Scott Luton (00:12):
Good morning, Scott Luton here with you on this edition of this week in business history. Welcome to today’s show on this program, which is part of the supply chain. Now family of programming. We take a look back at the upcoming week, and then we share some of the most relevant events and milestones from years past, of course, mostly business focused with a little dab of global supply chain. And occasionally we might just throw in a good story outside of our primary realm. So I invite you to join me on this. Look back in history to identify some of the most significant leaders, companies, innovations, and perhaps lessons learned in our collective business journey. Now let’s dive in to this week in business history.
Scott Luton (01:11):
Hey, good morning, everybody. Thanks for joining us here today. I’m your host Scott Luton, and welcome to this edition of this week in business history for the week of May 17th. Thanks so much for listening to the show. Hey, before we get started today on our primary topic question for you on a related note, have you ever been a big fan of Saturday night? Live the show premiered on October 11th, 1975 on NBC posted by the one and only George Carlin. And while the writers, actors hosts, and some aspects of the delivery have continued to evolve. Many of its core elements have remained. I’ve been a casual fan for much of my life and a huge fan during some of the cast members run Chris Farley, may he rest in peace gone way too early was one of my all time. Favorite cast members, Chris Catan, Tracy Morgan, Cheri Oteri will Farrell also my favorites and for a stretch.
Scott Luton (02:10):
They’re a big part of my regular Sunday school morning was reviewing the previous nights. Saturday night live with my fellow classmates. Some shows are certainly better than others and some of the sketches are instant all time classics. We haven’t even mentioned the music yet. Legendary musical performances have been a big part of the broadcast on Sarnat lab, including the likes of the rolling stones, Kanye West Beastie, boys, Taylor Swift, queen Nirvana, LL cool J REM and many, many, many more in October 20, 20 Saturday night live began its 46th season, which certainly makes it one of the longest running television programs here in States. And while there are plenty of ingredients that give a show like that it’s success and longevity. One of the key components is the writing that goes into the show. And today we’re going to be focusing on one of the most talented writers and comedians that not only have been part of SNL’s success, but she has contributed to much of Hollywood success in the last couple of decades.
Scott Luton (03:21):
On this week in business history today, we’re going to be diving into the business of Hollywood and comedy. We’ll be discussing non things you didn’t know about Tina Fey, who is quickly becoming a living legend, stay tuned and as always, thanks again for joining us on this episode of this week in business history, PowerBar team here at supply chain. Now the first thing you didn’t know about Tina Fey, well, let’s start with her upbringing. Elizabeth STEMA Tina Fey was born on May 18th, 1970 and upper Darby township, Pennsylvania. She was a daughter of a Korean war veteran, Donald Henry Fe, Mr. Faye was said to do extraordinary work for schools, hospitals, and other agencies in need. In fact, it’s been said that he helped raise over $500 million in much needed funds. As a grant proposal writer, he tirelessly led outreach campaigns via direct mail. And other means when Donald Fay passed away in 2015, Tina established a scholarship at temple university, his Alma mater for veterans interested in studying journalism.
Scott Luton (04:33):
Tina Fey’s mother is an opiate. Jean Fe was born in Greece and according to Tina, it’s her mother where she gets her ultra dry whip from number two on our list is an early life traumatic incident that Tina Fey has had to overcome. When Tina was five years old playing out in the front yard in her neighborhood, a random stranger would walk up to her and slash her face with a knife. Initially, Tina had taught she was marked with a pin, but in reality, her face had been gashed. The individual was never called and Tina fade doesn’t really like to talk about it, but in her autobiography, bossy pants, Tina Fey says that the scar and the incident gave her an early form of celebrity. All the neighborhood kids would know exactly who she was. Tina writes, quote, adults were conned to me because of it.
Scott Luton (05:26):
Aunts and family, friends gave me Easter candy and oversize Hershey’s kisses. Long after I was too old for presence, I was made to feel special in quote, amazingly teen was largely able to block out the incident and not let it get in the way of her life journey until she was in front of the camera. Can you imagine an incident like that being part of your childhood, number three on our list, just where did Tina gain a passion for comedy and writing her family seemed to really appreciate comedy. When Tina was a kid, she recalls watching influential shows at an early age, such as Monty Python’s flying circus and the honeymooners. In fact, her father would not let the family watch the Flintstones because he thought it was such a rip off of the honeymooners. Her parents snuck her in to see the movie young Frankenstein, and they would also watch old Marx brothers movies together when she was 11 years old.
