Emily Litella
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"Emily Litella" was a fictional character played by comedian Gilda Radner in a series of appearances on Saturday Night Live (SNL).
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[edit] Premise
Emily Litella was an elderly woman with a hearing problem seen on the op-ed Weekend Update segment in the late 1970s. Frumpily attired in a dress and a sweater, "Emily Litella" was introduced with professional dignity by the news anchor, who could sometimes be seen cringing slightly in anticipation of the faux pas which they knew would follow. She was succeeded by Gilda Radner's other character Roseanne Roseannadanna.
Radner's character peered through her glasses and read a prepared editorial addressing some public issue, becoming increasingly agitated as her statement progressed, only to discover in the middle of her report that she had misheard what the issue was. A typical example:
- "What is all this fuss I hear about the Supreme Court decision on a "deaf" penalty? It's terrible! Deaf people have enough problems as it is!"
When the on-air reporter interrupted to point out her error (death vs. deaf), she would crinkle her nose, usually say, "Oh, that's very different...", and then humbly say to the audience, "Never mind." When Litella played against Chevy Chase he was somewhat sympathetic to her, but when Jane Curtin took over the anchor role, Jane's character would scold Emily on the air.
Other misunderstood phrases included Saving Soviet Jewelry ("Jewry"), Endangered Feces, Flea Erections in China, Making Puerto Rico a Steak ("..next thing you know, they'll want a baked potato with sour cream!"), Presidential Erections, Pouring Money into Canker Research, the Eagle Rights Amendment, Busting Children (bussing children), Conserving our Natural Racehorses, Youth in Asia (Euthanasia), and Sax and Violins (sex and violence) on Television.
[edit] Other traits
Typically, she would also refer to anchors Chevy Chase and Jane Curtin as "Cheddar Cheese" and "Bitch!", respectively.
Emily's answering machine message said: "Hello, This is Emily Litella. I'm not home right now, but I will call you back as soon as possible. Just leave your name, number and what time you called after you hear the sound of the Jeep."
[edit] History
Radner based Litella on her nanny, Elizabeth Clementine Gillies, known as "Dibby," who was allegedly hard-of-hearing. The line "Never mind" became a light-hearted slang phrase of the era.
Outside of Saturday Night Live, Radner played the character briefly in episode 304 of The Muppet Show.
The character also appeared in Radner's 1979 one-woman off-Broadway show, Gilda Live, in which Litella took a job as a substitute teacher in Bedford Stuyvesant, replacing a teacher who'd been stabbed by one of his students, or "stubbed" as Emily claimed.
