For those who missed it (or weren't on the east coast) on Saturday night, new SNLer Jenny Slate managed to do something in her first-ever sketch that hadn't been accomplished on the show in 28 years: she let loose with an f-bomb.
In the sketch, Slate and Kristin Wiig play biker chicks, and instead of saying "friggin'" or "freakin'" or any of the other substitutes they were supposed to use, Slate actually uttered the words "and I fuckin' love you for that." See the video below. The look on her face after she just realizes what she did is even more priceless than the f-bomb itself:
The last time this happened was in 1981, when the late Charles Rocket, disgruntled over his departure from the show, inserted the f-bomb as a parting gift to then executive producer Dick Ebersol. But even during the time Lorne Michaels has produced the show, going off-script was a no-no. Just ask Damon Wayans, who was fired soon after changing the tough cop he was supposed to play in a sketch into a cop that was quite the opposite.
But it seems like Michaels is more forgiving of slips of the tongue. He told Tom Shales of The Washington Post that he feels bad for Jenny more than anything else. "It was literally her first time on the show. There was nothing dirty, just a slip of the tongue. It was 'frickin', frickin', frickin' ' and then boom! The pain that Jenny is going through is, I'm sure, considerably worse than that experienced by anybody who saw it." Michaels told Shales that he's more afraid of FCC fines for the slip than anything else.
So, even if Jenny Slate just lasts a year on the show -- hey, it could be less... right, Michaela Watkins? -- she'll be immortalized for her inadvertent f-bomb. Believe it or not, that's not an altogether bad thing. "Jenny Slate, welcome to the big time," is what Annie said in her review of the episode, and she's right. Without the f-bomb, no one would know who Jenny Slate was for at least a full season, given the track record of SNL's featured players.
[via The Big Lead and Mediabistro]
[Watch episodes and clips of Saturday Night Live and other shows over at SlashControl.]
Lorne Michaels goes easy on Jenny Slate for SNL f-bomb
Posted Sep 28th 2009 11:10AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: OpEd, Saturday Night Live, Reality-Free
Tags: charles rocket, CharlesRocket, charlie rocket, CharlieRocket, damon wayans, DamonWayans, f-bomb, jenny slate, JennySlate, lorne michaels, LorneMichaels, saturday night live, SaturdayNightLive, SNL, tom shales, TomShales
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-28-2009 @ 11:29AM
George said...
Yes, I'm sure that Lorne Michaels is terrified that the FCC fines stemming from broadcasting a clearly unintended obscenity during safe harbor might slightly diminish the value of the free press the show is going to get as a result. That's pretty good ROI for Jenny Slate. Even the people who write "clever" headlines and tease blurbs get to have a field day -- "Coming up, see why SNL's Lorne Michaels wishes he'd had a blank Slate..." and so on.
Reply
9-28-2009 @ 11:41AM
litehousebeacon said...
That's not clever. You tried too hard.
9-28-2009 @ 5:48PM
Rowan said...
George, The FCC doesn't deal with late night television. The only problem the show would have is with the network's standards and practices department - and I'm sure that while they freaked out about it, Lorne will handle it easily.
9-28-2009 @ 11:43AM
Ashley Boyd said...
Never understood the lack of an American 'watershed', why can't you let the occasional swear word be uttered at a time when kids who won't know what it means should be in bed anyway.
Reply
9-28-2009 @ 11:44AM
Justin Rogers said...
Don't forget Norm MacDonald's F-Bomb during weekend update in 1997.
Reply
9-28-2009 @ 11:48AM
Hellboy1million said...
Actually Charles Rocket stayed on SNL after he dropped the F-bomb near the end of the Charlene Tilton Dallas sketch. A few weeks later Guest host Bill Murray was addressing the new cast and giving them pointers on being Not Ready for Primetime Players. Murray then turned to Rocket and waved his finger and playfully said "watch your mouth".
Reply
9-28-2009 @ 12:18PM
jordancda said...
Am I the only one who prefers Michaela Watkins to Jenny Slate?
9-28-2009 @ 12:50PM
ifjake said...
I thought Michaela was fantastic. I was sad to see her go.
"Bitch, please" was one of the few times I laughed out loud last season. SNL only really elicits muffled chuckles most of the time for me. Digital shorts are good, but it's usually just an endorphin rush and not really laughter. ("I'm On a Boat" is basically 3 minutes of pure glee).
9-28-2009 @ 1:48PM
EbonyDad said...
I would have caught that if the sketch didn't stink so bad. I had to fast forward it after 2 minutes.
Between Megan Fox and Ryan Reynolds, I don't know if watching SNL is fun or a job.
Reply
9-28-2009 @ 4:47PM
Leroy said...
You left out the first person to actually drop the F-bomb on SNL. That was Paul Shaffer in a sketch where every possible synonym and sound-alike were being used in a rapid-fire conversation.
Reply
9-28-2009 @ 4:52PM
johngaltx said...
There is not enough swearing on American TV. Every show should include thousands of swear words, curses and profanity at all hours of the day. The FCC could not fine every single show, network and station. This would teach children that the well placed swear word is an exquisite solution to frustration and a great way to subdue one's anger. Trying to keep children from hearing the "seven words" is exposing them to a fantasy world that not exist. Just as it is prohibited to show a womans bare chest, but not the splattered brain of the latest CSI or Bones victim TV is not just about the fantastic it is fantastic in it's portrayal of the real world.
Reply
9-29-2009 @ 2:04PM
izikavazo said...
She was extremely lucky to get her own sketch in her first episode.
Reply
9-29-2009 @ 5:06PM
Andy said...
How about firing the writers who thought that lame-ass sketch was actually funny?
Reply