Emily Litella - Premise

Premise

Emily Litella was an elderly woman with a hearing problem who made regular appearances on SNL's Weekend Update op-ed segment in the late 1970s. Attired in a frumpy dress and sweater, Litella was introduced with professional dignity by the news anchors, who could sometimes be seen cringing slightly in anticipation of the verbal faux pas they knew would follow.

Gilda Radner (as Litella) peered through her reading glasses and, in the character's trademark high-pitched, warbly voice, read a prepared statement in opposition to an editorial that the TV station had supposedly broadcast. These sketches were, in part, a parody of the Fairness Doctrine, which at the time required broadcasters in the United States to present opposing viewpoints on public issues. Litella became increasingly agitated as her statement progressed. Midway in her commentary, it became apparent that she had misheard and/or misunderstood the subject of the editorial to which she was responding. 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!

The news anchor interrupted Litella to point out her error, along the lines, "That's death, Ms. Litella, not deaf ... death." Litella would wrinkle her nose, say something like, "Oh, that's very different...." then meekly turn to the camera and say, "Never mind." When Litella played against news anchor Chevy Chase (whom she always called "Cheddar Cheese"), he was somewhat sympathetic to her. But when Jane Curtin took over the anchor role, she would scold Litella on the air, to which Litella would reply, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again....Bitch!"

Other misheard topics to which Litella responded were "saving Soviet jewelry ", "endangered feces ", "violins on television", "busting schoolchildren", "presidential erections ", "flea elections (and then "flea erections") in China", "pouring money into canker research", the "Eagle Rights Amendment", "conserving our natural racehorses ", "youth in Asia ", "sax on television", "firing the handicapped", and "making Puerto Rico a steak ". About the last of these topics, she complained, "Next thing you know, they'll want a baked potato with sour cream!"