What makes tina fey funny

And as a former head writer on Saturday Night Live , how tough would it be to star in her own show? As she sipped bottled water in her demure cocktail dress and laughed at co-star Tracy Morgan's antics with a souped-up water pistol, the thirtysomething actor was self-deprecating but adamant. That's what makes it easy for me.

I'll try it, and if it turns out I'm the worst actor ever, I'll have that distinction. Simple, honest, direct. For as 30 Rock embarks on its third season with a raft of high-profile guest stars Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston and consecutive Emmy wins as Best Comedy, a recent ratings surge indicates its fortunes have finally started to shift.

From what I can tell, most of the credit goes directly to Fey. As the show's writer, creator and star, it was her who defined the mix of surreal, cerebral and simple-minded that won over critics, marked the return of genuine wit to prime-time and ensured the show's triumph over one-season wonder Studio While studying at Second City, then-castmate Scott Adsit also recruited Fey to do voiceover work for a pinball game called Medieval Madness.

Outside of her love of Broadway show tunes, Fey has been known to cross genres into rap and hip-hop. After Fey gave Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino his first big writing job on 30 Rock , the musician returned the favor, featuring her on his Royalty mixtape.

However, director Mark Waters claimed Fey would likely give Poehler credit for the rap coaching and choreography. The Grammy-winning artist had to overcome several obstacles on his journey to become a music sensation and Super Bowl headliner.

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Donald Glover a. Childish Gambino first gained notice as a member of Derrick Comedy in college, and Fey hired him at the age of 23 to write for 30 Rock. Before jumping from that show to Community , Glover put out his first mixtape under his stage name. Comedy is preparation, spontaneity and timing. Comedy is juxtaposition, stating the obvious and real-world interaction. Comedy is using a series of phrases in a combination of interrelated sentences and then pointing out that you probably just read them in a really intense narrator voice in your head.

I mark the Tina Fey era, the period when she was head writer , as the best comedy in modern day SNL. Many critics laud that time when she, coincidentally, also the first female head writer on the show, as a period that revitalized the show.

But a little voice sitting in the back of my mind nags and nags, desperate for some of the old stuff. Those who like Fey and Poehler watched them, laughed, and then went on with their day.

Fey has acted in a number of dramas as well, achieving relative success; Poehler has done less work away from television, specifically comedy. Fey and Poehler have achieved something incredibly special and unique in their work, and it has enraptured an entire nation.