

This was kind of Kate putting on a robe and dancing on Weekend Update, and it was endlessly entertaining. So that's a really good call out.

Track 4:

[28:29] Gosh, I could go on and on. But even not just her impressions, but I think her ability to create an original character, too.

I don't know that you can talk about you know Kate McKinnon potentially being in the hall of fame without talking about Colleen Rafferty in the close encounter sketches like oh my gosh I think I shed tears I laughed so hard during each and every one of those and again yeah the physicality and not just her own lack of modesty but I think forcing those in the sketch with her you know to kind of get up all up close to them and touch them and you know and get up all into their face and usually make them break um but gosh i just thought that was brilliant too to portray you know the third of a trio who clearly did not have the same experience these other people did, these fancy cats are seeing god meanwhile i'm starting phase two which is me sitting on a stool while 40 gray aliens take turns gently batting my knockers in.

Track 4:

[29:32] Did y'all get the knocker stuff? Uh, no. No knocker stuff. Sorry.

And did you feel threatened, Ms. Rafferty? No. No, no, no, no, no.

They were, uh, they were real respectful about it. They were... they were in a line.

And then, uh, one by one, they'd step up, slap a knocker, and then go to end the line, wait for another turn.

Kate, as a performer, you could tell she was like, well, it's not just going to be me that goes to 11, basically.

I'm going to take all of you with me. I'm going to climb on Ryan Gosling.

I'm going to do all this stuff to Liev Schreiber and...

I'm going to bring you all along with me into this absurdity, whether you like it or not.

I'm going to take you with me. That's like a powerful performer right there in Kate.

I never thought about it totally that way, but she just was just such a powerful presence in kind of like a small stature.

But she was so powerful up there on screen.

Track 4:

[30:38] Seriously. And I love this. I know Lauren hates it when they break, but I know the audiences love it.

And especially in those, I mean, yeah, she wouldn't just make Ryan Gosling, you know, completely break down and laugh.

But even like Aidy Bryant and those, you know, conducting the interview just could barely hold it together and ask their simple lines.

So it's just, I think watching her was so great. They couldn't help but get immersed and forget where they were too. And you're at kind of go along with her.

Yeah. Lauren, Lauren's like, oh, we're, uh, we're not the Carol Burnett show.

We don't, uh, we don't do that kind of thing. but I guess it's okay for this one Kate keep doing your thing so that's probably that's probably in my mind what Lauren what Lauren told Kate right there it was a real good Lauren by the way I've been working on I've had like years to kind of like start fine-tuning my Lauren and at some point I'm gonna make all my guests do do their Lauren impression too so oh gosh please don't start with me and I would probably be terrible.

I basically just do Dr. Evil when I try to do Morn.

That's kind of my cheat code for it. I know it's like the worst kept secret that Mike Myers Yeah.

Track 4:

[31:50] This was Colleen Rafferty. Yeah, these close encounters.

Perfectly weird like Kate character. It made me cry with laughter but also honestly made me tear up.

I don't know some sadness some joy some sentimentality because she chose this as her unofficial send-off in her last show for a reason it was yeah it was the cold open, uh in her last show and she did calling rafferty and she did this like send-off where she was gonna go into the spaceship for good well earth, i love you thanks for letting me stay a while.

Track 4:

[32:39] Live from new york it's saturday night, it made me tear up i'm not even afraid to to say it like i was sitting there watching her last episode like what is this salty discharge like i'm i was like kind of crying like did it have that effect on you Ashley oh 100% yeah like you could ask my husband I was in tears because when I was devastated that she was leaving of course because I think Kate became SNL and it was so hard to imagine SNL without her so yeah obviously it was tears of you know just sadness that she was leaving and just that kind of oh trying to have to process that reality but just so brilliant that she chose that and what a way to kind of I love that she had the say in it and And kind of how she laughed on her terms and, and.

Track 4:

[33:29] To give that character that closure too and of course i you know you could tell that kate was tearing up so how could you not i mean yeah what a career like you said um she was on it for so long and um yeah don't don't worry i was absolutely bawling like a baby not even just tears like i was probably sorry yeah i think i think most snl fans like through the hardcore fans were sitting there on their couches crying a little bit another oddball character that i think we need to to bring up with kate she just excelled at playing these really odd i mean there's like probably a laundry list but she did this one nine times uh including her first full season in season 38 she broke broke out uh sheila savage the last call at the bar so so this this is hilarious she says like kate has this gift of saying like the grossest things with such sincerity and confidence, What's your name, sweetie?

