If one thing has remained constant across Saturday Night Live’s four decades, it’s that the ensemble is, by design, greater than the sum of its individual players. Cast members naturally strive to stand out from the pack, but always within the confines of Lorne Michaels’ show, by striving for a breakout character or running sketch. Even when appearing in a hit movie, ideally it’s a movie spun off from the show itself. No one is bigger than the show—and no one should distract from the show. Remember Norm MacDonald’s incessant O.J.-is-actually-a-murderer jokes on “Weekend Update”? They got him fired from the show in 1998. Michaels is famous for his quick ax for ostensibly underperforming players, but SNL also has a zero tolerance position on distraction. Once someone’s persona becomes bigger than the show itself, they leave.
from Stories from Slate https://ift.tt/2K1Gpfy
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