Date Posted:18:50:26 02/08/05 Tue Author: Patrick Subject: I was speaking hypotethically... In reply to:
jennings
's message, "I wouldn't shoot that thought down, Patrick..." on 04:42:26 02/08/05 Tue
SNL usually pulls its performance talent from Groundlings, Second City, and other outlets where the performance can be viewed. The same way The Tonight Show and similar outlets will watch a comic perform somewhere in consideration for putting them on the show. One doesn't walk in off the street like a Rupert Pupkin and swear they're the funniest thing since sliced bread (which, as we all know, isn't the funniest of all the breads). But I'm sure they have higher standards as well for their writing staff than "internet web site." Which is not to say it couldn't happen, just that this particular site isn't some sort of magical gateway to landing on SNL's writing staff. I receive emails of that nature all the time, even though it says all over the web site that it's not.
However, the contact you refer to, Mark, sounds interesting. Yes, Mario Lanza did sell a couple of his sketches many moons ago, and a couple of other writers have requested removal of their sketches so they can farm it out to the appropriate markets, and I think that's great and admirable. And everyone here does have an excellent camaraderie with one another that could potentially translate well into the offline world if such an opportunity did present itself. But I think only a small handful of us see that as a goal for the site. Some of just come here week to week for the thrill of doing a web site together. I'm 30 years old, so I see it more as a hobby. But the younger writers (college-aged or less) are still young enough to look to writing as a reasonable career goal - be it for SNL, MadTV, or Weekly World News - and have certainly practiced the skill of writing to great effect while visiting this site.
