Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Why is SNL Dissing The Daily Show?

Twice in one week now I've read a quote from someone at SNL taking a potshot at The Daily Show.

First in Entertainment Weekly Seth Meyers is quoted:

''We're the only people that dramatize the news,'' says head writer Meyers. ''We can go to a place where The Daily Show can't.''
And then my friend just pointed me to a interview with Tina Fey in Reader's Digest.
RD: What pleases you more, applause or laughter?
Fey: Laughter. You can prompt applause with a sign. My friend, SNL writer Seth Meyers, coined the term clapter, which is when you do a political joke and people go, "Woo-hoo." It means they sort of approve but didn't really like it that much. You hear a lot of that on [whispers] The Daily Show.
Is SNL suddenly insecure about its place in the political commentary spectrum? I don't understand why when for the first time in years people are actually talking about its political skits.

I'm sorry SNL, The Daily Show does it four times a week, 46 weeks a year. In the same EW article Lorne Michaels is quoted saying he's going to tough it out by putting on four shows IN A ROW. The first time its been done since 1976. Whoo-hoo.

Sometimes one show gets more credit simply by creating more product for fans to digest.

But really, Meyers/Fey...you don't have to be jealous of Stewart/Colbert. It's not like SNL is 30 Rock and The Daily Show is Studio 60 on The Sunset Strip. You can both be good shows with good political commentary. I just think The Daily Show is better.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

oh yeah...SNL exists...I forgot about them.

They can go places the Daily Show can't...like homes that have don't have cable.