It's, uh, it's Sheila Sauvage. You can remember that because if you mix up the letters, it almost spells Vagisil.

Track 4:

[34:42] What's your handle, brother? They call me Ace Chuggins. Ace, get out!

I'm wearing one of your bandages right now because I ran out of underwear.

Mom, wow. Oh, my gosh. yeah like just the complete lack of inhibition like she did it with what like um dave chapelle louis ck adam sandler um larry david would just go yes oh and keenan's you know like pouring gasoline in his eyes on the side because you're right just these absolutely gross grotesque things coming out of her mouth and what she's doing you know at that bar and for keenan to be that kind of sane person that like, this is not okay.

Like anyone else watching this would be completely tortured by it, but you couldn't help it. Just be me.

Track 4:

[35:29] At least for me, I get almost in tears laughing just so hard.

I think the one with Dave Chappelle, especially, was one of the best ones.

I just loved, again, like we keep saying about her, she goes all in and she takes it from a 10 to at least an 11, if not higher.

There's certain performers. So there's different classes of performers.

And some were if they're asked to do something like say say these insane gross things be so oddball and out there you could tell that that's against type and as they're performing it there they know that they're playing against type and so they're not all the way committed like that happens a lot of times with hosts so they bring a host on and then they have the host do this weird character maybe like scarlett johansson she's great love scarlett johansson but you could tell maybe sometimes it's scarlet's playing somebody weird that there's maybe an element of her that's almost calls attention to it while she's doing it but kate doesn't you think that this is really kate when when she's playing these characters like it's almost like a dana carvey kind of gift of sinking into a character and not calling attention to it so much Yeah, no, 100%. I think you're right.

Oh my gosh, yeah, Dane is a perfect example of this, where they become so immersed in it.

Track 4:

[36:55] And I love that they don't take themselves too seriously. You're right.

You see it a lot with hosts who just, they're so afraid of being embarrassed or how it's going to look and what the reviews are going to be that you can tell that they're holding back.

And it completely changes the dynamic of that sketch. whereas yeah what Kate goes all in because she doesn't take herself too seriously I think she takes what she does very seriously clearly because she's so brilliant at it but I think that's the key of a good SNL performer is take what you do seriously but not yourself and I think that's why we got such amazing characters that other otherwise you could have walked away from a sketch being like okay wow that was odd why'd they do that and instead you got this oh my gosh what an epic, epic result we got from her yet again.

I love that. What'd you say? Take the work seriously, but not yourself so seriously. Yeah. I love that.

That's almost a perfect way to describe Kate and why maybe a lot of what she did worked on the show because she did find that formula of taking the work seriously, but letting herself go in the process. That's such a great way to put that.

Ashley, I love it. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, I just, to me, that just seemed like the best way to describe it, because there's no way she could have done what she did if she took anything about herself seriously.

Track 4:

[38:15] Yeah, yeah. One last oddball character that I think about, too, is her, DeBette Goldry, the old, the actor, the actress from old Hollywood.

Who's always on these panels sharing matter-of-fact anecdotes about how women were treated back then.

What do you think is still holding women back?

I think there are all these tiny little things. Like, you've got to change your hair to fit your type.

Yeah, and you have to act a certain way so you don't get labeled as difficult.

Yeah, you gotta eat arsenic to make your skin pale.

What? Well, yeah, I mean, Samuel Goldwyn had a rule that all of his starlets had to eat arsenic tablets to make their skin glow.

And then they discovered it made us, um, I'm sorry, what is the word? Psychotic.

So to calm us down, they'd send in the monkey with a tray of opium, you know how it goes.

Track 4:

[39:09] That works because Kate is so matter-of-fact. as a performer about how she's sharing this awful stuff about what would happen to actresses in the whole of Hollywood.

Right. Yeah. And it would have been so easy for that to have too closely mirrored Colleen Rafferty of, you know, trying to deliver this deadpan of all these horrible, ridiculous things.

But that was such a different character. And it made you think it was a totally different concept again, because she was just so great at, again, the accent and her delving into that character made you believe you were talking to this old timey Hollywood actress.

And, you know, when the interview is over and she's like, OK, I know what that means. And she starts undressing to lay on the table.

