Seth Meyers’s Proudest Milestones and Wisest Comedy-Writing Hacks

As a comedy writer and former host, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most talented individuals in the industry. Each artist brings their unique style and flair to the table, making every collaboration a delightful learning experience.

In Seth Meyers’ recent HBO stand-up special, “Dad Man Walking“, there are instances where the humor directly reflects his personal experiences as Seth Meyers. For example, when he mimics searching for lost dice under the couch due to a child playing too aggressively in a board game, he isn’t the host of “Late Night”; instead, he is an exhausted father sharing the struggles of raising young children. When discussing the peculiarities of his wife’s family ordering food by calling restaurants and organizing large group orders, he isn’t the former Emmy, Golden Globe, and White House Correspondents’ Dinner host; rather, he is a puzzled husband examining the everyday tensions in married life. Lastly, when discussing his brother’s decision to become vegan and its impact on him, he isn’t the former head writer and “Weekend Update” anchor of SNL; instead, he is a middle-aged man adapting to the evolving values of those around him.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=-EU0Kj-hCZY

Meyers’ ability to connect with audiences on a personal level is a testament to the comedic skills he’s honed over his two-decade career in comedy, which often finds itself under intense pressure. His stand-up isn’t just about sharing tales from his showbiz escapades, although he’s one of the few comics for whom it wouldn’t be self-centered to do so. He’s roasted celebrities live, penned jokes for numerous comedy icons, and influenced political thought through his iconic “A Closer Look” segment on Late Night. In many ways, his life experiences have become so commonplace that they’ve taken on a sense of routine. As he put it during our extensive chat before the release of Dad Man Walking on October 26, “People might ask if I’ll take a break during my late-night show. I tell them, ‘No, this is relaxing. Now I have to take my kid to karate class. That’s really stressful.’

Hardest he laughed during an SNL table read

In “What Up With That?”, I initially thought the opening song would lead to a typical talk-show sketch. But when Kenan Thompson continued singing, it was the funniest thing I had ever heard – undoubtedly the hardest I’ve ever laughed at something that eventually became a laugh riot among people. There were many instances where I burst out laughing hysterically at things that ultimately weren’t popular. I recall Andy Samberg doing a sketch of “Meet the Press” with Beetlejuice filling in for David Gregory, which was essentially an attempt by Andy to showcase his Beetlejuice impression on SNL. I laughed uncontrollably, while Lorne Michaels seemed unimpressed.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=HC8RUbgzDUs

Toughest hosting gig to kill at

Surprisingly, the Emmy Awards proved to be the most challenging event. Initially, I expected the ESPY Awards to be tougher, but I soon discovered that apathy toward winning an ESPY is common among athletes. For them, the ESPY isn’t their peak achievement of the year; they’ve already attained something more significant. Thus, if you have witty sports jokes, you can excel. Conversely, at the Emmys, I felt a sense of tension. By the way, I’ve also been an unengaged spectator at the Emmys because it’s difficult not to recall being nominated for something while attending.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=lYAUuWCKkj4

“A Closer Look” segment he’s proudest of

We made our debut on January 6, specifically referring to that particular date for clarity. We were busy preparing our show that day and keeping an eye on the news, unsure about the state of the world eight hours later when we’d finish taping. Sal Gentile penned a touching introduction for the show that evening, serving as a poignant reminder that understanding what was happening that day was possible without the passage of several years. I believe this preamble will be seen as reflective of the moment. I felt honored to collaborate with someone like Sal and proud of him for authoring it.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=UOIFBKB4mIE

Best SNL sketch ending he’s written

I had this idea for a sketch when Zach Galifianakis hosted called “Darrell’s House,” where he was a guy hosting a cable-access show in his house. Originally, the sketch was just him giving off-camera notes about things he wanted to get fixed later because the guests weren’t there and he had forgotten to get props. I showed it to another writer, John Solomon, and John had this idea of “I want to see the second half of the sketch. I want to see it after it’s been fixed.” I realized you could do that, but it required us to shoot a sketch and then have Oz Rodriguez, the director, and the editors go make all the changes Zach was calling for in the body of the sketch in the next 20 minutes. So the button was that we had to pull off the back half of the sketch in real time. The first half, when it aired, went fine. I feel like it was a very soft, middle-of-the-road SNL sketch that felt a little half-baked. But then, the payoff of seeing that it was basically a setup for a sketch later in the show … I was very happy with how it resolved itself.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=ibty_8nV9-0
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Most embarrassing “Day Drinking” moment

Kevin Hart and I engaged in an enormous game of Jumanji that covered the entire bar floor the other night. The following day, he contacted me via FaceTime and admitted, “My team informed me we played Jumanji. I can’t recall a thing about it.” To which I replied, “I must share with you that I cannot remember it either.” Since it didn’t make it into the final version, I inquired, “Whatever happened to the Jumanji segment?” And everyone responded, “Oh, it was terrible. I believe you rolled the dice, and Kevin tackled you, and it bore no resemblance to Jumanji whatsoever.

