Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler originally from Chicago co-anchored Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” from 2006-2008. Fortunately, this announcement came to pass just in time for their reunion – a 60 Minutes classic. Their reflections surfaced during a conversation on Poehler’s podcast, Good Hang, where they discussed the playful dynamics of their partnership.
The pair have become known for their comedic on-screen banter. They fessed up to a few playful sparring matches while at the news desk. Meyers and Poehler engaged in jocular banter as a kind of feud between them. Their nitpicks even gave rise to the What’s Own Your Plate?
On the podcast, Meyers opened up about a major sticking point between them, detailing that the majority of their spats would center around punchlines. Specifically, he noted that when he would pitch a joke, Poehler might respond, “That sounds like an Amy joke.” This proclamation served to reveal their unique comedic styles and tastes, but most importantly it outlined their shared appreciation and understanding of each other’s humor.
Meyers reminisced, saying, “Because someone had pre-split the jokes. And then there were a few leftover [jokes] that we both wanted. And I feel like there was a real dance.” This dance, as he called it, was the type of mischievous contrariness that tinged so much of their history together.
According to Poehler, their disagreements were not what you’d think. She stated, “I don’t remember us ever fighting at all,” emphasizing that any tension was largely in good fun. The pair often enjoyed playing pranks on each other when the cameras weren’t rolling. Meyers recalls how Poehler would go through the motions of hexing him whenever they were on opposite sides of borderline jokes.
Meyers recognized that their playful oppositionality deepened their connection. At the same time, Poehler was disconcerted to learn that she had made signals that she was interested in picking up the scraps of jokes left behind. She noted that unassigned jokes would “sort of fall flat” if he did them. This aside was a testament to her blazing sensitivity to comedic timing.
Their rapport has remained strong over the years, as evidenced by their appearance together at the 2022 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on September 12, 2022. The chemistry between Meyers and Poehler lives on, whose nightly connection was a touchstone for those who loved their sharp back-and-forth on SNL.
