Live From New York, It's Teri Garr!

My heart has been warmed by these various title cards from when Teri Garr hosted "Saturday Night Live" (in 1980, 1983 and 1985) that have been making the rounds on social media, so I thought I would share them with you here. There'll never be another like her. xo

Read: Teri Garr, Star of ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘Tootsie,’ Dead at 79

UPDATE: It sounds like "Saturday Night Live" remembered her on its Nov. 2 episode.

Comedian Shane Gillis Fired From 'Saturday Night Live' Over Past Racist Remarks

I'm guess I'm fine with "Saturday Night Live" axing Shane Gillis before he even started over past racist remarks that cropped up after the show announced it was hiring him. But it's probably worth noting that many other comedians would probably also not be "not ready for prime time," including Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Ricky Gervais, Joan Rivers, Chelsea Handler, Michael Richards, Norm MacDonald, Trevor Noah, Sandra Bernhard, Amy Schumer, Lisa Lampanelli, David Cross, Bill Maher and so on.

"After talking with Shane Gillis, we have decided that he will not be joining SNL," a spokesperson on behalf of SNL creator Lorne Michaels said. "We want SNL to have a variety of voices and points of view within the show, and we hired Shane on the strength of his talent as a comedian and his impressive audition for SNL." The spokesperson added, "We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days. The language he used is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable. We are sorry that we did not see these clips earlier, and that our vetting process was not up to our standard."

The Wall Street Journal reports that Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang joined the online discussion about the “SNL”'s new hire with an offer to discuss it in person with Gillis. “I prefer comedy that makes people think and doesn’t take cheap shots. But I’m happy to sit down and talk with you if you’d like," Yang wrote on Twitter, adding that he did not think Gillis should be fired from “SNL.”

Thoughts?

Page 1 Roundup (10/01)

The Daily News: Brooklyn man charged with throwing 4-year-old brother off roof to his death had suffered for months from mental health woes

Instagram: Is the Fit Thomas the sexiest guy in white shorts ever?

YouTube: It seems all is forgiven for Matt Damon's "sliding scale" comments about the #MeToo movement now that he nailed Brett Kavanaugh on "Saturday Night Live"

The Associated Press: Trump administration sues California over hours-old net neutrality bill

New York Post: U.S. and Canada reach last-minute deal to preserve Nafta

The most shocking thing about the Cristiano Ronaldo rape allegation is that it was levied by a woman

The New York Times: U.S. and Canada reach deal to salvage Nafta

Those 'fiscal conservative' Republicans are at it again

Democrats denounce limits on F.B.I.’s Kavanaugh inquiry as a ‘farce’

The Washington Post: I don't want the man who sexually assaulted Kellyanne Conway to serve on the Supreme Court, either

The Wall Street Journal: An American heavyweight infiltrates Russian politics -- and the Russians are all for it

Dunkin’ fans say losing the ‘Donut’ leaves a hole

Remains of the Day (05/14)

Towleroad: Michael Medrano and sex-bomb Steve Grand are trying to "Heal"

The Gay Almanac: Today is writer/director Alan Ball's birthday -- but I think he owes us some sort of explanation about where he was going with his just-canceled HBO show, "Here and Now" (did anyone else watch THAT?)

Dlisted: Seann William Scott is still incredibly hot -- and replacing someone I've never heard of on a show I've never heard of

Back2Stonewall: See found footage of 1970s New York City, including CBGB's to the Christopher Street Piers

OMG Blog: German footballer Pascal Stenzel flaunts his bratwurst

Boy Culture: RIP, Margot Kidder -- an outspoken progressive and terrific actress who did more than just Lois Lane

Gr8er Days: The gay history of "Saturday Night Live"

The Randy Report: Former New York firefighter files federal lawsuit claiming colleagues called him "faggot" and "closet homo" amid brutal hazing

TASJ: Are you reading The Anonymous Sex Journal?

