Saturday Night Live, Hollywood Comedy, and American Culture : From Chevy Chase to Tina Fey

Saturday Night Live, Hollywood Comedy, and American Culture sheds new light on the ways in which Saturday Night Live's confrontational, boundary-pushing approach spilled over into film production, contributing to some of the biggest hits in Hollywood history, such as National Lampoon's Animal House, Ghostbusters, and Beverly Hills Cop. Jim Whalley also considers how SNL has adapted to meet the needs of subsequent generations, launching the film careers of Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell and others in the process. Supported by extensive archival research, some of Hollywood's most popular comedians are placed into the contexts of film and television comic traditions and social and cultural trends in American life. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 List of Figures......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 One: “I’m Chevy Chase and You, You’re Merely a Statistic”: Self-reference and Stardom on Saturday Night Live......Page 30 Two: “I’ll Write You a Note Saying You’re Too Well to Attend”: National Lampoon’s Animal House Takes Saturday Night Live to Hollywood......Page 52 Three: “But the Kids Love Us”: The Development of Bill Murray’s Star Persona from Saturday Night Live to Ghostbusters......Page 74 Four: “I Don’t Even Like Myself”: The Revision and Retreat of Saturday Night Live Stars after Ghostbusters......Page 102 Five: “Age Is a Tough One for Me”: Selling Saturday Night Live in the 1980s......Page 126 Six: “I Still Know How to Party”: Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Generational Change on Saturday Night Live......Page 150 Seven: “A Colourful, Emotional, Working Class Hero”? The Development of Adam Sandler’s Fictional and Extra-fictional Personas......Page 172 Conclusion......Page 198 Notes......Page 208 Bibliography......Page 232 Index......Page 238 This Book Addresses How Saturday Night Live's Confrontational, Boundary-pushing Approach Spilled Over Into Film Production, Contributing To Some Of The Biggest Hits In Hollywood History. I'm Chevy Chase And You, You're Merely A Statistic: -- Self-reference And Stardom On Saturday Night Live -- I'll Write You A Note Saying You're Too Well To Attend: -- National Lampoon's Animal House Takes Saturday Night Live To Hollywood -- But The Kids Love Us: -- The Development Of Bill Murray's Star Persona From Saturday Night Live To Ghostbusters -- I Don't Even Like Myself: -- The Revision And Retreat Of Saturday Night Live Stars After Ghostbusters -- Age Is A Tough One For Me: -- Selling Saturday Night Live In The 1980s -- I Still Know How To Party: -- Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, And Generational Change On Saturday Night Live -- A Colourful, Emotional, Working Class Hero? : -- The Development Of Adam Sandler's Fictional And Extra-fictional Personas. Jim Whalley. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Saturday Night Live, Hollywood Comedy, and American Culture sheds new light on the ways in which Saturday Night Live s confrontational, boundary-pushing approach spilled over into film production, contributing to some of the biggest hits in Hollywood history, such as National Lampoon s Animal House, Ghostbusters, and Beverly Hills Cop. Jim Whalley also considers how SNL has adapted to meet the needs of subsequent generations, launching the film careers of Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell and others in the process. Supported by extensive archival research, some of Hollywood s most popular comedians are placed into the contexts of film and television comic traditions and social and cultural trends in American life. Sheds new light on the ways in which Saturday Night Live's confrontational, boundary-pushing approach spilled over into film production, contributing to some of the biggest hits in Hollywood history, such as National Lampoon's Animal House, Ghostbusters, and Beverly Hills Cop. Also considers how SNL has adapted to meet the needs of subsequent generations, launching the film careers of Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell and others in the process. From publisher description