Scott Luton (06:27):
Tina read a book by Joe Franklin entitled 70 years of great film comedians. She was reading this when she was building a school project about comedy. Tina Fey has said that by middle school, she knew she was interested in a career in comedy. In fact, Tina shared with USA today that as she started to crack jokes in middle school and people laughed, she decided that quote, this is going to be my thing. I’m going to try to be that person at the party. But one of Tina’s eight grade teachers suggested that she consider comedic writing as a career path in high school, Tina would gain early writing experience. As she served as co editor of the school’s newspaper, the acorn, she wrote a regular satirical column entitled the Colonel Tina graduated from high school with honors a self-described happy-go-lucky nerd, and would go on to enroll at the university of Virginia where she graduate in 1992, with a degree in drama.
Scott Luton (07:30):
Number four on our list of nine things you didn’t know about Tina Fey, her humble start to a career upon graduation from UVA, Tina and a friend would choose to go up and move to Chicago. Tina would later describe her five years in Chicago as the most important five years of her life. She would live in Rogers park, a community about nine miles from the loop on the far North side of the city and on the shore of Lake Michigan. Tina knew her passion of writing and comedy, but she also knew that she needed a job to pay the bills. So Tina Fey would get a day job working at the Mughal, Y YMCA in Evanston working the front desk by night. She would take classes at second city and do improv comedy work at improv Olympic. Second city had been on Tina’s radar, growing up, watching SNL.
Scott Luton (08:24):
It was a training grounds of legendary comedians, such as Gilda Radner and John Belushi. It was during this time that Tina says she became addicted to improv work. Now the level set a bit and make sure we all know improv of course is short for improvisation where actors performed together without a script. But oftentimes with a theme, Tina would later say this period was instrumental to her career because it quote, tapped into the writer part of my brain and the actor part all the same time. As we all know, Tina Fey, we go on to be one of second city’s most famous alumni. And there’s a sign that hangs in our honor at second city to this day own. It is a quote from Tina that reads, there are no mistakes, only possibilities. Number five on our list, just what gave Tina Fey. Her big break.
Scott Luton (09:19):
My dear friend and colleague Greg white has said on many occasions when you’re looking for a job quote, it’s not who you know, it’s who knows you in quote, Tina Fey was gaining a ton of folks who knew her. She was asked to join the second seed touring group. And then in 1994, Tina was promoted to the second city main stage. The big time a former second city colleague Adam McKay was now at NBC’s Saturday night live, Tina thought she’d take a chance, write a few scripts and send them to her former associate. The shows producers liked what Tina submitted really liked it. They loved it. So they offered her position on the SNL writing team. And Tina jumped at it, moving to New York city in 1997. Number six on our list of non things you didn’t know about Tina Fey, just what was Tina Fey’s first SNL skit that made the show?
Scott Luton (10:20):
Well, that’s tough question. The first skit that Tina wrote that made the cut. Well, that would be a brief sketch that had Chris Farley as Sally, Jesse Raphael. Remember the talk show host with the infamous red eyeglasses. Tina Fey would appear as an extra in 1998 on camera, but it was in October, 2000 that Tina will become co-anchor of the iconic weekend update segment of SNL. Along with Jimmy Fallon, Tina would regularly sign off with a phrase use from some of SNL’s earliest comedians saying quote, good night and have a pleasant tomorrow. Number seven on our list. Let’s talk about some of the firsts that Tina Fey had at Saturday night live. When Tina was promoted to head writer in 1999, it was the first time a woman held that formal role. When Tina was chosen to become an anchor on the weekend update segment in 2000, it was the first time a woman filled that spot since 1982.
