Marci Klein, SNL Producer, On Sarah Palin's Handshake, Writing Hillary Clinton Sketches, Discovering Will Ferrell & More (VIDEO)

Marci Klein, senior producer of "Saturday Night Live" and executive producer of "30 Rock," recently sat down with host Julie Menin for her NBC New York show "Give and Take." Klein spoke about everything from Sarah Palin's firm handshake to Hillary Clinton's anger over sketches about Chelsea to how she discovered Will Ferrell.

In the wide-ranging interview, which airs on NBC New York as well as streams on JulieMenin.com, Klein — who recently booked her father Calvin for a guest spot on "30 Rock" — also discusses infamous moments in "SNL" history, like Sinead O'Connor ripping up the pope photo and Ashlee Simpson storming off-stage in the middle of her set.

"Give and Take," a new show about current events and women's issues, launched this week and "will provide a unique place for leading women from different disciplines to talk about their lives and the issues important to them and other women," says the host (who is also a Huffington Post blogger). In addition to Klein, upcoming guests include CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo, Mayor Bloomberg's longtime girlfriend Diana Taylor, Tru TV anchor Jami Floyd, and Caroline Hirsch, owner and founder of the legendary Caroline's comedy club.

The interview with Klein was cut into five clips, rolled out individually this week on JulieMenin.com. Parts III and IV are below. For Part I, in which Klein talks about meeting Lorne Michaels, and Part II, in which she discusses how she knew Will Ferrell would be a star as soon as she saw him, visit JulieMenin.com.

Part III: Klein talks all about the politicians that "SNL" has hosted over the years. She says John McCain has a "great sense of humor" and that Sarah Palin was one of the most confident people she's ever met. "I actually was the first person to meet her," Klein said of Palin. "I was standing there, and I thought, 'Oh my God, she looks just like Tina!'" Klein said Palin had an "incredibly strong handshake" and that she was overwhelmed by her resemblance to Tina Fey. "A lot of people come to our show — actors, musicians — and they're nervous...she was not nervous. I thought, this is the most confident person I've ever met."

Part IV: Klein discusses the influence of "SNL" on "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report," and talks about the way the media, and "SNL" specifically, treated Hillary Clinton during the campaign. "Personally, there were moments between dress and air where I'd say, 'Can we be nice to her? Why does everyone hate her so much?'" she said. Klein added that over the years Clinton has weighed in on the show's treatment of her, in particular its treatment of Chelsea.

Comments

[LeftLeanWing]

Bet she was nervous when she step in front of the cameras with Katie Couric, so nervous she couldn't remember the name of ANY newspaper.

[Carsy]

Yea, that is what I was thinking as well, she looked nervous in a serious setting being asked serious questions. At SNL she was meeting some producer, why would that make her nervous?

[amdezurik]

she didn't have a teleprompter with Katie...

[Oldtt]

She must have known that it would be an ambush interview, but circumstances were such that she had to do it anyway. To be fair, she never had any real chance to get up to speed on likely topics, and it was her first national interview. Practice makes perfect.

[protagonia]

She needed to be up on them LONG before the interview, at least to be given any remote consideration as VP.

[genia]

Please....some of the most confident ...smart...self assured people I have met in my life are very capable of being nervous or shy......or humble.
Point here...IMO is that theses wingers have no respect for Hollywood or actors..etc. and..make no mistake about it...most of these fringe rs don't like New Yorkers...I'm thinking Palin may be one of them.
Palin is arrogant..........
Why are we watching this?

[LeftLeanWing]

She took a hit of powdered moose antler before she walked in.

[protagonia]

Or some such confidence-faking powder.

[Freesia2]

I'm not surprised by her account of Sarah's confidence. Con artists are always confident. It's the most important tool in their bag of tricks. No matter what's happening, they keep their cool. It's necessary to their appearing authentic while pulling off a bluff - like pretending to be smart enough to lead a nation.

That's what made it so easy for her to lead the race baiting rallies. She could stand there and spew lies and rile up people into screaming "kill him!" and then turn and smile at the camera like she was the girl next door who'd just delivered Girl Scout cookies. All was well. It was all part of playing her marks, bagging her prey. She long ago dispatched with the idea of needing brains or ethics or anything - just the proverbial "brass set" and a wink. It didn't shake her confidence, nothing will, that it didn't work this time. She's just trying to figure out where the con went wrong and she'll rework her angle. With a firm handshake.

