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If the Internet has taught us anything, it's that you can't go wrong by cutting-and-pasting an idea to death. Betty White triumphed as guest host on SNL after producer Lorne Michaels capitulated to a megalith Facebook campaign? Fantastic. Rinse and repeat! The successful "Betty White to Host SNL (please?)" campaign is now a Facebook meme, with groups imploring Michaels to hire Reba McEntire, Abe Vigoda and even the Reanimated Corpse of Estelle Getty as future hosts.
Because that will totally work.
Buzzfeed is tracking the proliferation of fan pages and published a leaderboard, showing that Carol Burnett is currently the favorite. Pop Eater reports:
The page is closely modeled after the one built to support White. "Carol Burnett to Host SNL (PLEASE?)!" has attracted over 25,000 (and counting!) fans, though it has a ways to go to reach White-like levels -- more-than half a million fans joined the campaign to support the Golden Girls SNL" bid.
It would be ironic for the 77-year-old comic great to host SNL, because her long-standing "The Carol Burnett Show" was the type of variety sketch and music prime time show that the original Saturday Night Live turned inside out and re-invented for late night.& You can see the historical influence by looking at the set-up of Burnett's show. Carol excelled at developing reoccurring iconic characters (like the dim-witted secretary Mrs. Wiggins and beleaguered Eunice), as well as parodies (like the classic re-telling of Gone With the Wind.) But whereas SNL features that one coveted guest host spot each week, Carol herself was the weekly welcoming hostess, with guests appearing as part of her troupe. Carol often used her platform to showcase other women in comedy, including Betty White, Vicki Lawrence and Lily Tomlin. Check out Cher (wow!) in this soap opera riff:
Most fans love the traditional ending to Carol's show, when she answered questions and revealed a genuine affection for her audience. Don't miss the Maude-esque duet at the end of this compilation:
I want Carol Burnett to receive every possible accolade, as she is a living legend, a comedy genius and one of television's greatest performers, but I don't think that Facebook pleading with Lorne Michaels for a gig will work again. Maybe the copycat campaigns don't really have that as a goal, though, and are simply an attempt to assign a purpose to otherwise meandering Facebook fan pages. While it's clear that some of the SNL hosting requests are jokes (Stewie? Imelda Marcos?) others appear to be a trendy tribute via Internet to beloved stars, and there is a lot to "like" about that, whether they get Michaels' attention or not.
Are you a fan who will join the cause?& What's your favorite Carol Burnett performance?
Deb Rox blogs like a freaking butterfly, stings like a Tweet, and desperately wanted to go see a Carol Burnett show live. Especially a Mrs. A-Wiggins one. Though she didn't want to see Eydie Gorme. Eydie was kind of scary.