Scott Luton (11:22):
And when Amy Poehler replaced Jimmy Fallon in 2004, it was the first time the segment had a two woman anchor team in 2010, Tina Fey became the youngest recipient ever to receive the Kennedy center’s Mark Twain prize for American humor. Tina joined fellow prize honorees, such as Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, Carol Burnett, Dave Chappelle to name a few in 2016, Tina Fey would be recognized at the annual women in entertainment event with the Sherry Lansing leadership award named after the former CEO of paramount pictures. Tina would close her acceptance speech at the event with the following advice for fellow women in business quote don’t smoke, wear a bra trust her instincts and don’t date John Mayer in quote words to live by for sure. And finally in 2019, Tina Fey would be named the best comedian of the 21st century by the guardian number eight on our list.
Scott Luton (12:27):
What are some of Tina Fey’s other projects that have received critical acclaim? Tina’s certainly found ways to stay busy using our talent and a wide variety of projects. I must admit, I haven’t seen the movie mean girls, which Tina Fey pinned the screenplay for, and also appears in, but between the awards that received it’s business success and the sequels video games and musicals that it spawned mean, girls has become an all around cultural smash, hit and phenomenon. Of course, you’re likely also aware of the influential and successful sit-com 30 rock over the course of its run from 2006 to 20 1330 rock was nominated for a whopping 103 prom, Tom Emmy awards in 2013, the writer’s Guild of America West named 30 rock the 21st best written television series of all time. And to think the first pitch that Tina Fey made NBC to get the series off the ground was actually rejected.
Scott Luton (13:34):
A second television comedy has been a hit, created and produced by Tina Fey. That would be the unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The show stars, one of our favorites from the legendary sitcom, the office, which would be Ellie Kemper, but you may not be aware of some of Tina Fey’s smaller roles such as her appearance as Tinkerbell and a Disney campaign entitled year of Amelia dreams. Faye has lent her voice to show such as SpongeBob square pants and Phineas and Ferb. Tina’s narrated a well-received radio documentary entitled the secret life of girls, where she shared stories of triumph from women and girls around the world. Tina Fey even joined former colleague Donald Glover and wrapped in a tune that was included in Glover’s mixed tape world team. I’d say that Tina Fey is quite the versatile talent. Number nine on our list of nine things you might not know about Tina Fey.
Scott Luton (14:34):
Let’s share a few charitable initiatives that Tina is involved in. She’s a big supporter of autism speaks, which is an organization that sponsors autism research. Tina has also supported groups, such as mercy Corps, which is a global organization dedicated to a wide number of causes. Love our children, USA, a nonprofit that works to protect children from violence and neglect in 2020, Tina Fey hosted a telethon to raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts in New York city. Tina stated quote, we can’t leave our children or any of our neighbors behind in quote. She was moved to tears when told of the $115 million that the effort had raised for those in need. Now, I don’t know about you, but as I’ve gone through my research for this podcast, and now that I’m sharing my notes with you and kind of working my way back through it, I’ve come to so much more comprehensively know and appreciate the Tina Fey that I’ve seen on TV for over two decades.
Scott Luton (15:37):
What a remarkable individual that has overcome significant setbacks in our journey. She’s stuck to her own way of creating things and her approach. And after striking it big, Tina, Fey’s never forgotten how important it is to take real action to help others in need. Hey, that’s a hero in my book, folks, the world certainly needs more folks like Elizabeth stay Matina Fe or in a term of endearment and a nickname that Amy Poehler refers to her as Betty Short for her first name Elizabeth. Well that just about wraps up this edition of this week in business history. A big thanks to you, our listener for tuning into this show each week and for all the feedback that you send our way, Hey, most importantly, check out the link in the show notes for more information on how to help healthcare efforts in India as a fight that second wave of COVID-19 Hey to our friends in India, we’re with you and our hearts and thoughts and action are with you as well. Hey, be sure to let us know how we’re doing. We’d love to earn your review on Apple podcasts or any other podcast channels, which of course will help us get the word out a little bit better on behalf of the entire team here at this week in business history and supply chain. Now this is Scott Luton wishing all of our listeners, nothing but the best. Hey, do good give forward and be the change that’s needed. And on that note, we’ll see next time right here on this week in business history. Thanks for buddy.
