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

[kfdan]

Humor is more than a laugh it's wit and that is something Jon Stewart has!

[RButler]

He mugs a little bit too much during his opening bit and then he does it again when he interviews his guests. Sometimes, the guest can hardly get a word in cause Stewart is doing his shtick.

[sasha8]

Back In Black....that's laugh out-loud funny. Co-opted the late Sam Kinnison's in-your-face affect.

[Tyrione]

True and I miss Sam who being a former minister could scream about his flaws, relationships, religion and more and make you feel exhilarated, all at the same time. We need more of that in-your-face humor.

[in4success]

he was a great man -- biggest heart on the planet.

[fitley]

Tina Fey is the best thing to come to SNL since that bumble bee bit, or the coneheads, or the ...
my head hurts now, I think I'll sit down.

[AverageJohn]

No, she's not. She's the average showbiz person: so full of herself. But, of course, some people find it funny. Dish some dirt on other; it'll make you look better.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

Heresey! Absolute heresey!

[bayman]

Tina Fey's still in show biz?

[BubbaC33]

It is a shame Fey is jealous of a more talented person.

[starboymikey]

Tiny, you young lovely. I am "people." Perhaps you could explain what those "hahaha" sounds I make are, every time I watch the Daily Show? I thought I was laughing, but apparently I'm wrong.

[lincat]

Jon makes me laugh, she doesn't.

[Rockwell]

Jon makes me think and smile and sometimes chuckle. I'm almost always entertained and once in awhile I feaking laugh. That's what the daily show is supposed to do.

SNL is supposed to be a comedy skit show. But instead it's weak and painful to watch and 95% unfunny. The weak, half-laughs from the mildly amused studio audience are like the pitty laughs your Uncle Charlie gets at family gatherings for his lame jokes.

SNL takes 2 minutes of amusing thoughts and drags it out into soul-sucking hours of weak TV. Tina Fey is the last person I would look to for commentary on anyone else's comedy skills.

[plooger]

'30 Rock' has largely ridden on the surprisingly hilarious Alec Baldwin. Without Baldwin, his delivery and timing, the show would be a snoozer.

[BadChristian]

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/20080317_saturday_night_surrogates/

Tina Fey Endorses Hillary:
Not funny.

Tracy Morgan Responds:
FUNNY

[Tyrione]

30 Rock is her show. If you think she didn't plan this with Tracy you really don't understand comedy.

[DuckofDeath]

Could it be that this black just doesn't like the fact that he goes after Hillary's Republican lite behind a little too much? I laugh at the Daily Show a lot more than I laugh at 30 Rock...stupid black.

[wcfar]

Tina Fey is stupid and boring.

[timinhi]

She's neither stupid nor boring. The small excerpt taken from the entire interview (and out of context) is just to make her appear "controversial." She WAS NOT "dissing" Jon Stewart or the Daily Show.

[TiffShelton]

She sure as heck better thank God for Arrested Development. Without that show, there would be NO 30 Rock.

[priorzola]

The mark of a good comedian is the ability to go it alone, sans writers and I don't ever recall Tina Fey working without the use of other writers. Both Stewart and Colbert did a commendable job without their writers and that says a great deal about their talent. Additionally, Stewart does 4 shows a week all year long and pretty much narrows the scope of the show on politics so, unlike SNL, he doesn't usually have A-List stars and (usually) crappy musical guests to use for filler. It's obvious that jokes about Bush are getting old. They got old 4 years ago as far as I was concerned and the country should have then made them a thing of the past. But, alas, it was the Stewarts, Colberts, and Mahers that carried much of the country through what essentially is a very sad and pathetic time in our history. I would love that there was a female comedian who had the same kind of political astuteness to be able to be let go with some of those wicked and pointed political barbs. Tina Fey is not that comedian.

And, although, 30 Rock is at times funny, it relies a great deal on caricature and skit-like set-ups. That formula will runs it's course as there isn't much in the way of plot or well-rounded character development to keep people coming back. Still, I think she's got skills and deserves her success, she's just not the funniest woman in comedy.

[nomorecomics4me]

Jon is intimated by strong women, especially if they are funny. He has few women guests and no (last I checked) women writers except for Samantha Bee, who is married to one of the male writers.

Now, Stephen Colbert? Whole other story. THAT is a real man.

[avicenna]

People have to take what Clinton clannies say with a grain of salt - there is an obvious disconnect with reality and underlying bitterness that only psychological aid can address. They don't like the idea of hope or authenticity.