Track 4:

[39:49] It's kind of it could go right up to a point where you almost feel uncomfortable because there's probably way too much truth to that.

But to that reality, but in a way that still lets you laugh at an otherwise very unfortunate reality.

Reality yeah she's talking about things like forced marriages and tranquilizers being like just all sorts of very vivid descriptions of what what it must have been like and she just totally this like said and then she looks at the other people i think jen remember jennifer aniston being being on one or amma stone i think they were on actually the same one and she's just kind of looking at them like what that just what that's that's how it was like like am i right ladies like yeah am i right like you can relate that way probably yeah yeah yeah that's such a perfect kate like oddball character and she i think she did that four times it was toward more toward like her later the later half of her snl career but we love those and i speaking of like the almost later half of her snl career i think she had kate had a lot of things working against her as far as the era that she worked in because she was saddled with a lot of thankless roles because around 2016 Trump era hit unfortunately and it had a weird effect on comedy and SNL as well so I think Kate.

Track 4:

[41:19] Was almost i don't know doing sketch comedy with like weights attached to her in some ways with having to do political figures but ashley i don't know if you agree with this i think she did the best she could i think she did a really good job with a lot of potentially thank thankless political roles no i 100 agree you're right it's such a you know there's been unfortunately times in our country where it's is hey is it okay to laugh and i think snl has always been brilliant about reminding us as a country that it's okay to do that.

Um, even when you otherwise don't feel like you should.

And I think for, you know, a lot of people that Trump era was really jarring.

And I know sometimes I've commented, gosh, is this too real to be funny?

It's almost, it's not even satire anymore. This is real. But I think Kate was such a breath of fresh air through that.

Track 4:

[42:12] And I think by giving, I mean, they, she didn't just do, you know, female impressions. I know we talked about Justin Bieber, But she did Jeff Sessions and Rudy Giuliani.

And again, just turned to these people that were certainly not very likable or well liked by most of the country and just made you laugh at the ridiculousness of it.

And I think reminded people that it was okay to do that.

And kind of like, okay, good. Yeah, this is ridiculous, right?

Like, she's kind of highlighting, you know, the ridiculousness to what was going on in a way that I think made us not so scared anymore. more.

And you're right, that could have really gone either way, I think, depending on the temperature of our country and were people ready to laugh at it.

And I think Kate just had that knack of making it successful and getting us through that era.

Track 4:

[43:03] Yeah, I think she did the correct thing as far as you take like Jeff Sessions, Rudy Giuliani. Those are great examples.

She didn't try to do spot on impressions, like maybe a little bit, certainly with the accents and things like that.

But then she she inserted she tried to find the right angle to make it a unique impression, but also kind of roast those people. So like with Jeff Sessions, she played him like a possum.

And she even, I mean, she made that obvious.

I think there was even one time where Sessions was on maybe Weekend Update or a sketch and she had him eating like something like a possum would, like a rodent.

So that's how she decided to play Jeff Sessions as this like rodent type of squirrely kind of character.

And I think that was the perfect way to go about it. Do you really not remember meeting with George Papadopoulos about Russia?

Well, you know, Colin, I've had some memory problems stemming from a childhood trauma.

A childhood trauma? What was that?

The passing of the Civil Rights Act.

Track 4:

[44:13] Yeah, and I think, too, I think we would be remiss if we didn't talk about her Kellyanne Conway impression through all of that, And especially the Pennywise pre-recorded sketch that they did, or was it Kelly wise?

I'm not really sure. I can't remember now that I'm talking. Yeah. They turned it into, but again, just taking it just far enough to be a little bit roast of the character, but also, you know, enough past it for us, you know, the logical parts of our brains to remember that this is a parody of, And, you know, not taking it too far to like, I think, actually, you know, forget that those are still human beings.

Track 4:

[44:51] She's just so brilliant at towing that line and taking it over the top.

Just again, like like Kelly Wise.

Yeah, it was almost. Yeah, it was almost perfect that she played Kellyanne Conway.

Like that was the Kelly Wise one was a logical extension of how she played Kellyanne.

She almost played Kellyanne like a horror, like a movie villain, like a horror movie villain anyway.

Yeah, there was this emptiness. behind her Kellyanne behind those eyes just like really creepiness and slightly unhinged that's how she played Kellyanne so like dressing her up as a clown and doing the whole Kelly wise thing was like almost a perfect extension of just how she played that character in general and she had to do this like 16 times so so it could have just been become another boring political impression Russian, but she made it her own.

