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We’re pulling back the curtain on some comedic genius! Join us as we explore the brilliant, often audacious, and sometimes surprisingly subtle sketches penned by one of SNL’s most influential head writers during her tenure. From razor-sharp commercial parodies to politically charged monologues and iconic character creations, discover the memorable moments you likely never knew had Tina Fey’s signature wit. Prepare for a trip down memory lane that's fun, insightful, and full of laughs!
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00:00And but what about social security?
00:03Our Reddit isn't really going bankrupt.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:08And today we're counting down our picks
00:09for some of Tina Fey's lesser-known writing credits
00:12from her time at Saturday Night Live.
00:14The answer to our press.
00:15Mr. Eric Pearson, confirmed hottie,
00:18former right wing for the Vasity Hockey Team.
00:22Number 10.
00:23Woomba.
00:23You've heard of the Roomba.
00:25Now meet the Woomba.
00:26With Woomba, new from the makers of Roomba.
00:32The first fully automated,
00:34completely robotic, feminine hygiene product.
00:37This sketch perfectly captures Fey's talent
00:39for taking relatable, slightly uncomfortable parts
00:41of modern life and twisting them
00:43into something wildly absurd.
00:45Picture a robotic vacuum, but instead of floors,
00:47it cleans your personal spaces.
00:50The women brilliantly pair traditional commercial shots
00:52with absolute hilarity as this so-called
00:54feminine hygiene product becomes increasingly invasive,
00:57making it funnier.
01:04It works as a sharp send-up of consumer culture
01:07and a sly jab at capitalism's obsession
01:09with selling unnecessary innovations.
01:11It is over-engineered, deeply awkward,
01:14and absolutely something no one asked for.
01:17Yet here we are.
01:18Woomba will address your feminine hygiene needs
01:20whenever and wherever it thinks it's best.
01:23That's the confidence you get from Woomba.
01:25Number 9.
01:26Weekend Update.
01:27Tina Fey on protesting after Charlottesville.
01:29During a Weekend Update segment,
01:31Fey delivered a truly memorable and quintessentially her response
01:35to the devastating Charlottesville events.
01:45She spoke directly to the collective anxiety in the country
01:49and offered a darkly comic coping strategy
01:51that involved eating an entire sheet cake.
01:53Fey blended political commentary with relatable exhaustion,
01:57creating a moment that felt raw,
01:58funny,
01:59and deeply uncomfortable all at once.
02:01I really want to say,
02:02to encourage all good, sane Americans
02:05to treat these rallies
02:07this weekend like the opening of a thoughtful movie
02:10with two female leads.
02:11Don't show up.
02:14Let these morons scream into the empty air.
02:17It highlighted her ability to mix social satire
02:19with personal vulnerability and absurd humor.
02:21However,
02:22Fey felt it slightly missed the mark,
02:25saying she felt,
02:26like a gymnast who did like a very solid routine
02:28and broke her ankle on the landing.
02:30Because it's literally within the last,
02:32I think,
02:33two or three sentences of the piece
02:35that I chunked it.
02:37And I screwed up.
02:38And the implication was that I was telling people
02:40to give up and not be active
02:43and to not fight.
02:44That was not my intention.
02:45Number 8.
02:46Old French Whore.
02:48This bold sketch is often remembered
02:50for its fearless character work.
02:51And was, in fact,
02:53a Tina Fey creation.
02:54Denise, you must be excited
02:56because you're paired with our returning champion.
02:59She's 67
03:00and was once the personal concubine of Rommel.
03:03Say hello to Coco.
03:05Played memorably by Garth Brooks,
03:07the character reflects Fey's love
03:08of writing women
03:09who are wildly confident
03:11in their own strange realities.
03:13Reportedly,
03:13Fey came up with the idea
03:14after Brooks vetoed one of her other pitches,
03:17turning it into a kind of comedic revenge.
03:19Once again,
03:19what is the atomic symbol for chromium?
03:22I don't know.
03:24Don't be silly.
03:24The symbol for chromium is C-R.
03:27It was discovered by Val Kellen in 1797.
03:30Its atomic weight,
03:31it's 51,996.
03:34That is correct.
03:36Well played, Coco.
03:37The humor comes from the character's
03:39unwavering self-image
03:40and the outrageous details of her past,
03:42all delivered with complete sincerity.
03:44While it would never get pitched today,
03:47Brooks committed fully.
03:49So we guess he got the last laugh after all.
03:51So I ran away far from home
03:53and thought I would run to a new country
03:54where girls could be whatever they wish to be.
03:57But I never found that place.
03:59Number seven,
04:00Sally Jessie Raphael parody.
04:02Believe it or not,
04:03this was Fey's very first sketch to air on SNL.
04:06She reportedly had a rough start in the writer's room.
04:09So you might say this is the moment
04:11where things finally clicked.
04:12How old were you when you gave birth to your son?
04:1817.
04:19And how big was your son, Jake,
04:22when he was born?
04:25Jake was 22 pounds when he was born.
04:28It all began with a sharp satirical take
04:30on the Sally Jessie Raphael talk show.
