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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Will Ferrell regrets dressing up as a woman and would not do it it today.
Will Ferrell is no longer interested in performing in drag for laughs. During an interview on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast alongside his longtime friend and former “Saturday Night Live” head writer Harper Steele, Ferrell expressed a bit of regret over the “Janet Reno’s Fantasies” sketch from Season 23 of the sketch comedy show. The sketch featured Ferrell in drag as the eponymous attorney general, with his appearance dressing up as a woman being used for laughs. “That’s something I wouldn’t choose to do now,” Ferrell said when The Times noted the character “hits a false note now.” “This kind of bums me out,” Steele added. “I understand the laugh is a drag laugh. It’s, ‘Hey, look at this guy in a dress, and that’s funny.’ It’s absolutely not funny. It’s absolutely a way that we should be able to live in the world. However, with performers and actors, I do like a sense of play.” Steele came out as transgender 30 years into her friendship with Ferrell, which is now the subject of the acclaimed documentary “Will & Harper.” The movie, which was bought by Netflix after its premiere at Sundance earlier this year, finds the two comedians on a road trip across America as they rediscover their friendship following Steele’s transition. https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/wil...no-1236139470/ https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...4232e8e0d3.jpg |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Oh, c'mon, Janet Reno was absolutely appropriate and funny. Next, you're gonna say that Melissa McCarthy can't do Sean Spicer.
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
I thought it was just comedy and nobody takes it that seriously?
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Comedy and the arts should be off limits.
"it's not funny and should be abolished if it strikes a sour chord with me" mentality is horrible, because there will always be someone, somewhere, offended about something... everything and we will be left with nothing. |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
The mindset here is so fucking wrong.
“This kind of bums me out,” Steele added. “I understand the laugh is a drag laugh. It’s, ‘Hey, look at this guy in a dress, and that’s funny.’ It’s absolutely not funny. Ferrell and Steele are apologizing for endorsing the idea that a man dressed as a woman is to be laughed at and ridiculed, but that is not what was happening at all. The joke is that it is Will Ferrell impersonating Janet Reno, not that it is a man in a dress. Think about it this way. Molly Shannon was in her 30s dressed as a Catholic school girl. Was the joke that she was an adult dressed as a child, or was the joke the character she was playing? Woke BS. |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
I think for comedy purposes a man can play a woman. It was practically required that boys play girls' parts in Shakespearian England. This is not them mocking transgender or transvestie people or even considerd drag what he was doing. But then again I have personally never felt Will Ferril was funny so....
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
I mean, Reno herself appeared in one of the sketches next to Ferrell, I think she saw it as a joke.
I know I'll be mad if I don't get to see Pedro Pascal playing Marcello Hernandez' mom again. |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
I don't see the big deal with a man dressing in drag for a comedy sketch - for the reasons already mentioned.
At the same time, I'm not going be upset over Ferrell's thoughts on it either. If he no longer finds this funny and no longer wants to do it (and regrets doing it in the past), then he's free to not do it anymore. It's hardly something for everyone to get worked up over. |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Coral
(Post 14479253)
I don't see the big deal with a man dressing in drag for a comedy sketch - for the reasons already mentioned.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...16b3589977.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...e8cbfccf4e.jpg |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Ferrell is out promoting his road trip documentary he made with Steele, so it's kind of an expected response.
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Most of the shit Ferrell does in 2024 isn't funny anyways
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Coral
(Post 14479253)
I don't see the big deal with a man dressing in drag for a comedy sketch - for the reasons already mentioned.
At the same time, I'm not going be upset over Ferrell's thoughts on it either. If he no longer finds this funny and no longer wants to do it (and regrets doing it in the past), then he's free to not do it anymore. It's hardly something for everyone to get worked up over. |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Rob V
(Post 14479318)
Most of the shit Ferrell does in 2024 isn't funny anyways
Realized the last movie I saw him in was the awful remake "Downhill" in 2020... and before that was Zoolander 2 in 2016. For TV roles, he was in The Boys for a few episodes. Very small role as I can't even remember... and seen him in nothing else since 2015. He used to be everywhere. |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Coral
(Post 14479360)
For TV roles, he was in The Boys for a few episodes. Very small role as I can't even remember... and seen him in nothing else since 2015. He used to be everywhere.
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Meathead
(Post 14479363)
A-Train's coach in the movie about A-Train.
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Coral
(Post 14479360)
I had to look it up because I couldn't remember seeing him in anything for a while.
Realized the last movie I saw him in was the awful remake "Downhill" in 2020... and before that was Zoolander 2 in 2016. For TV roles, he was in The Boys for a few episodes. Very small role as I can't even remember... and seen him in nothing else since 2015. He used to be everywhere. He wasn't very good in it though. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...9bef49c752.png |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Decker
(Post 14479375)
He was in the biggest-grossing comedy film of all time, last year.
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
I am offended when Tyler Perry and Martin Lawrence dress up in drag for multiple movies.
It is ok in sketch comedy but it is not a gag I would pay to see multiple times in the cinema. |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Coral
(Post 14479360)
I had to look it up because I couldn't remember seeing him in anything for a while.
Realized the last movie I saw him in was the awful remake "Downhill" in 2020... and before that was Zoolander 2 in 2016. For TV roles, he was in The Boys for a few episodes. Very small role as I can't even remember... and seen him in nothing else since 2015. He used to be everywhere. Kind of like Ben Stiller where they both dominated comedy in the 2000's and now it is rare you see either of them though Ferrell has done more stuff than Stiller lately. |
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by JeffTheAlpaca
(Post 14479556)
Kind of like Ben Stiller where they both dominated comedy in the 2000's and now it is rare you see either of them though Ferrell has done more stuff than Stiller lately.
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
You'd almost think that they all made a shit-ton of money, got into their 50s and decided to not work as much. :shrug:
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Count Dooku
(Post 14479628)
You'd almost think that they all made a shit-ton of money, got into their 50s and decided to not work as much. :shrug:
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by TheBang
(Post 14478994)
Oh, c'mon, Janet Reno was absolutely appropriate and funny. Next, you're gonna say that Melissa McCarthy can't do Sean Spicer.
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Nesbit
(Post 14479659)
I think the difference is that the Reno impersonation feels like it's mocking her largely for being masculine where McCarthy wasn't mocking Spicer for being feminine.
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Originally Posted by Count Dooku
(Post 14479787)
When SNL chooses a female performer to play a male politician, there is an absolute subtext of demeaning that person's masculinity.
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