It's me, Kellyanne Conway.

Track 4:

[45:43] But you can call me Kellywise. Kellywise, the dancing clown.

Track 4:

[45:49] It's Kellyanne. What'd you do to your makeup? I toned it down.

Put me on TV. I have to go. Wait, don't go.

Don't you want a coat? No. I'll give you a coat. I'll give you a crazy, crazy coat.

How about this? Okay, so Puerto Rico actually was worse before Hurricane Maria and the hurricane actually did blow some buildings back together.

And I don't know why Elizabeth Warren won't tweet about that. That's insane.

I know. I think, too, just, yeah, playing off the fact that there was always something in it for Kelly.

She wasn't doing it for anybody else. And I think that Kelly Wise sketch really sold that message home, too.

I keep thinking, too, of her physicality. With Rudy Giuliani, she decided to play him almost like the Crypt Keeper or like a serpent in some ways.

Her Giuliani would sit there and he would manipulate his hands like they were spiders.

Track 4:

[46:45] These little mannerisms. It was just so perfect the way she played Giuliani because she could have just said, I'll just do an impression and let the crazy things that he says in real life speak for themselves.

I think that was a crutch that SNL maybe still hasn't shaken, is sometimes they'll just do verbatim what the person said.

But I appreciate Kate, because she tried to find a different angle, even if it was with her physical performance.

So a lot of people don't necessarily appreciate that, about that era of political SNL was how Kate approached it.

It yeah 100 because i think too they get so stuck on okay we need an impressionist who's gonna nail it and be so much like this person and i think you know will ferrell's george w bush i think kind of lulled snl into that because he was so spot on with it and then trying to find i think they go through like three or four different cast members trying to find someone to replace will ferrell's george w bush after that because they wanted so badly for it to be the way will ferrell did it and they just couldn't they couldn't replicate it and i think that's what was so genius about kate was once a cast member would leave who had otherwise done that impression and she stepped in to do it she made it her own she made it totally different so that way it wasn't like it was an exact comparison to either the real person or the cast member who had done it before.

Track 4:

[48:07] Yeah yeah that's a really great point kate almost played a president that she played hillary clinton and I think she really found...

She did it over 20 times and I think she really...

Track 4:

[48:23] To me kind of subtly found this great angle on hillary like this element of desperation, but also competence at the same time like part of the joke was that she was so competent that it was boring so she would try to like spice things up and maybe the real hillary tried to do that a little bit too in 2016.

Besides who can remember how many states i've lost in a row is it a two or is it three i don't hey miss clinton i'm here to fix seven holes in your wall.

Track 4:

[48:55] Come to think of it it might have been seven and and that's fantastic it humanizes me i'm the underdog now i'm this election's rudy and i like that after all i don't want to be a big old b and win every single state that's no fun she captured like like i said like the desperation but also So there was competence in how she played Hillary.

Yeah. And again, she had to follow Amy Poehler's impression of Hillary Clinton, which was super popular.

And again, made it her own.

And they were both such perfect, you know, Hillarys, for sure.

And same with Elizabeth Warren.

Her impression of Elizabeth Warren was just so...

I think that one was probably a little bit more like spot on to how she was.

Um or at least how i i saw her in in media i put down enthusiastic nerd for uh elizabeth warren, yes yes oh my god yes oh and then she did that tiktok with her i don't know if you saw that where it was like the the drake um was the the drake song was the trend i think oh okay gosh again i'm an elder millennial i'm not cool enough to remember the names of these songs anymore but But, yeah, and just taking it outside of, like, a live SNL sketch and, you know, portraying, you know, some of these people in things like TikTok, I thought was genius.

Track 4:

[50:18] Yeah, so. You should look it up if you haven't seen it. Yeah, I will, because I actually haven't seen that one pass me by.

Again, elder millennial, Drake, TikTok, these are all, like, words I barely know. So.

Track 4:

[50:33] I'll go take a look. Recently, like Robert Mueller, Anthony Fauci, like those could have been really thankless.

Track 4:

[50:40] But I think she found like a funny angle on Fauci, too.

Track 4:

[50:45] Just like especially that was a little more spot on and the way she looked and like her Fauci was just fun to listen to and look at.

So even in like the later Kate years, she still tried to I think she still tried to work hard to find angles on on different societal and political figures.

