Bill Murray Reveals Hilarious Origins of ‘Jane, You Ignorant Slut’ on Weekend Update!

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I’ve been pondering over some fantastic moments from SNL50 for a week now, particularly enjoying when Colin Jost and Bill Murray engaged in a witty verbal duel during “Weekend Update”. This interaction, aside from the memorable bit with Jenna Ortega getting squished, was my personal highlight. It was amusing to see Season 50’s guest star rank all the ‘Update’ hosts and joke about the origins of Danny Aykroyd’s iconic “Jane, you ignorant slut” line, which he shared with his onscreen partner during the segment.

During “Weekend Update,” Colin Jost may have discussed SNL50 being a breeding ground for humor (it certainly was), and when Murray appeared on stage, he amusingly ranked many of the hosts who’ve delivered jokes and interviews from behind the desk throughout the years. The tale of “Jane, you ignorant slut” was also brought up during his speech.

The account is factual: In a backstage setting, I was the one who initially referred to Jane as ‘a person lacking knowledge and promiscuous.’ It was Danny who came up with the idea to utter this term on camera, expressing his genuine disgust.

It made me chuckle, yet it sparked some thoughts. I started wondering about the original cast’s feelings towards the frequently used phrase, and the “Point/Counterpoint” skit that went along with it, which dates back several decades.

How Dan Aykroyd And Jane Curtain Feel About ‘Jane, You Ignorant Slut.’

I recall reading “Live From New York” some years back, and I felt that less attention was given to the beginnings of the brief but well-known “Weekend Update” team. Aykroyd frequently discusses SNL, but he only shared a bit about the sketch and his tenure at the desk, and this is all we were provided with in the unedited history book.

For one season, I believe I took on the role of ‘Updater’, but it wasn’t a good fit for me. I didn’t enjoy it. They offered me the position because Chevy had left. The phrase “Jane, you ignorant slut” became quite popular – that was exciting – but delivering the humor and reading the news was not something I felt at ease with. I was more than pleased to be freed from that role.

In modern times, where brief phrases are common, the statement “Jane, you ignorant slut” might not resonate as it once did. However, when considering its original context, it remains amusing: Monty Python’s character John Cleese, portraying a prim and proper Curtains figure, would make a sensible remark, to which the boisterous and argumentative character of Aykroyd would respond with the “ignorant slut” line, effectively putting Curtis down a couple notches.

The intention was for it to portray him as a fool, rather than her, and she expressed that during the writing of those moments, she found them entertaining.

In a different era, such behavior didn’t bother me. On the streets, it was common to hear catcalls directed at women. You experienced this frequently because you were a woman. It was just a part of life back then. What amused me was that they referred to the Shana Alexander character I portrayed (based on a real-life liberal columnist) as an ignorant slut. Given her reserved demeanor, it seemed ironic and somewhat humorous to me.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve got to admit, the backlash she faced seems strikingly similar to the catcalls that echoed in theaters following her groundbreaking performance. Interestingly enough, Curtain revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that such incidents were commonplace on the streets during the ’70s. However, in her interview for ‘Live From New York,’ she mentioned that there were some early cast members who harbored doubts about women’s humor – specifically, John Belushi and Chevy Chase.

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She was surprised by their lack of enthusiasm for collaborating on sketches featuring women, yet she found the “Weekend Update” sketch amusing. However, the subsequent catcalling was less appealing. Moreover, it seems that the persistence of this sketch being associated with her name in public has sparked a certain amount of empathy towards individuals like Alec Baldwin who are tired of their iconic roles.

In her magazine interview, she shared individually that she understands why some characters on the show might be temporarily distanced by individuals.

I find Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of Donald Trump quite impressive, but I can see why he might grow tired of it. After all, such an impression can lead to unwanted labels, like being called “Jane, you ignorant slut,” which I must say still lingers in my memory.

In essence, the popular phrase encapsulated the Aykroyd/Curtain period of “Weekend Update” on SNL much like “that’s the news…good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow” characterized Chevy Chase’s tenure on the show. (Similarly, “Really” was Seth Meyers’ signature; I could provide more examples.) It was refreshing to be reminded of this during SNL50… despite Bill Murray’s claim of shared credit.

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2025-02-23 20:07