Tina Fey: Jon Stewart Doesn't Make People Laugh

Tina Fey wrote the movie "Mean Girls," but in the latest issue of Reader's Digest she's playing the part in real life. In an interview with the magazine's Jancee Dunn, Fey disses "The Daily Show" and Jon Stewart, who she says makes audiences clap more than laugh:

RD: Do you see your humor as a gift? Fey: I always think of everything from a mother's point of view now. Every kid has something they're good at, that you hope they find and gravitate toward. This is my thing. I don't think I was supposed to be a gymnast and accidentally landed on this.

RD: Do you still get that hit when you get a good laugh?
Fey: Absolutely. My favorite day at 30 Rock is Thursday, when the show airs. At lunch we screen the episodes. For everyone to watch together, to see the stuff we all worked on, to hear the crew laugh — it's great fun.

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.

Read the entire interview here.

Comments

[SCharb]

I rarely laugh, clap, or even smile when I watch SNL. Mostly I just grimace until something funny happens, which is rarely.

[Chatto]

I was so pleased when Tracy Morgan got his say on SNL last week, but it still doesn't erase the disappointment I have in Tina Fey. And now she's going after John Stewart???? I'm a big fan of "clapter" by the way, and I can't count the number of times that jokes have fallen flat on Weekend Update. The anchors even have a look for it, as they sit there waiting for someone -- anyone -- to laugh OR clap. I have a word for their comedy: Snoozpoo.

[imajoebob]

Tina: One laugh for every 7 jokes is not talent, it's random chance. Jon Stewart accomplishes what you tried to do once a week FOUR nights a week, and does it better.

Your tenure at SNL showed a marked improvement in quality. But going from a D to a C-plus does not make a successful career. Like an SNL sketch on the last 25 years, 30 Rock episodes are too often a "one-trick pony." It takes a single joke, and stretches out far too long and far too thin.

Great sitcom is based on a story, using jokes to tell it. Watch episodes of the well-made shows, from Dick Van Dyke to Taxi to Scrubs; even a shows built around one character, like Raymond. It's obvious they understand a story is most important. That's why I don't tune in to 30 Rock. It's not that funny, and when it is, the joke is over the fourth time.

I don't feel compelled to watch 30 Rock. I do feel compelled to watch Stewart. He's topical, biting, funny, and most of all, INTERESTING.
It's said the biggest sin in comedy isn't being un-funny, it's being boring. Work on it, then take shots at other shows.

Especially ones that expose the weakness in your work.

[SevenLevels]

Oh Tina, you irrelevant piece of tripe. You've received a sudden rush of importance with your pro-Hillary antics and now you're lashing out at someone who has been skillfully skewering politicians (including your candidate) for over a decade (which is about the same length of time that SNL has been painfully unfunny) because... I'm guessing because he consistently demonstrates Hillary to be the soulless, hollow, power-hungry succubus she truly is.
Tina Fey being the funniest writer of her collective group of SNL writers is the creative equivalent of being Queen of the Landfill, but without so much clout.
Peace,
Kelly

[liveandlearn]

jon stewart did not "demonstrates Hillary to be the soulless, hollow, power-hungry succubus she truly is." he did show that she is quick and interactive. what show were you watching when he interviewed her?

[bloomingvegan]

Oh, Tina, you have just lost me as a fan.
GO OBAMA!

[vcjpolitics]

Tina Fey can go to hell. I turn on SNL for five minutes every year to remind myself of why I stopped watching in 1980 when the original cast left. That show has been on life support for 28 years. With "talent" like hers, I can see why. If you want GOOD sketch TV, watch MadTV or The Big Gay Sketch Show.
Of what political or social import is 30 Rock? It is a corporate circle jerk for NBC execs. If 30 Rock didn't have Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin transcending the hackneyed lines, Tina Fey would be out on the street.

[blueinohio]

He gets applause and laughter! Much better than bored silence Tina and all the others on SNL receive every Saturday night!

[goplayrabbit]

tina fey, vying for the position of royal jester to mrs. clinton? unfortunately she's not very funny. 30 rock exists because tracy morgan does.

[glogrrl]

Of course he doesn't.........................he makes us think.

[jaycasey]

I almost always find Jon Stewart funny, except when he is rude to a guest. I virtually never find Fey to be funny. I will admit I liked Mean Girls however - because it was so realistic. Her "news" on SNL I always found to be too forced - like she was trying too hard.

But when she was so in my face about her support for Clinton - that really really rubbed me the wrong way.

[JohnShank]

Although I am in love with Tina Fey (those glasses are so sexy!) I think she is wrong. John Stewart is very funny.

[griffithinc]

Jeez, people can't you take a joke? They're doing the same thing to Tina Fey that they're doing to Hillary and Obama, twisting their words to make them sound bad. I'm sure Tina was just joking cause as funny as she is she HAS to know Jon Stewart is funny. Lighten up. When I read the interview I thought "how did they come to the conclusion that Tina didn't think Jon is funny?" She was KIDDING!!!! If I were some of these celebrities I would just quit talking to the press at all, they are not objective anymore and just want to stir up trouble. I love Tina AND Jon, and I'm sure they have a great deal of respect for each other.

[PragmaticProgressive]

Tina Fey doesn't make people laugh either. Alec Baldwin & Tracy Morgan do.

[FearlessSpeech]

They are the only reason I watch 30Rock. Well, used to watch. Since Tina Fey seems hell-bent on turning into Gerry Ferraro (in the white bitches get things done by being haters kind of way), I've taken it off my TiVo's Season Pass.


I love Morgan and Baldwin, but the show is hers, so I just can't bring myself to watch. Oh, and everyone knows that SNL sucks.

[Goldie9]

Tina, Tina, Tina -- your jealousy is showing!

[titusaurus]

Anyone who actually took time to read more than the headline would see (and know) that the headline is nowhere to be found within the article. But, I guess, if Huffington had written "Tina Fey says Jon Stewart gets more claps than laughs," it wouldn't have received almost 100,000 clicks. Who would have clicked on that? So, I dishonest headline replaced the truth (again.)

Why does Huffington Post constantly mislead (and lie) in it's headlines? Why? When stuff like this happens, how can we believe any headline on Huffington Post?