04:32The sketch instantly highlighted
04:34Fey's natural talent for skewering sensationalist media
04:36and larger-than-life personalities,
04:38a skill that would come to define her work.
04:41You claim Jake is so big
04:43because,
04:44oops,
04:46you were taking
04:48fertility drugs.
04:50Yeah,
04:50I had been trying to get pregnant for a long time,
04:53but I was having trouble,
04:55so my mom said,
04:56if you're not pregnant by your junior prom,
04:59then we'll just go to the doctor.
05:00Of course,
05:01Chris Farley amped up the show's chaotic energy.
05:03It's clear that from day one,
05:06Fey showed a knack for turning cultural absurdity
05:08into smart, character-driven comedy gold.
05:11No, Jake, Jake,
05:12there are some things I do not tolerate on my show.
05:15Now you give Mr. Whitley back his arm.
05:19Fey has always excelled
05:21at writing sharp commercial parodies.
05:23If viral was a thing back then,
05:25we'd have all been wearing mom jeans.
05:26You'll find the perfect jean
05:28for even the least active of moms.
05:31So this Mother's Day,
05:32don't give mom that bottle of perfume.
05:35Give her something that says,
05:37I'm not a woman anymore.
05:38I'm a mom.
05:39Anuel is yet another standout example.
05:42The sketch introduces a miracle birth control pill
05:44that reduces periods to once a year.
05:46Each Anuel pack has 44 weeks of active pills
05:50instead of the usual three,
05:51keeping you on a constant stream of hormones
05:54so your time of the month can be just once a year.
05:58That's all I have time for.
06:00Sounds promising, right?
06:01Well, hold on to your hats
06:02because we soon discover
06:03a growing list of horrifying side effects.
06:06Fey skewers the unrealistic promises
06:08and patronizing tone
06:09often aimed at women in advertising.
06:15The humor comes from escalating
06:17a familiar experience
06:18into something increasingly monstrous,
06:20complete with cheerful disclaimers
06:22about fire monsters and leathery tails.
06:24It is dark, ridiculous, and painfully smart.
06:28Ask your doctor if Anuel is right for you.
06:31And if she says it is,
06:32go to a store, buy a hat,
06:34and get ready to hold the a** onto it.
06:38We're not kidding.
06:39Number five,
06:40The Fun Friends Club.
06:41The Fun Friends Club sketch
06:43perfectly showcases Fey's eye
06:44for social awkwardness,
06:46and it's one that she has cited
06:47as a personal favorite.
06:49Co-written with Rachel Dratch,
06:50it places an upbeat kids' show
06:52into deeply uncomfortable territory.
06:54Maria, can I talk to you for a second?
06:55Sure, Mr. Van Peebles.
06:57Great.
06:58Maria, how old are you now?
07:01Twelve and a half.
07:03Dratch plays a young woman
07:04whose recent physical changes
07:06make the show's cheerful dance moves
07:08unintentionally suggestive.
07:09Jimmy Fallon's frantic director
07:11attempts to manage the situation,
07:13only making it worse.
07:14But soon,
07:15you won't even want to be on the show.
07:16You'll want to be on the talk
07:17on the phone with boys
07:18and go to the mall with your friends,
07:19be hanging out with them,
07:20and shave your legs.
07:22No way!
07:23I want to stay here
07:24and giggle gulch forever!
07:25The sketch finds humor
07:27in discomfort
07:27and unspoken tension,
07:29especially around growing up.
07:31This sketch is the perfect example
07:32of Fey's talent
07:33for finding humor
07:34in social discomfort
07:35and the often unspoken challenges
07:37of the female experience,
07:38especially during those awkward,
07:41evolving years.
07:42You get to wear
07:42my special fun friend jacket
07:44on the show,
07:46and you'd be the show captain,
07:47and you wear it,
07:48yeah, in fact,
07:48just zip it up there
07:49and keep it zipped up
07:50by all means,
07:51okay, for the whole show.
07:52Number four,
07:53The View.
07:54Can you believe
07:55that Fey was the brain
07:56behind some of SNL's
07:57most memorable parodies
07:58of The View?
07:59Okay, let's start
08:00with a look
08:02at the newspaper.
08:03We have got
08:04some hot topics today.
08:07Yes, we do.
08:08She's always had
08:09a sharp instinct
08:10for zeroing in
08:11on celebrity quirks
08:12and using them
08:13to expose the chaos
08:14of daytime talk television.
08:15These recurring sketches
08:17leaned into the host's
08:18clashing personalities,
08:19surface-level debates,
08:20and the constant sense
08:21that everything
08:22could spiral
08:23at any second.
08:24Well, if I had a clone,
08:26I'd make out
08:27with myself.
08:31I'm just kidding.
08:33Do not speak again.
08:34Fey's observational humor
08:35turned familiar mannerisms
08:37into big laughs
08:38without losing accuracy.
08:39By exaggerating
08:40just enough,
08:41the parody felt
08:42both ridiculous
08:43and familiar,
08:44capturing the energy
08:45of the show
08:46while gently poking fun
08:47at its predictable rhythms
08:48and televised pandemonium.