Figures and i think too we saw that with um doctor we notice kind of late on i think she only did that maybe two or three times but um i love how that kind of blended and it always turned into kate are you okay you know joe's asking her you know being that fourth wall even more so um and kind of reminding us hey kate um are you are you gonna be okay and her trying to get through the rest of that sketch i thought was really great and really again kind of captured how everyone was processing you know 2020 and 2021 um yeah like her doing those fourth wall breaks like i remember a cold open that she she hosted a talk show where it was just essentially her i think even the title of the talk show is like like what the hell is happening it was like in something along those lines where kate was just like marveling at just like the the craziness of of what was happening in the world.

Track 4:

[51:57] And I like seeing Kate start to almost share her exasperation about what was happening in the world through characters and sketches like that.

So we started seeing Kate more, kind of come out of her shell a little bit in that way, as far as just like, the doctor we noticed was perfect.

Track 4:

[52:16] Fourth wall break and asking her like are you are you okay what's going on kate like i yeah i just i thought that was perfect and now he's holding rallies yeah who does this he did this we notice we hate us he do this we notice.

Track 4:

[52:31] I'm sorry doctor we notice um yes are are you saying we know this or are you just saying your last name oh okay we know this is greek in english it translates to we know this like we're aware of this okay okay yeah i think i think i got it are there any like almost hidden gems or one-off, sketches or anything like that that might maybe maybe she did once or twice that just always like tickled you oh my god yes did you did you see or do you remember the birds sketch it had john mulaney in it and it was keenan it was like the turner classic movies and he is playing you know reese to what and it's this you know supposed cut scene from alfred hitchcock's the birds, that oh my god gets me every time because it's just so ridiculous you've got to do something Please, these birds, they're the jerk of the year.

Has anyone said, like, shoo, get out of here, bird, like with a hand wave?

No, no, there's too many and they're too mean. Okay, so these are birds of prey, like a hawk or an eagle?

No, no, they're seagulls, you know, the little guys that eat french fries at the beach. Oh, no, look!

Track 4:

[53:57] They set fire to the gas station. How? Wow.

Sir, I cannot explain. She plays the main actress in the movie who's running from the birds and Kate runs into this phone booth, locks herself in and she calls the sheriff and the sheriff is played by john mulaney and kate's just hysterical and beside herself and the birds the birds are killing everyone and john mulaney is basically playing himself in this sketch and it's like i'm sorry like they're just like pecking a lot of people or like what's happening just like no they're murdering us all she's so hysterical he's trying to be like she's like there's no time to explain you have have to come quick and he's like no no no i need you to explain like you just said the birds murdered a man i need you to explain how that's possible and to me that is just one of the funniest one-offs that i think she ever did and um beck bennett kind of runs off and on screen every now and then getting attacked by the birds and then it just keeps getting more ridiculous and now now the birds have picked up turtles and they're throwing turtles at people and now the turtles can fly like the bird it just look at this could have been the most random dud tank of a sketch and to me it's one of the funniest things that she did the entire time.

Track 4:

[55:20] She's so good about playing that dramatic old hollywood kind of delivery that affectation that's so good i remember that sketch i found it hilarious and it was it was just like the premise was super silly the premise was almost like yeah that makes sense like you watch the movie and you're kind of you are thinking I remember I saw it when I was like a teenager or something and I remember thinking wait these birds are like murdering people like what what this doesn't make sense why I like Hitchcock but what so I think yeah that's where they were coming from and Kate delivered that so well I love her affectation it's kind of funny that you bring up like how when she played like a 1950s actress because the one off that really like spoke to me with kate was from season 44 i don't know if you remember teacher fell down yes oh my god i almost forgot about that one yeah the sketch started with uh it just shows a shot of the outside of a school then you hear like this commotion in class and the students are like oh like gasp and then the sketch starts with kate just like on the ground just laying with her legs out almost like I'm a seated but with her legs out and she does this monologue this dramatic monologue almost like a scene from a.

Track 4:

[56:38] 1950s movie about how she fell down and we got in this predicament and we're in this together and and, I've been doing some thinking about this. And then just the reactions of the students like Jonah Hill, A.D.

Bryan, and Pete Davidson have these like perfect reactions to this teacher who's just like she fell down and she's monologuing. And it's because she was wearing willies. Her shoes had wheels on them, so she fell.

