🦩 This episode originally aired on May 6, 2025. Get new episodes early at patreon.com/CurrentAffairs

Lorne Michaels might be the most powerful figure in American comedy — and yet, most people barely know who he is. In this episode, New Yorker editor Susan Morrison joins us to discuss her new book Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, a deeply reported, wildly entertaining biography of the man behind SNL. We explore how Michaels built a cultural institution from scratch, reinvented the variety show format, and launched the careers of generations of comedy legends — all while staying deliberately out of the spotlight. Morrison explains how Michaels has shaped American humor and politics, maintained control over a live show for nearly 50 years, and earned a reputation as one of the most inscrutable and effective bosses in showbiz.

0:00–1:55 Spy Magazine vs. Trump

1:55–14:54 Why Lorne Michaels?

14:54–28:50 Reinventing the Variety Show

28:50–31:28 How SNL Shaped Comedy

31:28–34:21 SNL and Politics

34:21–38:01 Lorne’s Management Style

38:01–43:20 Favorite Sketches

🎭 Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/532520/lorne-by-susan-morrison/

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🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/