by Jennifer Armstrong
Tina Fey’s hilarious turn as Sarah Palin put Saturday Night Live on the electoral map like nothing else in recent memory — viewership is up nearly 70 percent this season. But will Fey continue to moonlight as the gorgeous governor, who could be a parody-worthy public figure for years to come? “I have to retire just because I have to do my day job,” reveals the creator and star of NBC’s 30 Rock (which experienced a 20 percent ratings uptick for its Oct. 30 season premiere). “I think [Kristen] Wiig would do a really good job.”
As for whether there’ll be an official Palin torch passing, she says, “Maybe we could get a real torch. Or I could give Wiig the Palin wig.”
More on Tina Fey and Sarah Palin:
30 Rock premiere recap
Tina Fey: EW cover story
Lorne Michaels: How SNL got Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin on SNL
Sarah Palin boosts SNL ratings
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kristen would do a really good job, i want tina to focus on 30 rock and her family. she must be stretched so thin right now
Sad.
Isn’t Palin’s 15 minutes over? They lost? Why must the impersonation continue at all?
I’m amazed by the incredible amount of public interest in Sarah Palin. Good or bad, she’s become somewhat of a pop icon. People are dressing like her to be and/or mock her all at the same time.
For instance, I found this video on dressing like Palin:
http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/668-how-to-dress-like-sarah-palin
We need not see or hear of this person again.
I am more than thrilled to say goodbye to Palin…hopefully forever.
THANK GOD!
Now she can go back to that mediocre show until it gets cancelled and can churn out some more mediocre movies until she fades away like every other SNL cast member.
Hey maybe SNL could do a skit where the the Wasilla Assembly of God church casts Sarah Palin out of Tina Fey.
Palin won’t be in the spotlight anymore! McCain lost! Is there really a need for her to be impersonated?
We’ll always have the memories: http://tinyurl.com/4eln43
Why are people so hateful to Sarah Palin – is it necessary to be so cruel and tear people down? This woman has accomplished a lot in spite of her gender. Tina Fey should have accomplished so much and she should have supported Sarah Palin – not necessary politically but supported her right to compete with the “big boys.” Shame on women who cannot see how tearing down other females is not the way to find more women in the corporate and political arena. What are we teaching our daughters?
If you don’t like 30 Rock, you don’t understand humor.
If you LIKE 30 Rock, you’re easily entertained my mediocrity.
I assume you threw your full support behind Hillary Clinton during the primaries, yes?
I assume you threw your full support behind Hillary Clinton during the primaries, yes?
I can actually agree about the “mediocre” 30 Rock comments. The shows somewhat funny, but isn’t anywhere near as great as EW makes it out to be. I guess that shows us the sorry state of television these days. You’ve gotta hype something!
As a matter of fact, I did. I also voted for Obama. This has nothing to do with politics – it has to do with supporting women who work to attain success in a male dominated world!!!!!
Yeah, whatever happened to Bill Murray, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Will Farrell?
Michele, Tina Fey is teaching our daughters to stand up for candidates because of the issues, not because of their gender. Palin was only chosen as a running-mate in order to manipulate voters with her gender and her everyman personality, and at least in part thanks to Tina Fey and the SNL writers calling Palin out on her dangerous inexperience, the country was not fooled. Tina Fey isn’t required to play nice just because Palin shares her gender; treating her with kid gloves would have been the real disservice.
And 30 Rock is hilarious; every single line in the season premiere was instantly quotable. Nothing mediocre about it.
I fully support women running for office, but not blindly. And ridiculing her backwoods accent isn’t sexist, but complaining that a female politician’s voice reminds a commentator (Chris Matthews – the pig) of his mother – is.
We can mock the $150k clothing budget and laugh about John Edwards’ $400 haircut.
I didn’t support Palin because I didn’t support her beliefs. I vote for someone because of what’s in their mind, not their pants.
well said Nick.
Face it, Palin LOST the election for McCain. No one with a brain believed he considered her the best running mate. She was chosen purely because she has a vajayjay. Dumb move.
Right on, NICK! Couldn’t have said it better myself. Palin was a POOR “substitution” for Hillary Clinton.
Awwwwww
I agree that McCain lost because of his pick of Palin.
I also agree that 30 Rock IS over rated. I’ve tried to watch it the last 2 seasons. It had it’s moments but those are mostly attributed to the awesome Alec Baldwin. I would boldly say that he’s above this show. I watched the season premiere last week and it was weak.
The SNL comment was wrong. Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Chris Rock, Will Farrell, Adam Sandler all went on to bigger and better things, among others.
Fey totally dissed her gender by impersonating Palin. Bi-racial Obama totally disses whites by calling himself an african-american. the media spoon fed the americans obama, and unfortunately, fell for it.
Ok, I was wrong about my SNL comment, but I’m happy to see others that agree with the overrated praise 30 Rock gets.
Hey Isabelle, bitter much? You’re such a cliche’. How sad for you.
How soon will Lorne Michaels retire SNL now? It only got ratings due to the over hype of Tina Fey’s SOMEWHAT funny impersonation of Palin and they weren’t all that! The rest of the shows were tired bits. It’s time to put SNL out to pasture. It died over a decade ago.