A few months ago a gentleman by the name of David Mathews created a Facebook page suggesting, and requesting, that actress Betty White host an episode of Saturday Night Live (“SNL”). Explained Mathews, on the Facebook page, “Betty White has been doing television since before I Love Lucy! What a way to honor her career, her comedic timing, and her life than by inviting her to host Saturday Night Live!!!” Well, Betty White got the SNL gig, and David Mathews got to meet Betty White. All because of Facebook (and Mathews’ efforts). But read on to learn what Betty White had to say about Facebook! (Or just watch and listen – there’s a video.)
It all started when David Mathews – obviously a big Betty White fan – created the Facebook page in which he exhorted NBC, and Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, to invite Betty White to host the show.
In fact, Mathews promised that as soon as 5000 people joined the Facebook page as fans, he would write to Micheals, and he did exactly that, sending Lorne Michaels this letter:
Lorne,
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My name is David Mathews, a 29 yr old living in San Antonio, TX. About a month ago I created a facebook fan page called “Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!”. After a slow but steady start, it has gotten much recent traction, and is now adding approx 1000 new fans per day. I expect it to cross 10,000 fans in a few days.
My ask of you is simple… what would it take to get you to invite Betty White to be a guest host on SNL? She is brilliant, funny, witty, and a comedic genius and legend. I have little doubt that it would be a ratings hit.
I ask for nothing in return for this, except perhaps the possibility of being there to see it, should it come to fruition. I am simply a fan who had an idea that is catching on very quickly.
The link to the fan page is: facebook[dot]com/pages/Betty-White-to-Host-SNL-please/266442514828?ref=nf
Thank you very much for your time. If needed, you may contact me with any questions at:
[details omitted]
Well, Mathews’ “Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!” Facebook page didn’t just hit 10,000 fans – it hit 515,731 fans (and still counting).
And so, as a result, Betty White was indeed invited to host Saturday Night Live, which she did this past Saturday.
And Mathews was there to watch, and got to meet White (as well as, he says, Amy Poehler, Sigourney Weaver, Matthew Broderick, and Penny Marshall).
In her opening monologue, White makes clear that her invitation was a direct result of Mathews’ effort , and the groundswell of support for his idea.
Said White, in the monologue, “I really have to thank Facebook. I didn’t know what Facebook was, and now that I do know what it is, I have to say, it sounds like a huge waste of time. I would never say the people on it are losers, but that’s only because I’m polite… People say ‘But Betty, Facebook is a great way to connect with old friends.’ Well at my age, if I want to connect with old friends, I need a Ouija Board.”
White went on to say that they “didn’t have Facebook when I was growing up. We had phonebook, but you wouldn’t waste an afternoon with it.”
You can watch the whole monologue (it’s about 4 1/2 minutes) here:
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