Tina Fey Reflects on SNL's Political Satire at Philly Panel

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Tina Fey, the former head writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live, reflected on the show's evolving relationship with politics during a panel at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday. Speaking as part of the History Talks series marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, Fey discussed how her sketches, including her iconic 2008 impersonation of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, navigated the line between comedy and current events.

Fey, who joined SNL in 1997 and served as its first female head writer from 1999 until leaving the cast in 2006, described the intensifying interplay between the program and political figures. "The show's relationship to current events became a thinner and thinner veil," she said. "They say something, we say something back. They'd come over and go, 'We want to be on the show too.' It's thrilling, and almost a scary thing, that something you say will be heard by the person in charge."

She recounted pivotal moments from her tenure, including the first episode after the September 11, 2001, attacks, when the team grappled with resuming comedy amid national tragedy. Fey was...