The 10 Funniest Women in "Saturday Night Live" History
by Kim Potts
posted Mar 18th 2011


Before Women's History Month ends, we at TV Squad want to add to our countdowns of the 100 most memorable female characters in TV history and the 16 most accomplished real women currently on the tube by giving a shout out to the funniest women of "Saturday Night Live".






10. Ana Gasteyer (1996-2002)


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Memorable Characters:

Bobbi Mohan-Culp, one half of a singing duet with Will Ferrell's Marty
Margaret Jo McCullin, co-host of 'The Delicious Dish'




Best Moment: Trying to contain her love of Season's Eatings bakery owner Pete (Alec Baldwin) Schweddy's Schweddy Balls on the holiday edition of NPR's 'Delicious Dish.'

"My mouth's watering just thinking about those Balls," Margaret Jo said. Good times, indeed.











9. Maya Rudolph (2000-2007)


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Memorable Characters:

Donatella Versace
Christina Aguilera
Oprah
Jodi Deitz of 'Bronx Beat'
Megan of 'Wake Up Wakefield!'



Best Moment: The 'Versace Oscar Fashion Preview,' when Donatella literally gives Christina Aguilera (the real Aguilera) the dress off her back ...

and reveals some shockingly unfashionable granny panties.











8. Cheri Oteri (1995-2000)


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Memorable Characters:

Cheerleader Arianna
'Morning Latte' co-host Cass Van Rye
crabby neighbor Rita DelVecchio
Barbara Walters



Best Moment: Many of Oteri's best moments came with co-star Will Ferrell, as in the 1996 Spartan cheerleaders skit where her Arianna and Ferrell's male cheerleading pal Craig worked out their rah rahs to support the chess team.

"Bobby Fischer, where is he? I don't know, I don't know ..."











7. Jane Curtin (1975-1980)


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Memorable Characters:

'Weekend Update' anchor Prymaat Conehead
Enid Loopner



Best Moment: One of the original Not Ready For Primetime Players, future Emmy winner Curtin was mama Conehead and the first female anchor of 'Weekend Update,' where she had to deal with her sexist 'Point/Counterpoint' partner Dan Ackroyd.











6. Rachel Dratch (1999-2006)


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Memorable Characters:

Boston teen makeout queen Zazu
Will Ferrell's "lovah" Virginia in 'The Lovers' skit
Debbie Downer



Best Moment: While playing ultimate glass-half-empty gal Debbie Downer in the very first installment with host Lindsay Lohan in 2004, Dratch and her co-stars couldn't stop breaking character and cracking up, even when she was dispensing her biggest Downers.











5. Kristen Wiig (2005-present)


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Memorable Characters:

The Target Lady
Dooneese, the a-hole couple wife
one-upping Penelope
Gilly
Suze Orman
MacGruber's pal Vicki



Best Moment: Her impression of financial advising TV star Suze Orman was an instant classic, as Wiig perfectly captured everything from Orman's cadence to her pet names for viewers, and, of course, her love of jackets:

"Not many people know this, but I've got a tattoo of decorative buttons going down my chest, so, no matter what, I always look like I'm wearing a jacket."











4. Molly Shannon (1995-2001)


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Memorable Characters:

Mary Katherine Gallagher
'Delicious Dish' co-host Mary Rialto
Sally O'Malley
"joyologist" Helen Madden



Best Moment: She's totally silly, but we could never watch Sally, the red polyester-clothed dancer who was extremely proud of being 50 (and her unfortunate camel toe), without feeling the need to imitate her kicks and her catchphrase:

"I like to kick, stretch and kick ... I'm 50, 50 years old!"











3. Amy Poehler (2001-2008)


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Memorable Characters:

Rambunctious tween Kaitlin
'Bronx Beat' co-host Betty Caruso
one-legged Amber
Nancy Grace
Hillary Clinton
'Weekend Update' co-host



Best Moment: Poehler, who joined the show during "SNL's" memorable first post-9/11 episode, and co-star Tina Fey were a powerhouse duo, whether they were co-hosting 'Weekend Update' or standing at podium as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton.

But our favorite Poehler moment came with her other 'Update' co-host, Seth Myers, during the hilarious inaugural 'Really!?! With Seth & Amy' segment in which they chastised Michael Vick for his lack of forethought about transporting his recreational substances.











2. Gilda Radner (1975-1980)


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Memorable Characters:

Baba Wawa
Emily Litella
Lisa Loopner
Roseanne Roseannadanna



Best Moment: Another original member of the Not Ready For Primetime Players, Radner earned an Emmy for her "SNL" work, which was so popular that she was eventually offered her own primetime show on NBC.

One reason: Roseanne Roseannadanna, one of the most iconic characters in "SNL" history.











1. Tina Fey (1997-2006)


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Memorable Characters:

Sarah Palin
'Weekend Update' co-host



Best Moment: As the first female "SNL" head writer, Fey won both Emmy and Writers Guild awards.

It's her combo of writing and performing skills that earns her the numero uno spot on our list of "SNL" funny women.



In terms of on-camera action, her Sarah Palin impression killed, but we'll always love her most for her pithy take on women's issues during her 'Weekend Update Women's News' spots.

She opined on everything from Hillary Clinton's presidential bid to how Britney Spears should enjoy her "cherry bomb" booty, and how nice girls everywhere have to battle the Bombshell McGees of the world.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2011/03/18/the-10-funniest-women-of-saturday-night-live/

What little credibility TV Squad had just went down the toilet with that list.

Tina Fey over Gilda Radner is a freaking joke and Molly Shannon is about as funny as an abscessed tooth. :rolleyes:

Yeah Fey is perhaps the most overrated comedian in modern times. I don't know if it's the fact that the media loathes Sarah Palin and are rewarding her for that, or that everyone thinks the show she's on, 30 Rock (which no one I know watches) is hilarious, but it just mystifies me. She was funny/OK as a newscaster on SNL but she couldn't shine Radner's shoes in terms of comic acting ability.

And Wiig doesn't even belong on the list, period.

Tina was huge before the Palin thing, and that just skyrocketed her even further. But yeah, the only reason they put her at #1 is due to current popularity.

sorry that they left larrine newman off the list she was very underrated and very funny and i would have put gilda at number 1 and molly at number 2 but im thrilled that the waaay overrated jan aka jack a;;s hooks was left off the list and i like both kristen and tina but they were ranked way too high imho also i think many people have forgotten that tina had just about worn out her welcome by the time she left snl the constant bush bashing every 2 minutes was getting to be too much even for bush haters

In my opinion Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin should have been number 1 and 2. And I would have liked to see the underrated Laraine Newman on the list too. Of course I've always been partial to the original Not Ready for Primetime Players!

No Laraine Newman?
No Jan Hooks?
No Julia Sweeny?

This list bites.

No Laraine Newman?
No Jan Hooks?
No Julia Sweeny?

This list bites.your right right about juiia sweeney dhe belongs on that list

i just noticed that whoever compiled the list spelled dan aykroyd;s name wrong its aykroyd not ackroyd