Summary Lessons from Late Night | The New Yorker www.newyorker.com
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One Line
Tina Fey's journey on Saturday Night Live highlights the balance between creative expression and the practical demands of producing comedy for a cohesive show, blending her Harvard background with improvisational talent.
Slides
Slide Presentation (8 slides)
Key Points
- Tina Fey's journey from a nervous job interview at Saturday Night Live to becoming a respected writer and producer offers valuable insights into the world of comedy and television
- Fey learned several key lessons from Lorne Michaels about producing and managing a creative team, including that a producer's job is often about "discouraging creativity" and that "perfect is overrated" on live television
- Michaels' approach to hiring blended Harvard-educated "nerds" with gifted, visceral performers from improv groups, which was key to SNL's success
- Fey observed differences between male and female comedy writers, including the surprising practice among some male writers of urinating in cups and leaving them around the office
- Fey's proudest moment as a head writer at SNL was the successful production of a commercial parody called "Kotex Classic," which she had to persistently advocate for against the initial skepticism of the male producers
Summaries
23 word summary
Tina Fey's SNL path shows comedy's demands. Michaels taught her a producer's role curbs creativity for cohesion. Fey blended Harvard "nerds" and improvisers.
51 word summary
Tina Fey's SNL journey reveals insights on comedy and TV. Michaels taught her a producer's role is about "discouraging creativity" for cohesion. Fey blended Harvard "nerds" and improvisers, like at 30 Rock. She observed gender differences, with men drawn to rule-breaking. Her proudest moment was a parody ad male producers doubted.
126 word summary
Tina Fey's journey from SNL writer to respected producer offers insights into comedy and television. Despite initial anxiety, Fey landed the SNL job in 1997, developing a close relationship with creator Lorne Michaels. Michaels taught Fey that a producer's role is often about "discouraging creativity" to maintain a cohesive vision. Navigating actors' ideas requires understanding their discomfort. Michaels blended Harvard "nerds" with gifted improvisers, a balance Fey applied at 30 Rock. Fey also observed differences between male and female writers, including the male tendency to "break rules" that may draw them to comedy. Her proudest moment was producing a parody ad that male producers initially doubted. Fey's insights offer a unique behind-the-scenes look at a legendary comedy institution and the lessons learned from a master producer.
359 word summary
Tina Fey's journey from a nervous job interview at Saturday Night Live to becoming a respected writer and producer offers valuable insights into the world of comedy and television. Despite her initial anxiety, Fey landed the SNL writing job in 1997, beginning a nine-year tenure at the show. Her relationship with Lorne Michaels, the show's creator and producer, evolved from that of a "Terrified Pupil and Reluctant Teacher" to a bond of mutual respect and friendship.
Fey learned several key lessons from Michaels about producing and managing a creative team. She realized that a producer's job is often about "discouraging creativity" - policing the enthusiasm of various departments to maintain a cohesive vision. Navigating actors' "ideas" requires understanding the underlying reasons for their discomfort. Fey also learned that on live television, "perfect is overrated" - the show must go on at 11:30, regardless of the writing's flawlessness.
Michaels' approach to hiring blended Harvard-educated "nerds" with gifted, visceral performers from improv groups. This balance of analytical and intuitive comedy sensibilities was key to SNL's success, and Fey has tried to apply this lesson when hiring for 30 Rock. Other lessons include Michaels' emphasis on the visual nature of television, his advice to avoid making big decisions right after a grueling work period, and his refusal to directly confront the "crazies" on staff.
Fey also touches on the differences she observed between male and female comedy writers, including the surprising practice among some male writers of urinating in cups and leaving them around the office. This led her to ponder whether the tendency of men to "break rules" might be part of what draws them to comedy. Fey's proudest moment as a head writer at SNL was the successful production of a commercial parody called "Kotex Classic," which she had to persistently advocate for against the initial skepticism of the male producers.
Fey's insights offer a unique behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of a legendary comedy institution, as well as the valuable lessons she learned from a master producer like Lorne Michaels. Her story highlights the delicate balance required to nurture creativity while maintaining the discipline necessary for live television.
517 word summary
Lessons from Late Night
Tina Fey's journey from a nervous job interview at Saturday Night Live to becoming a respected writer and producer offers valuable insights into the world of comedy and television.
In 1997, Fey flew from Chicago to New York to interview for a writing position at SNL. Despite her initial anxiety, she somehow landed the job, beginning a nine-year tenure at the show. Fey's relationship with Lorne Michaels, the show's creator and producer, evolved over time, transitioning from that of a "Terrified Pupil and Reluctant Teacher" to a bond of mutual respect and friendship.
Fey learned several key lessons from Michaels about producing and managing a creative team. First, she realized that a producer's job is often about "discouraging creativity" - policing the enthusiasm of various departments to maintain a cohesive vision. Navigating actors' "ideas," which usually involve them talking or sitting more, requires understanding the underlying reasons for their discomfort.
Fey also learned that on live television, "perfect is overrated." The show must go on at 11:30, regardless of whether the writing is flawless. As an improviser, she had learned that bombing is painful but not fatal, and that same principle applies to writing - you can't be too precious about your work, as long as you know the difference between "golden nuggets" and "shit nuggets."
Michaels' approach to hiring blended Harvard-educated "nerds" with gifted, visceral performers from improv groups like Second City. This balance of analytical and intuitive comedy sensibilities was key to SNL's success. Fey has tried to apply this lesson when hiring for 30 Rock, aiming for a staff makeup of "four Harvard nerds, four performers turned writers, two regular nerds, and two dirtbags."
Other lessons include Michaels' emphasis on the visual nature of television, his advice to avoid making big decisions right after a grueling work period, and his refusal to directly confront the "crazies" on staff. Fey recounts her own experience of having a nervous breakdown during the anthrax scare, and how Michaels gently guided her back to work without judgment.
Fey also touches on the differences she observed between male and female comedy writers. She reveals the surprising practice among some male writers of urinating in cups and leaving them around the office, something she found utterly foreign coming from the more orderly world of Second City. This led her to ponder whether the tendency of men to "break rules" might be part of what draws them to comedy.
Fey's proudest moment as a head writer at SNL was the successful production of a commercial parody called "Kotex Classic," which she had to persistently advocate for against the initial skepticism of the male producers. This experience taught her that sometimes the "institutionalized sexism" she perceived was simply a lack of shared lived experiences, rather than intentional bias.
Overall, Fey's insights offer a unique behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of a legendary comedy institution, as well as the valuable lessons she learned from a master producer like Lorne Michaels. Her story highlights the delicate balance required to nurture creativity while maintaining the discipline necessary for live television.