Smithsonian: LGBTQ publisher, journalist and pioneer Mark Segal donates collection to National Museum of American History

Deep Dish: Oh, boy -- I'm not sure what I'd do if I saw this guy in my gym's locker room

The Daily News: Black Yale student reported to police for sleeping says she recorded video because of Sandra Bland

The Washington Post: "My own shame was my obstacle"

TV Line: ABC orders 1970s-set family sitcom "The Kids Are Alright" to series

FiveThirtyEight: Missouri's Claire McCaskill has been savvy and lucky -- can she do it again?

Vulture: "Project Runway" is coming back to Bravo in the wake of Weinstein Co. bankruptcy

HuffPost: Vermont lawmakers pass gender-neutral bathroom bill to "send powerful message"

Matthew's Island of Misfit Toys: Take your pick of four models in jockstraps

Ticketfly: The Stewart Lewis Trio will perform Wednesday, May 16, at 8:30 p.m. at Rockwood Music Hall 3 on the Lower East Side

‪From @DancinZeus & @KurtTocci: “How do you spend your Caturdays??” #twitterweek #catsofinstagram‬

A post shared by Cats of Instagram (@cats_of_instagram) on May 9, 2018 at 7:51pm PDT

Hot Cat of the Day: Nothing beats dancing with somebody who loves you ...

SNL 2.0

Can you spot the first of hundreds of cast changes?

Rosie O'Donnell Was Born to Play Steve Bannon on 'SNL'

I haven't seen an actor campaign this hard for a role since Sean Young didn't get to play Catwoman -- do the alt-right thing, Lorne Michaels! 

SNL Creates the Perfect Toy for Your Sensitive Son

I've said it before and I'll say it again: "Saturday Night Live" is great except the live parts. Proof:

Nancy Reagan Is Dead at 94

The former first lady lived a long and glamorous life, yet somehow her charms were lost on me. Perhaps President Reagan's policies poisoned the well, but it's hard for me to have respect for a woman who supposedly controlled her husband yet somehow was unable to get him to do much of anything about the AIDS crisis. That her conservative stance on stem-cell research only changed when it directly affected her further demonstrated her fickle (read: opportunistic) empathy ... and don't get me strated on the astrology crap. There's no altering history. But it will forever break my heart to imagine how different the early days of AIDS might have been if someone of Princess Diana or Michelle Obama's caliber had been our mother-in-chief instead of an extra from "Dynasty." Elizabeth Taylor was truly an angel to step into the role. But imagine how much more powerful the message would have been coming from the home of the leader of the free world. 

If only there were Terry Sweeney clips online ...

Joan Didion nailed Nance's smile when she described it as "a study in frozen insecurity." 

UPDATE: Look what I found on NBC(dot)com!

An interesting response to my post on Facebook:

Inside the 'Saturday Night Live' Exhibit

I have very ambivalent feelings about "Saturday Night Live." My older brother Bill introduced Terence and me to it back in its earliest days, and I quickly fell in love with Gilda Radner and many of the show's famous sketches, such as the Coneheads, Chevy Chase on "Weekend Update" and the Cheezborger! Cheezborger! Cheezborger! guy. Over the years, though, my fascination seems to have dipped even below the Average Joe's love-hate relationship with the show, as I never really took to the many soon-to-be-superstar cast members that came after, like Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, et al. (Give me Jane Curtain on "Kate and Allie" any day.) Still, my friend Geoffrey's write-up from the 40th-anniversary retrospective exhibition now on display at Rockefeller Center did look awfully fun, and not just because it seems to focus on a lot of the show's earliest days. Read HERE.

Oh, Cheri

Cheri Oteri can do no wrong in my book. Nadeen, Collette Reardon and the Spartans' own Arianna were classic SNL characters. But when she went on Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live" last week to explain why she wasn't more involved in the "Saturday Night Live" 40th anniversary special, I'm hearing she wasn't being entirely truthful in saying it was merely a "scheduling conflict." While her tenuous relationship with her old show has been rumored for years -- word was she was excluded from the SNL "Women of Comedy" special a couple of years ago because Lorne Michaels hates her -- a well-placed source confirms that she was initially not invited to the 40-year festivities. At the 11th hour -- after she started to freak out and make noise and call people -- she finally reached out to fellow cheerleader Will Ferrell pleading with him to please "DO SOMETHING." Apparently that didn't even work, but then Tina Fey -- who apparently isn't a fan of Oteri's either -- finally spoke up to the powers that be and said, "I mean c'mon, guys -- you're not even going to INVITE her?" In the end, Oteri was allowed to attend but was not asked to perform or even appear. Obviously I've never had the (dis?)pleasure to work with Oteri, so I haven't a clue if her difficult reputation is deserved or not. But given how integral she was to the show's success during her tenure, I definitely agree with Fey that she deserved to at least be included. 