Track 4:

[57:05] But just Kate's just like commitment in her delivery, her affectation is this 1950s dramatic delivery.

Like Teacher Fell Down is kind of like, over the last five or ten years, one that I always go to is like, this was such like a possible, unappreciated, one-off, weird kind of thing that I totally connected with. Teacher fell down.

Are you okay? Yeah, because you really fell down there. No, you need like help?

No, no. It's too late for that.

Track 4:

[57:42] Teachers on the ground like a silly little girl well i'm not a little girl and i didn't fall.

Track 4:

[57:50] Yes you did do you want to like get up.

Track 4:

[57:53] Though no no we're staying in this i loved it i think because i am also kind of weird and random that i connected so much with kate and the characters that she did because it's like she made it okay to be weird and random and people celebrated it and enjoyed it and yeah like again just this she's having this existential crisis in front of a bunch of high schoolers like on the floor but it it made it funny like i just yeah um even even the one-offs like you said are so memorable when 80s says he said she's sharing her existential crisis with the students and when 80s says don't tell us stuff like that i love like i could just imagine like some 16 year old like i don't want to hear about my teacher's life like don't tell us stuff like why are you saying why are you telling us this yeah did you have any any more were you about to say oh gosh i don't know if it was a one-off but i loved when she did the russian like olia um and she was like again same thing like this deadpan delivery of like all these horrible things happening to her in russia um but oh don't worry america like you know you're going through this but you know we don't have you know like food um but no i don't think that was a one-off because i think she did olia a few times but yeah that was a great weekend character yeah yes it's around the same time she was doing the the angela merkel.

Track 4:

[59:23] One-two-one weekend update yes yes oh god see she did so much i can't imagine kate not being a candidate for the hall of fame like i think that would just be criminal i know i know it's amazing my wife's a french teacher so one sketch that this is like maybe the last one that i'll bring up but one sketch that i had to show my wife because she's a french teacher was the america's funniest pets okay well then i'm gonna let you guys handle this next clip of a cat who has this It's his first taste of ice cream.

Track 4:

[59:55] This cat has seconds to live. She purposefully cut off her oxygen.

This life is too much to bear. She is quietly backing out of this world.

And she will not be missed.

That's a funny cat. Yeah, very funny cat.

Kate and Cecily were playing these French women commenting on pet videos.

And they were these cute pet videos, but they were playing these nihilistic French women who were inserting these like these like kind of messed up scenarios with these pets and it was such wonderful caricatures and i showed my french teacher wife and she's like that's really funny like it's kind of a funny uh take on like a stereotypical take on like french culture aspects about french culture but that was one where she she and cecily were great in that and She was a really good teammate and especially had great chemistry with Aidy Bryant.

Is that one of the better duos, do you think, that we've seen on SNL, Kate and Aidy?

Oh, I think that would definitely be up there with Molly Shannon and Sherry O'Terry and those kind of duos. Like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, I think.

Track 4:

[1:01:06] Maybe not quite as iconic as that um again tina's my queen um but i think kate and ade like fats and, is it dyke and fats um the top duo sketches that they did together and then the um the spiced meats that they were selling on weekend update um the like um whatever farms they're both vegetarians and they're trying to talk about this like rancid meat that's sitting in front of them um yeah Yeah, their duo together was perfection.

I loved it so much. Yeah, they were so good together.

And you could tell that they just fed off of each other's energy so well.

There was a fairly recent one.

John Krasinski hosted the episode. I thought it was a great episode all around.

But they did one where it was like a game show from the early 90s. And they were partners.

But they went on like there were these couples. And then it was Kate and 80.

And it was obviously they wouldn't say because it was the early 90s.

But they were a lesbian couple. couple and the way they talk to each other like you're my soulmate you're my life I like this.

Track 4:

[1:02:09] Just like they're you can do it yeah you can exactly there's chemistry was so so great that was like a wonderful encapsulation to me of just how Kate and 80 work together so well now let's learn a little bit about our front runners what do you guys do for work I have a doctorate in grocery riddles that's right I'm a I'm a Unitarian minister neat what will you do with the money if, Well, our blind horse needs a full-time nurse.

My snowshoes are looking a little ratty. And I do need titanium ankles, because mine are just sort of bone on bone. Ouchie!

Track 4:

[1:02:43] Well, good luck catching up, couples, because these two are really in sync.

Yeah. We got a really good thing. Yeah, this woman taught me how to trust.

