SNL General Discussion Thread
09-11-24 | 11:06 PM
#876
DVD Talk Hero
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Will Ferrell regrets dressing up as a woman and would not do it it today.
https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/wil...no-1236139470/
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.
“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/
09-11-24 | 11:53 PM
#877
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
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.
09-12-24 | 05:19 AM
#878
DVD Talk Hero
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
I thought it was just comedy and nobody takes it that seriously?
09-12-24 | 06:09 AM
#879
DVD Talk Legend
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.
"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.
09-12-24 | 06:50 AM
#880
DVD Talk Legend
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
The mindset here is so fucking wrong.
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.
“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.
09-12-24 | 08:02 AM
#881
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
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....
09-12-24 | 11:34 AM
#882
DVD Talk Legend
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.
I know I'll be mad if I don't get to see Pedro Pascal playing Marcello Hernandez' mom again.
09-12-24 | 12:34 PM
#883
DVD Talk Legend
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.
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.
09-12-24 | 12:49 PM
#884
DVD Talk Legend
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09-12-24 | 12:58 PM
#885
DVD Talk Hero
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.
Last edited by RichC2; 09-12-24 at 01:04 PM.
09-12-24 | 02:14 PM
#886
DVD Talk Legend
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Most of the shit Ferrell does in 2024 isn't funny anyways
09-12-24 | 03:12 PM
#887
DVD Talk Legend
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.
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.
09-12-24 | 03:14 PM
#888
DVD Talk Legend
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
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.
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.
09-12-24 | 03:21 PM
#889
DVD Talk Legend
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[email protected] (09-13-24)
09-12-24 | 03:24 PM
#890
DVD Talk Legend
09-12-24 | 03:36 PM
#891
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
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.
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.
09-12-24 | 08:26 PM
#892
DVD Talk Legend
09-12-24 | 09:34 PM
#893
DVD Talk Hero
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.
It is ok in sketch comedy but it is not a gag I would pay to see multiple times in the cinema.
09-12-24 | 09:36 PM
#894
DVD Talk Hero
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
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.
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.
09-12-24 | 10:10 PM
#895
DVD Talk Legend
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
09-12-24 | 11:54 PM
#896
DVD Talk Legend
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. 
09-13-24 | 12:20 AM
#897
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
Stiller is still working hard on Severance, which was a hugely successful Drama series. Can’t blame a person for wanting to transition from acting to directing. Lots of examples of that (Eastwood, Woody Allen, Penny Marshall, Ron Howard, Clooney, Gerwig).
09-13-24 | 01:26 AM
#898
DVD Talk Legend
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
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.
09-13-24 | 10:20 AM
#899
DVD Talk Legend
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
When SNL chooses a female performer to play a male politician, there is an absolute subtext of demeaning that person's masculinity.
09-13-24 | 10:31 AM
#900
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: SNL General Discussion Thread
That certainly wasn't my impression when Aidy Bryant was working overtime with the bald wigs. Do you have any citations for that assertion? Was Lorne quoted in The Journal of Trust Me Bro Quarterly?
