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Betty White on 'SNL': 'No dope jokes', no nudity
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Betty White still hasn't begun the grueling process of preparing for her stint on "Saturday Night Live," and she almost said no to the offer. "At first I thought they were putting me on," she tells Zap2it on a press call April 28. "I told my agent to say 'Thank you, I appreciate it, but no thank you.' And he said, 'If you don't do it, I'll divorce you.' And I love my agent, so here I am, doing it."
For a woman who seems fearless, her trepidation about "Saturday Night Live" -- she's hosting the May 8 episode -- is surprising. "It's such a New York-focused show. And I am so, you know, Californian and stuff. I'm afraid I'll feel like a fish out of water," she says.
As for the content of the episode, she has a few conditions. "I won't do any dope jokes. I don't like dope jokes. I don't think dope is a joke. And so that's about the only thing that I would let's say resist doing," she says firmly. "I have veto power if it's something I really don't want to do. And they promised me I wouldn't have to do any nudity."
Otherwise, White is open to anything -- even resurrecting her "Mary Tyler Moore Show" character. "The Sue Ann Nivens thing? I think they would have to clear that with ... writers and producers and all that. I'll go with almost anything that they want to try. And of course I loved Sue Ann. She was so rotten, the neighborhood nymphomaniac. And I'd love to bring her back for a minute. But I don't know whether that would be legally possible."
Many young actors have complained about the long hours and late nights involved in rehearsing for "SNL," but White, age 88, shrugged off any suggestion that it might take a toll. "Oh, I'm a stay up late, get up early girl," she says. "If I get four, five good hours a night I -- that's all the sleep I need. And I'm blessed with good energy thanks to being blessed with good health. The physical part of 'Saturday Night' doesn't worry me at all. It's just the hoping I can do justice to the -- all those other great people who have been on there."
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This is so over-hyped, it's bound to suck. She won't do Golden Girls jokes, won't do dope jokes, etc... Who knows what else she's going to veto.
They should get people actually willing to push the boundaries of comedy a bit...
I have a good idea for Betty White's monolouge, but it might be viewed as a dope joke, and also insensitive at the same time. Remember when NBC reporter Michael Okwu said that Betty White was dead when talking about the death of Michael Jackson? Kennan Thompson could play Okwu in the monolouge, and apologize for saying that Betty White was dead.
I like that Andrew. I like that a lot. Haha. That would be hilarious. I hope someone from SNL is reading. Doubtful, but maybe there's a sliver of a spec of a bit of a chance. I'm so excited for this show. I hope Tina Fey is writing some sketches since she'll be on the show too. Ever since she left for 30 Rock, SNL has pretty much sucked with a few bright spots here and there. And when they're bright, they're beaming.
Hey Steve, there was an article previously on here where she said she wouldn't do a Golden Girls skit. In fact, the second link after this article refers to it, too....
To the first commenter here, where do you get the idea she won't do "Golden GIrl's" jokes/skits? She didn't say that here in this article.
Because of Betty White hosting this will be the first time I've watched the show in a LONG time. I've never been a regular watcher... can't remember the last time I watched an entire episode (probably been a couple decades ago if that). I really can't figure out how it's still on the air.
Betty White is funny just standing there. She's always enjoyed playing "slutty" types -- remember the Carol Burnett sketch in which she played a biker chick -- in /very/ tight leathers? She was in her mid-50s at the time, but got cat-calls. (Norma Desmond, eat your heart out.)
When she cracks "no nudity", she's playing off the kind of characters she often portrayed. Even at 88, Betty White is "hip", no question about it. And great as the ad is, she didn't need to do a Snickers commercial to prove it.
Weird... no dope jokes, but she jokes about it in the clip of "Hot in Cleveland"?
If you read the article carefully, she refused to do a "Golden Girls" spoof a few years ago because the skit involved drug use, not because it was the Golden Girls.
OK Betty White is going to rock the house! She is able to laugh at herself and at 88 years old she is only insisting to not do dope jokes! Good for her! What an inspiration to the young that you can be funny at any age! I will be cheering and watching! SNL has been on for 35 years because it is able to laugh at itself! Still love it! Gilllly? Oh, Sorry!
It is going to be GREAT! Betty White is an awesome woman. I applaud her for not doing jokes about dope. Looking forward to seeing it. Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer are all going to be on as well.