Tina Fey was shocked to learn that some current “Saturday Night Live” staffers bring their furry friends to the sketch series’ Rockefeller Center headquarters. It’s a luxury, she said, that wouldn’t have been offered during her nine-year tenure working on the show.
Fey appeared on “SNL” star Bowen Yang and comedian Matt Rogers’ hit iHeartRadio podcast “Las Culturistas” Wednesday, where the three began weighing the pros and cons of dog ownership in the big city.
Expressing envy for Fey’s status as a dog owner, despite her joking that “my dogs poop inside every single day,” Yang shared that he would like to be a pet parent but doesn’t have enough time due to to the demanding production schedule at “SNL.”
“I’m ready for parenthood with the dogs though. But I can’t do it with the schedule,” Yang said.
“Because no one brings their dog to ‘SNL,’” Fey responded, comfortingly, before Yang replied, “Oh, people bring their dogs to ‘SNL.’”
Fey audibly gasped in surprise. “What!” she exclaimed.
“There’s a couple people, but it’s fine,” Yang assured. “They –“
“They stay in the dressing room?” Fey asked.
“They stay in the dressing room, or sometimes they’ll bring them out. It’s OK,” Yang said to Fey, who said the change in the workplace culture shows that it’s a “different world” now.
“Yeah, it would never have flown?” Yang asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Fey responded.
Yang expressed that the COVID-19 pandemic may have softened up general workplace policy, as many people experienced a rise in mental stress during that time. “We’ve had a rough couple of years,” Yang said.
“Let everyone have what they need, yeah,” Fey responded.
“Let’s make sure everyone’s fine. Which I culturally must feel — I remember, but this just come with starting out there,” Yang explained further, opening up about the anxiety he felt while working at “SNL” prior to the pandemic. “No matter who you are, no matter what job it is, if you start out there, it is always hard and it is always a cultural adjustment. But I just remember a time, like, pre-pandemic where I was just like, I was terrified every day. Every day I was shaking in my boots just to be there.”
Fey spent nine years at “SNL,” beginning in 1997 as a writer. In 1999, she was promoted to head writer, making her the first female to gain the title. Among her most famous skits were “Dope Squad” and a “Weekend Update” segment with Amy Poehler.
Watch Fey’s full “Las Culturistas” interview in the video above. The dog-related discussion picks up around the 23-minute mark.
