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Andy Manhart and John Bruce/Daily Nebraskan
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Photo by Edio Baskin courtesy of Barry Secunda Associates
Al Franken (right) and Tom Davis stand next to a box of Placenta Helper. The Placenta
Helper sketch, written in the mid-’70s by Franken and Davis for “Saturday Night Live,” was
censored.
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».*» •
1980-89:
The Al Franken
Decade
By Tom Lauder
Senior Editor
Most of us were wee lads and
lassies when A1 Franken announced
on “Saturday Night Live” the start of
the A1 Franken decade (as a counter to
the selfishness of the “me” decade).
So what does he, A1 Franken, think
about how his decade is turning out?
“Saturday Night Live” writ
ing team Franken and Davis
will appear at the Nebraska
Union on April 18. See related
story on 11.
On college crowds: “College
crowds arc great. And I like going out
to places like Lincoln because it’s
better than doing colleges in New
York. Colleges in New York, they can
go see pretty much anything anyway.
(Lincoln audiences) don’t get to see
things like us much. People in New
York are jaded.”
un the stand-up comedy scene
today: “There’s actually an incred
ible number of stand-ups who are
adequate. I mean, they can do a really
good 20 minutes. It’s astounding how
many of these there are compared to
when I was starting. When I was
starting you could count the number
of people who can go in clubs and do
20 minutes and be good on two hands.
And now, it’s like hundreds of them.
Because of all these clubs.
“There’s a lot of good people. I
think they tend to bump into each
other all the time — see each other.
There’s a ‘club’ style and that some
people fall into being good in clubs
and not being able to verge from it.”
On television: “When I was a kid
I did watch sitcoms all the time. I was
one of these kids who watched TV a
lot. But now I don’t watch anything
but news and information and sports.
That’s just about all I watch. I have a
hard time watching sitcoms. I just
can’t. I can recognize when they’re
good and stuff, but I just can’t sit still
for them.”
On his partner Tom Davis: “It’s
good that we spend time apart. Be
cause if we have to spend too much
time together, we’d drive each other
crazy.
“But we’ve been best friends for a
real long time. We’re very different
and very much the same.
“I think he’s really funny.”
On the original cast of “Satur
day Night Live”: Danny’s
(Aykroyd) the guy I’m closest to of
the cast. I see Chevy (Chase) every
once in a while. I see Gilda (Radncr).
I see Laraine (Newman) probably
more frequently than anyone but
Danny. John (Belushi) I haven’t seen
in a while. But him I would see. Billy
(Murray) I see every once in a while
but not that frequently. Danny’s the
guy, when he’s in town, I see him.
When I go to L.A., I see him. And I
work with him here and there.”
On writing comedy: “It’s a won
derful feeling coming up with stuff.
And it’s a wonderful feeling laughing
and working with people when people
come up with stuff. That’s why I like
being a comedy writer. I love it.
“My craft level, I think, has im
proved. There’s hunger, and hope
fully you get better.”
un pulling ott a great sketch:
“There’s nothing I like better than
‘scoring.’ We did a piece this year —
the Republican Debate. It’ll proba
bly be on a week from Saturday. But
it was the hottest piece of the year.
Danny (Aykroyd) was in it. He played
Dole. It was just one of these things
that worked in every gear.
“It transcended just being a good,
solid, funny sketch. It was just one of
these things that got airborne. It was
really exciting. And the feeling I had
after that was the best feeling. Just
exhilarating. You can’t explain it. It’s
like winning a national champion
ship."
On the present “Saturday Night
Live”: “I thought this year, it felt like
we were beginning to do it. I fell like
the continuity of the people there,
plus we got some new blood this year
in writing, and that made it feel like
we were going to be able to put on
some good shows."
On the presidential campaign:
“This year I sort of asked Lome
(Michaels) before the show, ‘I’d like
to cover the elections this year.’ So
I’ve been doing that. I started doing
the Satellite Guy ... to cover the
elections for Update. In doing the
Satellite Guy, l went to Iowa for one
of those debates.
“So I started following the cam
paign real close. And I’ve always
been caught up in them anyway.”
On super-stardom: “You notice
I’m not on the Oscars tonight."