Sometimes I lie awake, praying that we die in the same moment.

Kate is one of the... She was in one of the biggest movies of, like, last year, Barbie.

I thought she did really great. She played weird Barbie, of course, but other Barbie would, would Kate play and do well.

I mean, she could probably play any Barbie, but she was just so perfect as weird Barbie, really memorable performance.

That said, how could you see her post SNL career kind of playing out like types of roles?

And what would you like to see her do with her post SNL career?

Track 4:

[1:03:25] Oh, gosh, yeah, I mean, she was brilliant in it. And I think obviously, you know, uh, Greta Gerwig was, you know, her friend since forever.

And so I think knew that too about that Kate would be perfect for that role. Um, I mean, it's hard to say as much as I love her. I don't know that I see Kate in this, like, you know, she's the main kind of starring character.

I think she's always going to kind of be this like supporting actress role, but you're right.

Like you said earlier, she's such a good teammate that I think she understands that that kind of followership role in comedy or in a movie is just as important as like the lead.

And she really makes it such a well-rounded project to be in.

And so I would just love to see more of that.

I know she's had, you know, a few of those things here and there where it's been that side character.

I think Barbie, again, was the biggest and most brilliant and kind of the most mainstream that we've seen her do.

I would love that. I know we've seen like Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig get a lot of like recurring kind of shows now.

Track 4:

[1:04:26] I do think kind of in that smaller kind of show realm, Kate would be perfect for like a main role like that.

Just anything that Kate wants to be in, I will watch. watch um is essentially all that i ask is that she keeps making comedy and kind of showing us that it's okay to be weird and random and people will enjoy it yeah 100 i can see you're settling in so you said maya because maya appears for guest spots and so many different things and it's always appreciated will forte is another one where he he appears in so many things he did get a chance at a leading role in the last man on earth and maybe kate will get a chance to do something like that but I can see her settling into like how will Forte settled in as we bring in this person to do a few minutes on this episode and they totally steal the show and they're so great and I think that's the kind the type of energy that she has I can totally see her settling into something like that and you're right whatever whatever she wants to do especially if it's in comedy.

Track 4:

[1:05:27] I'm all aboard. I'm just so interested to see what she's going to do in the next few years.

Yeah and i hope that barbie was that kind of catalyst for more projects to come her way because she certainly deserves it yeah we always we talked a lot about her sketches as that kind of old hollywood actress and her making fun of the drama but really if you isolate those i mean i think she could pull it off too like she has that seriousness and the commitment to it to really do anything and have such a range of work available to her hopefully yeah i think so so So, not like it should even be a question.

To me, this is one of the more obvious ones that we have, just in general, especially this season.

Track 4:

[1:06:13] But, why do you think SNL Hall of Fame voters should put Kate in the Hall of Fame in her first season of eligibility?

Track 4:

[1:06:21] I think she's just iconic. I think she really became one of those big names that you think of when you go through all those different casts over the years.

I think her name holds up.

And again, elder millennial, as we keep saying, so I still have the actual D of the best of, you know, when they would actually publish the DVDs of, you know, there's like three or four volumes of Will Ferrell and best of Chris Farley and everything.

And I think that is kind of when you think of what goes on those types of, I don't even think we call them DVDs anymore, but those, those movies that you're going to put together is, can you fill 90 minutes of just this this one player and you could i think fill two or three volumes for kate mckinnon because she became so iconic and had so many roles that we identified with and love and quote and reference today in pop culture um and i think too one snl is such a big part of pop culture but i think the mark of a hall of famer is you know when that comedian comedian and their characters become part of pop culture outside of SNL.

And I think Kate's really done that for comedy and continued to really kind of evolve it and evolve it for women.

And I think be such a great role model for, you know, comedians to look up to and try to emulate.

Track 4:

[1:07:46] Like we said, the kind of the traits of an SNL character in a lab, I mean, she has them all.

I think if you you could literally build somebody to be on SNL, I think they would look exactly like Kate McKinnon.

And I can't imagine anybody else not being eligible, even though it's just her first year.

Track 2:

[1:08:17] So there's that. Kate McKinnon nominated for the SNL Hall of Fame in the cast member category.

Track 2:

[1:08:26] It's going to be interesting to see what kind of votes she receives.

She's a first ballot Hall of Famer to me. It's a slam dunk.

And it's just a matter of what percentage she gets in with. Does she top Dana Carvey and Will Ferrell?

