Betty White Hosting 'Saturday Night Live' on May 8th

While I'm not in love with the idea of bringing a bunch of SNL alums back, I get why they're doing it. The big thing, though, is that Betty White will finally host the show on May 8th. As you probably know, a Facebook campaign was started back in January to promote the 88-year-old legend as an SNL host, but it really took off after her Super Bowl ad for Snickers. Now, after nearly half a million supporters joined the group, White will host the Mother's Day edition of the show. In fact, the Mother's Day angle is why Lorne Michaels is bringing back Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Ana Gasteyer, and Rachel Dratch. My fear is there just won't be much room for White to contribute, even though she's still slated as the official host of the episode. That idea has been around for a few weeks, as a way to give White a breather, if nothing else. I understand that. I mean, she's nearly 90 and hosting a show like that is a huge mental, physical, and emotional drain, even for someone of White's talent. I fully expect a Mary Tyler Moore sketch and a Golden Girls sketch, and let's hope that's enough to sideline the painful spoof of The View for a weekend. White can still get it done on live TV, as her SAG lifetime achievement award acceptance speech proved. And honestly, after a season featuring two hosts/musical guests and Taylor Lautner, it's about effing time SNL has someone with legitimate TV comedy chops. White's worked in front of audiences for decades, so she'll be fine. Said Michaels of the the Facebook movement that got the ball rolling, "It took on a groundswell. It isn't something we would have said no to, [but the campaign] validated that, 'Oh, that'd be fun'...It was the outpouring of affection from fans, and we feel the same way." White has been asked to host three times before, but turned it down, telling USA Today, "It's so New York, and I'm not New York at all. But my agent said he'd divorce me if I didn't do it, and I love my agent."

Comments

[Janet Joans]

wow i never knew betty white hosted that show, have to look for it on youtube. I loved her!