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'Now I Have To Beg To Be Liked': Watch Jimmy Breslin's 1986 Saturday Night Live Monologue
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 19, 2017
Modified Apr 2, 2018
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 19, 2017
Modified Apr 2, 2018
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During what Splitsider called the "weirdest season" of Saturday Night Live, famed columnist Jimmy Breslin hosted an episode on May 17th, 1986. Chomping on a piece of gum, Breslin greeted the audience and marveled, "This is about the nicest place I've ever worked. Look at me now, my age, I'm going to spend the next 90 minutes groveling in the dust to make some rat 19-year-olds like me."
Breslin used his monologue to talk about his Catholic school experiences in Queens and work in newspapers—"Some call it slander, I call it getting paid." He also slammed Mayor Koch, who "can't do anything but purse his lips" but admits that Koch's "gonna be great for my future."
Breslin actually co-hosted with boxer Marvin Hagler, and they traded off sketches. Here are two with Breslin:
"Host Pat Stevens (Nora Dunn) provides viewers with exercise tips while driving, then sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Jimmy Breslin to discuss his book, Table Money, writing and more." (NBC)
"On "Midday with Jennifer Hicks," Hicks (Joan Cusack) welcomes Bond villains, including Auric Goldfinger (Jimmy Breslin), Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Jon Lovitz) and Emilio Largo (Randy Quaid), to promote their guide to global extortion." (NBC)
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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