The Wasn’t That Special Season 34 episode will be a day late next week, so as a peace offering, we recorded a review of the new movie Saturday Night, which “documents” the 90 minutes leading up to the first SNL episode on October 11, 1975.
Just now getting around to this episode and Bill Clotworthy didn't become Director of Broadcast Standards at NBC until 1979 according to his book (which I sadly cannot recommend. It's very meandering and hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, plus he comes off unapolgetically sexist at times).
I'm not at home with my SNL books right now but I definitely recall hearing of a censor who matches the one in the movie. One of them once said that "You cannot give the Virgin Mary a noogie", in regards to the Nerds Nativity sketch. And the writer replied "It's not the Virgin Mary, it's Gilda Radner playing Lisa Loopner playing the Virgin Mary!"
I just found corroboration in "Mr. Mike: The Life and Work of Michael O'Donoghue" by Dennis Perrin. He writes:
"On Saturday Night, O'Donoghue at first dealt with Standards editor Jay Ottley, who was pretty tolerant of the show's stronger content. The same was true of Ottley's boss, Standards vice-president Herminio Traviesas, who, despite personal reservations concerning the show's humor, was considered reasonable by many on staff. For a brief period Ottley's role was assumed by Jane Crowley, who was not considered reasonable by anyone, especially O'Donoghue. A strict Catholic, Crowley objected to much of Saturday Night's humor and took a hard line on material she believed offensive or immoral."
It then details that in the Raquel Welch episode, Crowley censored the Belushi rant that O'Donoghue wrote for Weekend Update. It was about "why do people say 'don't rain on my parade' when there's so much worse things that could happen on a parade", but what she objected to was the phrase "take a dump", I guess because of the scatological implication? So he changed it to "don't drain your boils on my parade", and she was fine with that.
Anyway the point is that the censor in the movie was probably based on Jane Crowley in another case of adapting the timeline for the movie's sake.
I’m seeing on the internet Andy Kaufman listed at an even 6 feet. Though that could be taken from kayfabed intros/thumbnail bios on Memphis wrestling (pro wrestling legit height/weight vs billed is often a guessing game for closeness) FWIW, Henson is listed as being 6’3”
That King and Kaufman photo I posted is telling. Lawler, like Ric Flair, was always booked as a medium sized guy but with enough ring savvy and strength to get the job done, being great characters, heel or face, helped of course (WOOOOOOOOOO). So him literally eyeball to eyeball with Kaufman does put the lie that Braun’s height was his own.
Being slender though I guess adds to the idea of being long and lanky. FWIW, Jim Carrey stands at 6’2”
Just now getting around to this episode and Bill Clotworthy didn't become Director of Broadcast Standards at NBC until 1979 according to his book (which I sadly cannot recommend. It's very meandering and hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, plus he comes off unapolgetically sexist at times).
I'm not at home with my SNL books right now but I definitely recall hearing of a censor who matches the one in the movie. One of them once said that "You cannot give the Virgin Mary a noogie", in regards to the Nerds Nativity sketch. And the writer replied "It's not the Virgin Mary, it's Gilda Radner playing Lisa Loopner playing the Virgin Mary!"
Thanks for this. That Gilda story rings true. I'll have to go back and look for it.
I just found corroboration in "Mr. Mike: The Life and Work of Michael O'Donoghue" by Dennis Perrin. He writes:
"On Saturday Night, O'Donoghue at first dealt with Standards editor Jay Ottley, who was pretty tolerant of the show's stronger content. The same was true of Ottley's boss, Standards vice-president Herminio Traviesas, who, despite personal reservations concerning the show's humor, was considered reasonable by many on staff. For a brief period Ottley's role was assumed by Jane Crowley, who was not considered reasonable by anyone, especially O'Donoghue. A strict Catholic, Crowley objected to much of Saturday Night's humor and took a hard line on material she believed offensive or immoral."
It then details that in the Raquel Welch episode, Crowley censored the Belushi rant that O'Donoghue wrote for Weekend Update. It was about "why do people say 'don't rain on my parade' when there's so much worse things that could happen on a parade", but what she objected to was the phrase "take a dump", I guess because of the scatological implication? So he changed it to "don't drain your boils on my parade", and she was fine with that.
Anyway the point is that the censor in the movie was probably based on Jane Crowley in another case of adapting the timeline for the movie's sake.
For comparison, his rival, Jerry Lawler I believe is a legit 6 feet as well https://www.vice.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/1666207472507-lawler-and-kaufman-lede.jpeg?resize=1536,864
I’m seeing on the internet Andy Kaufman listed at an even 6 feet. Though that could be taken from kayfabed intros/thumbnail bios on Memphis wrestling (pro wrestling legit height/weight vs billed is often a guessing game for closeness) FWIW, Henson is listed as being 6’3”
Kaufman in the film is a towering figure. Nicholas Braun is 6′ 7″.
That King and Kaufman photo I posted is telling. Lawler, like Ric Flair, was always booked as a medium sized guy but with enough ring savvy and strength to get the job done, being great characters, heel or face, helped of course (WOOOOOOOOOO). So him literally eyeball to eyeball with Kaufman does put the lie that Braun’s height was his own.
Being slender though I guess adds to the idea of being long and lanky. FWIW, Jim Carrey stands at 6’2”