[Indie2008]

Good analysis.

[Fernando Cavallo]

I disagree. I don't think Palin is any more a con-artist than most politicians. What she has -and I'm sure she always did- is huge charisma. So much so that she made it through life achieving enviable things with no education or preparation; I mean, she was running for VP and didn't even know Africa was a continent! There are thousands of people with exquisite education and background, nurtured from the crib, who won't get nearly as far as she did. She is a BS artist, who happened to be dangerously close to having access to nuclear codes.

[JohnDewey]

Con artist or BS artist? You say tomayto, I say tomahto.

I think you're basically agreeing with Freesia2's excellent analysis, you're just phrasing it differently.

[marko77]

If you walk into any junior high school or high school you will find many students who exude the self-confidence of Sarah Palin and her ignorance and arrogance, as well. Most of the kids, however, become humbled and broaden their intellect over the years - in other words, they grow up. Not the case with Sarah.

[newhouse1]

Charisma as in sheepish smiling, lip licking and biting, winking, and playing on the notion of 1950's ivory snow beauty? True charisma combines acumen about something of substance, and the ability to deliver your belief / idea / knowledge with panache. Sarah Palin hit the door as the "former bueaty queen in an Alaska runoff" and all that people call charisma is code for she's a good looking woman. There have been cauliflower that had more substance than Sarah Palin (I can see Alaska from my front porch, so I know something about foreign policy). Say she's a good looking woman who was over her head, and who's idea's are not mainstream and are opportunistic to appeal to a narrow slice of American thought, and you'd be honest in your assessment. Say she's got charisma, and you're only playing the 'isn't she a babe, beauty pageant' card.

[AnnfromCA]

That was debunked about Africa.

[vegasobserver]

Sarah Palin and Dubya are exactly right in that regard.... Cool as cucumbers, supremely confident... slick, street smart... and con artists... (the word "con" comes from "confidence".)

They would have been a good team in an old time Medicine Show, or as carnival barkers for P.T. Barnum.

[Fred Godejohn]

I don't know about 'cool as cucumbers. They both have gotten noticeably irritated. She was irritated by the newspapers question from Couric and didn't deign to answer. He was irritated during the 'it's a tough job' debate with Kerry.

[DubyaGump]

I agree Sarah keep her cool, but Dubya was a total FVkc up

[MissterZip]

Totally.

[Dalpine]

Speaking of con artists...

[Deli]

So what is with the bobby pin? Did it occur to this woman to groom herself prior to this interview? Shocking that she works as a TV producer and apparently has no understanding of fixing her hair and makeup.

[Helanren]

And?

[SammyD]

She' s way beyond people like you.

[Deli]

She's obviously beyond professional stylish help, as well.

[dgh94104]

Confident? More like unaccountable ambition combined with ignorance and arrogance. That's S arah P alin.

[me again]

Very well put!

[EYEONU2]

Could not agree more.

[wonketteRAWKS]

Sounds a lot like the current president as well.

[SemperVeritas]

Meow!

[Fernando Cavallo]

You mean the Harvard graduate?

[Ellyllon]

The Harvard law student who taught Constitutional Law, then backed up his own beliefs by doing 'community organizer' work? That guy? Ya, he's really lacking in the credential dept...

[JohnDewey]

Merriam-Webster Main Entry:
ig·no·rance
Pronunciation: \ˈig-n(ə-)rən(t)s\
Function: noun
Date: 13th century
: the state or fact of being ignorant : lack of knowledge, education, or awarenes.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
(ĭg'nər-əns)
n. The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Ig"no*rance\, n. [F., fr. L. ignorantia.]
1. The condition of being ignorant; the want of knowledge in general, or in relation to a particular subject; the state of being uneducated or uninformed.

If you'd be so kind, please explain why you believe that President Obama meets the classic definition of "ignorant." Thanks.

