Saturday Night Live, or SNL, has been a statement in modern American pop culture since 1975. And even more so have the women of SNL; women like Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Kristen Wiig. The NBC live comedy show has been full of fantastically funny women for decades—40 seasons as of this year.
There is something to be said for the success of this show and it’s direct involvement with so many powerful and hilarious women. There must be lessons to learn from these successful ladies.
Saturday Night Live first premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975. Among the original cast, were female powerhouses of comedy: Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin, and Gilda Radner.
Laraine Newman (1975-1980) is best known for originating the role of Sheri the Valley Girl and her involvement in the Coneheads. After SNL, Newman went on to be in several films and TV shows.
Jane Curtin (1975-1980) was one of the first Weekend Update anchors, working with Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray for a time. She was best known for her “Point-Counterpoint” Weekend Update segments against Dan Aykroyd, as well as for the Conehead sketches and her role as Enid Loopner.
Gilda Radner (1975-1980) is easily identified by her explosive hairstyle as Roseanne Roseannadanna. During her time on SNL, she parodied such celebrities as Barbara Walters, Lucille Ball, and Patti Smith. She even won an Emmy Award in 1978 for her work on SNL.
These women all worked together flawlessly and left the show at the exact same time: 1980. After their initial departure, SNL went through a tricky period of adjustment, but once they hit the 90s, they began their Golden Age.
During the 90s, comedians such as Cheri Oteri (1995-2000), Ana Gasteyer (1996-2002), and Molly Shannon (1996-2001) ran the show. Cheri Oteri rocked the stage with Will Farrell as the Spartan Cheerleaders and brought down the house by yelling, “Simmer down now!” Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer dished out recipes for Shweddy Balls, at least while Molly Shannon wasn’t exclaiming, “Superstar!” or “I’m fifty!”
Then, we enter the new millennium, and with it brings a second Golden Age. In the 2000s, Amy Poehler (2001-2008), Tina Fey (1997-2006), Maya Rudolph (2000-2007), and Rachel Dratch (1999-2006) took over the show.
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey worked together for years on Weekend Update while a part of the cast then reunited to portray Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin during the 2008 Presidential Campaign.
Maya Rudolph continuously worked opposite Amy Poehler as the Women from Queens and occasionally showed her diva side as Beyoncé. Rachel Dratch saddened the stage with her Debbie Downer—which created an epic moment in SNL history when she caused everyone in the sketch to break character and laugh uncontrollably.
These women all worked together seamlessly and connected with the whole cast in a way that had not been done in a long time, if even at all before.
While some of these women were still on the show, another star emerged: Kristen Wiig (2005-2012). Kristen Wiig has gone down in history with the six women before her as an SNL legend. She spent years building iconic characters like the Target Lady, Gilly, Penelope, Excitable Sue, and Sexy Shanna, just to name a few.
Since leaving the show, these women have gone on to do amazing things. Both Amy Poehler and Tina Fey have released best selling memoirs, Yes, Please and Bossypants respectively, about their journeys through life and comedy. Many of them have gone on to star in films as well, such as Bridesmaids (2011).
Kristen Wiig starred and co-wrote Bridesmaids along with her fellow SNL alum Maya Rudolph. The film received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Screenplay, as well as Best Supporting Actress for Melissa McCarthy’s role in the film.
Saturday Night Live is currently coming back from another transition period now. At the reigns of female comics are Vanessa Bayer (2010-present), Kate McKinnon (2012-present), Aidy Bryant (2012-present), Cecily Strong (2012-present), Sasheer Zamata (2014-present), and Leslie Jones (2014-present).
Women have remained strong fixtures in the continuation of this show and have proved how crucial women are in the production of live comedy and how funny they truly can be. Even in this article, there are so many other influential women from Saturday Night Live that weren’t discussed. These women are all amazing examples of how to be powerful in a male-driven work environment, while still maintaining that fun enthusiasm and joking attitude.
It has been recently announced that a Ghostbusters reboot is in the making that will star Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. Its projected release date is in 2016.
Let’s look forward to seeing the “Saturday Night Ladies” on the silver screen again!