'Saturday Night Live' Turns 40 ... Again

Thanks to everyone who informed me they are reairing the "Saturday Night Live" 40th anniversary special tonight, even if Matt Rettendmund's review has me thinking I'm probably gonna skip it (again) and flip through my old Gilda Radner People magazine (again).

Read HERE.

Sweeney Rob?

Some nice reporting by my friend Greg Hernandez about the exclusion of openly gay ex-"Saturday Night Live" writer and cast member Terry Sweeney from the show's 40th anniversary special:

Sirius XM Radio talk show host Frank DeCaro was among those outraged by what he considered a slight.  

"Leaving Terry Sweeney -- the only openly gay male cast member in the forty-year history of Saturday Night Live -- out of the anniversary special doesn't sit well with me," DeCaro wrote in a Facebook post. "His Nancy Reagan impression could easily have been included in the political clip montage."

Read HERE.

Threw Me for a Loopner

Forgot to set my DVR for the SNL 40th anniversary special and am not convinced it's worth trying to watch now on Hulu with all its annoying ads. I did, however, happen to see the In Memoriam segment while having a drink at the Ninth Avenue Saloon and only realized I had involuntarily broken into applause when Gilda Radner's face came on the screen after people in the place starting staring at me. I've written about my love for her HERE and HERE -- when I was 12, I burst into tears when news came over the radio that Gilda got married yet I'm still not sure why -- and teared up again reading Bill Murray's account of the last time he saw her HERE. If there's a god then how do you explain the way-too-soon cancellation of "The Judy Miller Show"?

RIP: 'SNL' Vet Jan Hooks Is Dead at 57

TMZ says the "Saturday Night Live" veteran died today in New York City after battling throat cancer. This makes me very, very, very sad. Loved her Kathie Lee Gifford and many other characters, but this is the role I'll remember her most for. Sad day for comedy.

"Do we have any Mexican-Americans with us today? Well buenos dias!" 

Why couldn't it have been Victoria Jackson?

In the foreground, from left, are Jan Hooks as Diana Ross, Tim Meadows as Lenny Kravitz and Adam Sandler as Axl Rose during the "Musicians for Free-Range Chickens" skit in April 1991

Song of the Day: 'Waiting for Mary' by Pere Ubu

It never fails that when I spend a little time on YouTube, I come across some fab Debbie Harry stuff I never knew existed, like Deb singing backup on a Pere Ubu song on "Saturday Night Live" circa 1989. Boy did she look fabulous -- way better than when her "comeback" album, "Rockbird," came out three years earlier. (And she almost has some moves here!)

Wheelan With Idiots

I'm the most critical person of "Saturday Night Live," but even I had to admit that cast newcomer Brooks Wheelan was pretty great. So what did they do? They fired him. What the fuck? Read HERE.

Jane, You Ignorant Slut

My brother thinks it's hard to argue with Vulture's "Complete Ranking of Saturday Night Live ‘Weekend Update’ Anchors," and I tend to agree. (Anyone else miss Norm Macdonald?!) Read HERE.

Jostess With the Mostess

Just to be clear, we all wanna f**k Colin Jost, right?

No Victims, Only Volunteers

Tickled to see "Weekend Update" took a jab at the Florida newspaper that is now recruiting readers to volunteer to proofread its pages.  

Seth Myers reports:

A Florida newspaper is inviting readers to volunteer as proofreaders for three hours a night, with the person catching the most typos winning a free dinner. But you’re going to need more than three hours to find all the typos in the Flurdah Son Tims.

#godhelpusall

Black Coffee

   Just found out about this horribly racist "Saturday Night Live" Starbucks commercial from Michael's nephew yesterday -- and by horribly racist I mean sidesplittingly hilarious! Watch HERE.