08:51This face
08:51has served me very well.
08:52I think women need
08:53to embrace
08:54the uniqueness
08:54of their flaws.
08:56Wouldn't you all agree?
08:59Number 3.
09:01The Bush Twins'
09:02Secret Language
09:02This unforgettable sketch,
09:04featuring Amy Poehler
09:05and Fey as Jenna
09:06and Barbara Bush,
09:07perfectly exemplifies
09:09Fey's satirical genius,
09:10solidifying their status
09:12as a comedic dream team.
09:13Oh, God, Barbara,
09:14I got the spins.
09:17Jenna, I told you
09:18not to drink
09:19straight tequila.
09:20I didn't.
09:21I mixed it
09:22with Captain Morgan.
09:23It cleverly homed in
09:24on the public's perception
09:25of the Bush Twins
09:26as privileged
09:27yet slightly naive.
09:28The comedic masterstroke
09:30was their secret
09:31twin language,
09:32a ridiculously exaggerated
09:34jab at their
09:34sheltered lives,
09:35which they used
09:36to discuss
09:37serious political matters
09:38supposedly beyond
09:39their father's comprehension.
09:40Do be you
09:42be think
09:42be dad's
09:43be good
09:43be president?
09:47Be yes.
09:49I be think
09:50be he's
09:51be really
09:51be good.
09:52This sketch
09:53perfectly shows
09:54Fey's unparalleled ability
09:55to create fictional
09:56yet utterly
09:57believable absurdities
09:58around well-known
09:59public figures,
10:00blending political commentary
10:01with brilliant
10:02character humor.
10:03Even Jenna Bush
10:04was a fan.
10:05I was a teacher
10:06of third graders
10:08in Washington, D.C.,
10:10but you still
10:10got a lot right.
10:12You still got a lot right.
10:13Number two,
10:14Boston Teens.
10:15Many people remember
10:17Jimmy Fallon
10:18and Rachel Dratch's
10:18iconic performances
10:19as Sully and Denise.
10:21Would anyone like
10:22to take a churn?
10:23Yeah, over here.
10:25Let him do it.
10:26He's had a lot of practice.
10:29Yeah, I'm familiar
10:30with the motion.
10:31Yeah, he churns
10:32it about four times a day.
10:34But did you know
10:35that these beloved sketches
10:36were actually co-written
10:37by Fey?
10:38These characters
10:38are a clear example
10:40of her strength
10:40in creating
10:41hyper-specific,
10:42detail-rich character studies
10:43grounded in regional humor.
10:45The laughs
10:46come from their
10:46exaggerated accents,
10:48overblown yet deeply
10:49mundane teenage problems,
10:51and their wildly skewed
10:52understanding of the world
10:53around them.
10:54What my girl Zazu
10:55lacks in beauty,
10:56charm,
10:57polish,
10:58and general physical health,
11:00she makes up with
11:01with what warm personality
11:02and her permissive
11:03sexual practices.
11:05And I love her.
11:07Fey's writing brings
11:08an entire subculture
11:09to life with equal parts
11:10affection and gentle mockery.
11:12That balance is what
11:13turned their chaotic,
11:14hormone-fueled relationship
11:15into a recurring fan favorite
11:17that never wore out
11:18its welcome.
11:19Sully knows the heartbreak
11:20of a wrist injury
11:21because we broke up
11:22once for a week
11:22and he nearly gave himself
11:23capital tunnels.
11:24Shut up!
11:25You shut up!
11:29Before we continue,
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11:451. Colonel Angus Comes Home
11:47Colonel Angus Comes Home
11:49is a masterclass
11:50in suggestive comedy
11:51and one of Tina Fey's
11:52boldest sketches.
11:53I don't know why people
11:54make such a big fuss
11:56over Colonel Angus.
11:57I myself never much cared
12:00for Colonel Angus.
12:01He robs me the wrong way.
12:04Not sure why.
12:06Can't put my finger on it.
12:08Starring Christopher Walken,
12:10it centers on endless
12:11double entendres
12:12hidden inside
12:13a stiff period drama.
12:14Every line sounds proper
12:15on the surface
12:16while clearly implying
12:17something else entirely.
12:19Fey pushes boundaries
12:20without being explicit,
12:21trusting the audience
12:22to connect the dots.
12:24Colonel Angus might be rough.
12:26Colonel Angus might not
12:27smell like a bed of roses,
12:29but deep down,
12:31Colonel Angus is very sweet.
12:33The tension builds
12:34through increasingly
12:35obvious wordplay
12:36until the joke
12:37becomes unavoidable.
12:38It is daring, clever,
12:40and just uncomfortable
12:41enough to be unforgettable.
12:43This audacious
12:44yet remarkably clever
12:45brand of humor,
12:46often with a slightly
12:47shocking punchline,
12:48is a true hallmark
12:49of Fey's most daring
12:50comedic writing.
12:51To come knocking
12:52at the rear entrance
12:54of Shady Thicket.
12:57Ew.
12:58What Tina Fey gem
12:59do you think
13:00everyone should know about?
13:01Share them in the comments.
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