Gasping for Airtime Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live

by Mohr, Jay

• ISBN13: 9781401300067
• ISBN10: 1401300065
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-06-09
• Publisher: Hachette Books

Summary

hen 21-year-old Jay Mohr moved from New Jersey to New York City to pursue his dream of stand-up stardom, he never thought the first real job he'd land would be on Saturday Night Live. But, surprisingly, that's just what he did. What followed were two unbelievable, grueling, and exciting years of feverishly keeping pace with his talented cohorts, outmaneuvering the notorious vices that claimed the lives of other cast members, and struggling at all costs for the holy grail of late-night show business: airtime. In Gasping for Airtime, Jay offers an intimate account of the inner workings of Saturday Night Live. He also dishes on the guest hosts (John Travolta, Shannen Doherty, Charles Barkley), the musical guests (Kurt Cobain, Steven Tyler, Eric Clapton), and of course his SNL castmates (Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, and David Spade). Refreshingly honest and laugh-out-loud funny, this book will appeal both to fans of Jay Mohr and to devotees of Saturday Night Live.

Author Biography

Jay Mohr was a featured performer and writer on Saturday Night Live from 1993 to 1995. His break-through film role was in Jerry Maguire. Other film credits include Picture Perfect, Go, Pay It Forward, and S1MONE. Jay often guest hosts Premiere Radio's Jim Rome Show. He recently produced and hosted a weekly comedy/music/sports talk show for ESPN, and he is the creator and executive producer of NBC's hit series Last Comic Standing. He lives in Los Angeles

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS	ix
PROLOGUE HAPPY HOUR	1	(6)
CHAPTER ONE COMEDY IS TRUTH THE MOMENT BEFORE ANTICIPATION	7	(18)
CHAPTER TWO DUDE, HOW DID YOU GET ON SNL?	25	(16)
CHAPTER THREE A KNEE IN THE GROIN	41	(12)
CHAPTER FOUR MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, TUESDAY	53	(18)
CHAPTER FIVE SWIMMING WITH SHARKS	71	(18)
CHAPTER SIX PLAYING WELL WITH OTHERS	89	(16)
CHAPTER SEVEN FIGHT OR FLIGHT?	105	(20)
CHAPTER EIGHT THE MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER	125	(20)
CHAPTER NINE MUSIC FOR THE SOUL	145	(18)
CHAPTER TEN FAKE PITCHES	163	(20)
CHAPTER ELEVEN FROM THE CRADLE	183	(14)
CHAPTER TWELVE DRESSING DOWN	197	(24)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN "GOOD MORNING, BROOKLYN"	221	(16)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN LORNE	237	(20)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN WEEKEND UPDATE	257	(16)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN GIVE ME LITTLE BITS OF MORE THAN I CAN TAKE	273	(16)
EPILOGUE PHIL HARTMAN, U.S.A.	289