Noël Wells Calls SNL a Comedy Dinosaur
Short-lived “SNL” player and “Master of None” comedian Noël Wells spoke out against the older institutions in comedy, and specifically her former employer in an interview with Vanity Fair. Wells equated comedy and music by questioning “don’t we want to make rock n roll?” She lamented that “SNL has become what it was always trying to make fun of.” In an opinion akin to sentiments expressed in Mike Birbiglia’s “Don’t Think Twice”, Wells questioned whether anyone wants to be a part of “SNL” past getting “that stamp of approval”.
Wells has definitely found success independent of the NBC sketch show. Besides starring as Aziz Ansari’s on-again off-again love in Netflix hit “Master of None”, Wells’ directorial debut “Mr. Roosevelt” stars her and fellow comedian Nick Thune and “Man Seeking Woman” actress Britt Lower in an awkward reunion revolving around a dead cat. The film is set in Austin, TX and was heralded as a “funny love letter” to the city. This is all the incredibly happy epilogue to being cut after one short season from “SNL”, and it lends some credit to Wells’ opinion. Considering that context, her words feel less like an insult to “SNL” and more like reassurance to the hoards of comedians that don’t fit the show’s rigid expectations.