[ywcachieve]

The Harvard educated.
President of the Harvard Law Review.
Once state and US senators.
Knows Africa is a continent.
Knows the 3 countries of North America.
Published author of several books.
Worldly knowledged.
Well read. etc etc etc
Is that the president you are talking about?

[Saxton]

Sounds like you have a far more intelligent perspective on people than Marci Klein does.

[jillsond]

That's not confidence. It's monumental arrogance.

[rob2007]

That interview resulted in the most carefully tortured non-answers I've ever heard.

[phantom5551]

agreed - it was excruciating and incredibly annoying.

[Mantle]

I totally agree. Now I'm wondering what exactly an Executive Producer does. I can't help it but feel embarrassed for her.

[ModerateMouse]

Those who think god has anointed them to lead tend to be confident. It is called fanaticism.

[jillsond]

BIngo!!!

[Tyrione]

Not confident. Egocentric. There is a major difference. Immersed in Egoism lends to Fanaticism, not being Confident in your abilities.

[ModerateMouse]

You are correct. I should have said the appearance of confidence. Religious narcissists, when you first meet them. often come across as charismatic and confident. Over time you realize that the core is rotten.

[samuelberg]

Enough of BO, what about Sarah?

[ModerateMouse]

bbb...bbrbll...bbbut what about Obama?

[glockman]

This is off topic, but your profile pic, is that "Runaway Ralph?"

[Lex10]

Wow- giant, unbranded, clear, video with no commercial before I was allowed to see it. Thanks.

[arcanepsyche]

For a second I thought you were complaining. I'm glad you're not!

[Lex10]

well, I do complain a lot......

[Tom Joad]

Most confident person you've ever met? That fits. "Often wrong, but never in doubt."

[Sardonica]

We knew Palin had enormous confidence when she did not hesitate in accepting McCain's offer. And her confidence has remained unshaken - she keeps getting up & dusting herself off, even after moments in which most of us would curled up in the fetal position from embarrassment.

But the danger - from a voting citizen's standpoint - is believing and trusting in it. Let us never forget that George W. Bush had super-human confidence, too.

[Khirad]

That whole filled with the Holy Spirit über-confidence has always unsettled me, as if it compensated for ignorance...

P.S. love the avatar! ;)

[glockman]

Peek-a-boo....

[ElKabongJr]

SNL is boring. It is a very very long way from what it was during the time of Belushi...and Akroyd...and Murphy and Murray...and Radner......this show is boring...... this producer needs either to resign or perhaps try to steal some of the writers from Cartoon Channel or maybe Fox network.....It's been years since I have been able to sit for long after the introduction....in fact the funniest sketch that I have seen on that show was not by a professional at all, but by Payton Manning.....its just about the only time that the producers of this show had the guts to actually say something anywhere near authentic....otherwise they wouldn't dare to expose the humor behind their own incredibly foul network owned by General Electric. A network more in the business of passing along its own political agenda and propaganda rather than to entertain or enlighten anyone in earnest.
P.S. this is an opinion, my opinion....I really believe I have a right to it.....

[Antifascist-08]

" A network more in the business of passing along its own political agenda and propaganda rather than to entertain or enlighten anyone in earnest."

Like Fox.

[NYC82]

This interview was long overdue. We hear so much about Lorne Michaels but the media fails to mention the staff, particularly the senior women, who help make the show so successful. The range of material covered by Ms. Menin is to be applauded - politics, music, satire, the art of comedy - all in one sit down. It's a breath of fresh air to see a high power female executive, who is also a mother, speak about her professional life and how she rose to the top of her field.

[dubster]

I thought she did herself a disservice, she was completely inarticulate and unimpressive. I thought to myself she's a senior producer?

[JaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin]

This interview wasn't a breath of fresh air. It was an embarrassment. And senior women make SNL successful? Have you watched the show lately? It's so immensely boring. Just because one of the producers is a woman doesn't make it a great show automatically.

You're writing as if Mrs. Klein is an artistic genius, akin to the great comic talent that USED to be on the show.

Please, spare me your PR nonsense. Do you work for her or what?

[Dace]

Hate filled arrogant megalomaniacs are usually confident because the psychotic callings in their head that tell them their way is the only way then add a good case of fundamentalism there you go.

[Texas4Patriots]

Good take on President BoBo.