Dumbest “Weekend Update” joke

Here’s a possible way to rephrase it:

Best Lorne Michaels advice

Initially when I embarked on Late Night, he predicted it would take me 18 months to grasp the ropes. At first, I thought that was excessively long, but he was spot on. It was almost exactly 18 months before I recognized that I shouldn’t be standing during the monologue. Despite his reputation for being impulsive, I believe he values the learning process and understands that sometimes you need to learn by doing.

Worst Lorne Michaels advice

During my inaugural summer with Saturday Night Live, he advised me that I’d benefit from learning tap dance, believing it would boost my confidence as an entertainer. He was so convinced, he even had someone else relay this suggestion to me. Although I didn’t follow his advice back then, perhaps it’s time I took up tap dancing now and pay tribute to him by performing a tap routine across the stage and giving him a warm embrace at the 50th anniversary event.

Stand-up joke that caused the biggest marital disagreement

I should note that she has veto power, and if there’s anything she doesn’t like, I will take it out. In fact, there are times when I’ll think, I feel like I could make this joke work, but then it will be so much worse if it works and then she tells me she doesn’t want it in. In Lobby Baby, I had a joke about how we’re both terrible dancers, and she said, “Can you please take out that I’m a bad dancer?” I had to say, “Oh, no, I am going to leave that in. I think you need to learn that we’re both bad dancers and we can have full lives despite that.”

Special trope he’d most like to skip, à la the “skip politics” option in Lobby Baby

I love so many comedians, and what I love most is when they’re onstage telling jokes. I don’t love watching them walk to the stage. It’s a little bit like how, once Late Night abandoned the standing monologue, the show just immediately starts with a joke. I wanted to do the same thing with the new special. In Adam Sandler’s last special, he did maybe the best version of it. I think you could probably retire it since he did one that was genuinely cinematic and gripping.

Joke that bombed that he’ll go to his grave believing in

I’m completely committed to it: I’ll keep on giving it a shot. I was trying to come up with a lighthearted example about my preference for hip-hop versus my wife’s liking of country music, but the lyrics can be inappropriate for kids. The joke that I adore, that never fails to amuse me — if you don’t find it funny, well, that’s your issue and it says something about you — is this: “Country music is equally harmful for children. Since my kids started listening to country, my youngest can’t sleep unless he has half a bottle of whiskey, and my eldest can’t recite the alphabet because he hates his former spouses.

Most combative post-joke encounter

At the event in New York two days following the Correspondents’ Dinner, I had the chance to meet Donald Trump. Approaching him, I expressed my appreciation for his good sportsmanship at the event. However, it seemed that he didn’t seize this moment to feign a good sense of humor. Now, breaking some news here: It appears to me that he might have difficulty understanding or appreciating jokes, as indicated by his response during our encounter.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=7YGITlxfT6s

Ultimate Maya Rudolph writing hack

Just had the incredible opportunity to present alongside Maya, Kristen Wiig, and Bowen Yang at the Emmys! For Maya, I exclaimed, “Lorne, you were ‘rob-buh-ed’!” My trick for Maya involves adding an extra syllable or two to commonly known words. It’s because the way she transforms a simple word into a mouthwatering, multi-course feast is truly a sight to behold.

Ultimate Andy Samberg writing hack

Have him say a very dumb thing with total confidence.

Ultimate Amy Poehler writing hack

She’s very funny when she’s frustrated and trying to convince people she’s right.

Most effective trick to make a boring talk-show guest seem interesting

If you appear genuinely engaged with your audience, they are likely to stay engaged as well. Avoid giving the impression that you’re preoccupied or formulating your next question. Strive to discern the valuable insights in a guest’s response, as there is usually something worthwhile to be found. Over time, through experience, you can choose guests who require less effort from you due to their captivating nature. If you ever find yourself unengaged during a conversation, it may be more about your approach than the guest.

Funniest thing one of his kids has said since he taped Dad Man Walking

One day, while taking my trio of kids to school, my middle child, Axel, unexpectedly broke free from me, close to our apartment. He clearly wasn’t keen on attending school. Instead, he dashed towards home, forcing me to pursue him. I was holding onto the back of his coat because he’s prone to running, and he was fighting against me. Eventually, we found ourselves about ten blocks away from our apartment, and he suddenly slowed down and admitted, “You can let go now. I have no idea how to get home from here.” In a moment of frustration, he even said, “Even if I wanted to, Dad, I’m lost.

Most important lesson he learned about running a writers’ room

When revising work, avoid suggesting changes that are just minor shifts or equal to what’s already written. If a writer has invested significant time into creating a piece and they have a joke, it’s acceptable to propose a superior joke, but if it’s equally good, they might prefer their own. I aim for a writing team that feels empowered and valued, and ultimately, the goal is to distribute the success evenly. At SNL, the best episodes were always those where six or seven writers with distinct voices all had an exceptional week. Late Night has its differences due to the fact that most writing is tailored to one voice, but when assembling a writing team, it’s crucial not to hire someone who duplicates existing skills. A more diverse range of writing styles leads to a superior show.

2024-10-23 18:54