Does she you know just squeak through ultimately the percentages don't matter once you're in but they are curious to note and we will be noting them to satisfy your curiosity speaking of curiosity why don't we go to a sketch now with ms mckinnon this is a good sketch and i I want to just set it up for you.

That's right. It is from season 44 and this one's a bit of a hidden gem that Kate pretty much carries, except for some interjections from Aidy Bryant and Pete Davidson and the host Jonah Hill.

There's also not much to the visual. It's just Kate sitting on the ground after falling in class. So let's go to that now.

This is Kate McKinnon in Teacher Fell.

Track 5:

[1:09:54] Are you okay? Yeah, because you really fell down there. No, you need, like, help?

No, no. It's too late for that.

Teacher's on the ground. Like a silly little girl.

Well, I'm not a little girl, and I didn't fall. Yes, you did.

Do you want to, like, get up, though? No, no.

We're staying in this. Because I've got a hunch. I'm no psychologist. Yo, this is driver's ed.

But maybe you're laughing because you're afraid.

Teachers on the ground. Everything's different. Are we okay?

Yeah, we're good, but are you okay?

Oh, because I tripped. Because I was teaching too fast. You remember how fast it was?

No, I think you just didn't realize that your shoes were Heelys.

Say, honey, we're at a what now? Uh, uh, Heelys are, uh, sneakers with wheels in them. Impossible!

Track 5:

[1:11:04] This is all funny now, but... it's not gonna be funny if it turns out I've got two broken legs...

And I'm in a full-bottom mermaid cast... wheeled around in a trash bin, Yeah, covered head to toe in stinky trash.

That's not funny. Spaghetti in my hair.

Track 5:

[1:11:33] This is some episode of Friend. Do you mean friends?

I don't know movies. I can't take this. I got to help her. Halt!

I can teach from the ground, can't I? Yes.

Let's place our hands on the wheel, okay? Remember, how old are my kids? 10 and 2. Oh.

Oh, my dear God.

Track 5:

[1:12:03] Teacher fell more. It's honestly not that different. You're, like, three inches lower.

God, I'm on the ground. Oh.

I'm where I belong. Yeah, we said I was too frail.

Said I wouldn't live past three, and I wish I hadn't. Oh, no, don't tell us stuff.

You know, I've fallen down before. Once, at my own wedding. And a thousand other times.

Stop sharing. My ex-husband used to tell me, "'Gayle, you're too weak.

Gayle, you're too clumsy.

Gayle, those shoes have wheels. Put that phone away!" -"Yo, I'm calling the nurse." -"You know what?

This is good. Film this. Film this." Hello.

How does it feel to see teacher, teacher who used to lord over you with such power, fallen down?

Knowing you could get up and kick her. Could step on her.

Come on now. Take a whiz on teaching. Oh, my God! Get up, you. Spit in my hair.

Okay. No! What she said to you. Oh.

Look at us.

The world's gone topsy-turvy, and so have we. We're all here.

We're all laughing like cats.

Track 5:

[1:13:29] You ought to try it. Falling down. See the world differently down here.

You realize how small we all are, how big the floor is.

All right, I learned my lesson. Someone help me up.

Well, they've left. I guess school is over. And wha-? Would you look at that?

There's a wheel in my shoe. What?

Track 2:

[1:13:56] That is stellar work from Kate McKinnon.

Virtuoso, if you will, in the cast member category.

I remember seeing her the first time, and you won't believe me when I say this, but I remember her popping off the screen and just thinking, she's going to be a star.

She's going to be a star. She just looked different on my television and sounded different on my television and was funnier on my television than anybody I had seen since the third golden age.

So there's that.

Track 2:

[1:14:32] Voting again opens next Monday, May the 6th.

We'll be back with the Don Pardo Award winner, which you don't vote for.

So it won't get confusing for you but the ballot will be ready for you it will be emailed to you if you've signed up for the uh to be registered as a voter and if you haven't you can go to snl hof.com and you can vote through the link there we'll also have it on our all our social and.

Track 2:

[1:15:01] You'll be able to get access to it quite easily i really want to thank matt and thomas and And especially our guest, Ashley Bauer. It's been great to have you.

And that's what I've got for you this week. So if you would please do me a favor.

And on your way out, as you pass the Weekend Update Exhibit, turn out the lights because the SNL Hall of Fame is now closed.

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