Few things have more power than Facebook fan pages. Obviously. That's why new episodes of Designing Women are back on the air, why Mr. Bean is on his third sold-out world tour, and why "Chocolaaaaaaaaaaaaate" is now the official American English spelling for "chocolate." But more than playful spellings of cocoa bean products, what Facebook users really, really want is to see Betty White, aka Rose Nylund, host Saturday Night Live.
Why? Basically, because they really, really like Betty White—which is a valid sentiment. Everyone likes Betty White. She's a funny ex-Golden-Girl who loves animals and who groped Sandra Bullock on film—what's not to like? But the Facebook users who joined the Betty White to Host SNL (please?)! fan page don't just like Betty White, they want to reward her for her many years of being likeable:
Betty White has been doing television since before I Love Lucy! What a way to honor her career, her comedic timing, and her life than by inviting her to host Saturday Night Live!!!
Yes, giving Betty White the chance to play a grunting lady ping-pong champion while Jason Sudekis' sportscaster character does side-splitting on-air commercials for scented maxi-pads and douches for the 115th time would be a great way to honor Betty White's long career. Maybe if she's lucky she'll be able to participate in that "family that graphically kisses each other for 5 solid minutes" sketch. She could play the grandma!
Of course, Saturday Night Live is by nature hit-or-miss, so along with the interminable sketches outlined above, there's a good chance the writers could come up with some funny stuff for Betty White to do. Or, you know, Lorne Michaels could suggest a half-assed theme episode where the theme is "women."
From Entertainment Weekly:
White would not be hosting alone. Rather, I hear SNL is putting together a “Women of Comedy” episode that would team the former Rose Nylund with several of her younger contemporaries. Ex-SNL MVP Molly Shannon is on board, I hear, and feelers have also been put out to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. (An NBC spokesperson insists no one has been confirmed at this time.)
This tag-team approach will allow Lorne Michaels to appease White-on-SNL zealots (half a million and counting!) without making the 88-year-old shoulder the burden of all 90 minutes on her own.
Yea! It's Ladies Night all-night at SNL. Two-for-one longnecks till 1am, and ladies never pay a cover!
I like Betty White, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and (sometimes) Molly Shannon. But having them tag-team host a very special "Women Of Comedy" episode of SNL just sounds vaguely insulting. Lorne Michaels might as well promise, "It's the Curves of comedy!" Still, these very special SNL episodes should be pretty exciting. I can't wait until Lorne Michaels corrals Sherman Helmsley, Chris Tucker, and Marlon Wayans to co-host a "Blacks Of Comedy" SNL; and the Wanda Sykes/Ian McKellan/Neil Patrick Harris-hosted "Gays Of Comedy" episode should be fantastic.