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Rachel Dratch will be funny for food

The woman who created Debbie Downer is a little down in real life. Seems Rachel Dratch hasn't found much work since she left Saturday Night Live two years ago. In fact, when asked what she'd been up to last month, her response was telling: “I know you're supposed to come up with fake stuff you're doing. But honestly, I'm not doing much. [Downtime] is starting to get old. I'm starting to go crazy. I'm ready for a job.”

I've always thought Dratch was pretty great on SNL, mainly for her willingness to look crazy and do anything for a laugh. Besides Debbie Downer, she created such memorable characters as Boston teen Denise “Zazu” McDonough and the adorable love child of Angelina Jolie and her brother. See what I was saying about going for it?

I also loved how she could crack the cast up, particularly as Debbie Downer.


But last month Rachel hit a low point in her unemployment when the big “Who says women aren't funnyVanity Fair issue came out spotlighting today's top female comics, but not her.

“Dude, that was a dark day," she told New York. "I was like, Oh, there's everyone I worked with.”

Looking back at the story, all of her former co-stars were on the list: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Kristin Wiig. That cover story also brought up some interesting observations about how hot today's female comics are. Does Rachel's dearth of job prospects corroborate the article's assertion that you need to be pretty to be pretty funny?

All this comes after Rachel left SNL to join Tina's then-new show 30 Rock, only to be replaced by the network by the more blond, more buxom Jane Krakowski before the pilot aired. Man, that'd make anyone a Debbie Downer.

As for Rachel, she's casting a wide net. Possibly too wide: “I'd work in a black-box theater company at this point. I'd work with George W.”

Will someone please hire this woman before she's reduced to explaining knock-knock jokes to W in the Oval Office?

Gem89's picture

Funny

How much of her lines are scripted?
onemorehour's picture

why did she leave snl?

why did she leave snl?
Pyewacket's picture

Wow, this sucks.

I didn't get my hands on that Vanity Fair issue yet so I didn't know Rachel wasn't in it and it sucks even worse to read that she left SNL for a job she was booted out of...for a hot blonde. Huh. I am all for celebrating how great Tina Fey is doing with 30 Rock but this puts it all in a different light. Rachel is right up there with the other three in terms of funny, smarts...the whole combo...so it makes me wonder why her former fellow female co-stars aren't helping or hiring her.
whitelabcoat's picture

Yep, it sucks, but ...

... Fey has hired her. Dratch has appeared on quite a few episodes of "30 Rock" as various different characters - certainly in season one, although I can't recall off the top of my head if she turned up in season two. But, yes, it's criminal that she hasn't gotten the kudos - either workwise or in the likes of the "Vanity Fair" article - that she deserves.

The clip - man, that was hilarious. I don't know what I was laughing at more: the material itself or the cast members trying not to laugh themselves. Brilliant.

 

 

nouvellelesbienne's picture

well..

I hate to see anyone having a hard time doing what they love...

but at the same time, I found most of her characters far more obnoxious than funny.

----

Tibet in Crisis - Stay Aware

jennifer from pittsburgh's picture

Dratch with the baby arm

Dratch with the baby arm sticking out of her head is one of the best sight-gags ever. The first time I saw her do it was as a conjoined twin with guest host Jennifer Garner. I laughed so hard I had to put an astronaut diaper on.
But and anyway, yes, men want women to be pretty, unfunny bitch whores (it gives them material to work with without ever having to think about it, since it writes itself) or if a woman has to be funny, then she better still be pretty, whorish in that slutty way where she'll have bathroom sex after she's mixed too much alcohol with her anti-depressants, and no worse a bitch than their mother. Could my assessment be wrong, almost certainly. Yet, how do you explain Rachel Dratch with no work?
A nd finally, as much as I like 30 Rock, I definitely think it would've been a better and funnier show had the network let Fey stick with Dratch. Jane Krakatoa is adequate, she's fine, but I would've liked to have seen what Dratch would've brought to the show.
OliveYew9's picture

Lmao!

The Jennifer Garner/Baby Doll arm in the head skit was probably one of my favs of all time from Rachel. 'you can make out with her six ways to sunday, but i'm the one with the vagina!!!!' lmao! 

"I wish I could lie down beside you tonight & take you in my arms." -Eleanor Roosevelt

ClassicChic's picture

Wow...

She was one of the funniest of the bunch. I guess it does boil down to looks because I can't think of another reason as to why she's not working.
frogprincess's picture

I LOVE HER & MISS HER

Hopefully we didn't see her in a pilot this season because of the whacked out pilot season this year due to the writer's strike.  She's ridiculously good.
Batman's picture

dude...

That sucks so bad....that whole thing was a debbie downer.  She is awesome and funny as hell.
Mays's picture

Just Sad..

I'm just confused as to why she left SNL in the first place? Her characters were funny, she was bold, outrageous and unafraid to push herself.

I was wondering why she wasn't on the cover also, I thought it would be a no-brainer for VF to approach Rachel since everyone else she worked with was on the cover. I guess they wanted something a little more than just funny.

That had to hurt, for someone who is especially talented and funny as Rachel.. just sad.

bookishwulf's picture

All I'm sayin'

is I think she's plenty hot.
carolinagrrrl's picture

Debbie Downer in Disney...

... is one of my favorite SNL skits ever. I absolutely lose it everytime I watch it, and it had been a while. Thanks for the reminder!

As far as her unemployment goes, it sucks, and it really just goes to show you how silly some casting directors are.

 

 

LegallyOut

kandy15's picture

lol

i loved rachel she was one of the funniest on snl. debbie downer was def one of the more memorbale characters. that disney land skit is soo funny one of my favs lol
enono's picture

Oh come on, Fey must have

Oh come on, Fey must have some pull to give Dratch some kind of work in 30 Rock, right?  They've been doing comedy for a long time!  Fey, support your peeps!  And why oh why did they exclude her from Fey/Poehler upcoming new comedy, Baby Mama!?  What's up with that?  Shout out to Rachel, don't give up!

whitelabcoat's picture

See Earlier Comment

Fey has cast her in 30 Rock, albeit not a recurring role, but recurring appearances.
Hats's picture

Heh, I just cracked up

Heh, I just cracked up thinking about the Rural Juror episode.


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