# Why hasn't Woody Allen ever hosted- or at least done a brief cameo on- SNL? It would be cool **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** talk-variety-show\ **Created:** [June 3, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439 "2024-06-03T15:02:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TJEckleburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@TJEckleburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJEckleburg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/1 "2024-06-03T15:02:33Z")
Yes, he’s had his fair share of controversies. And he’s 88 now. And SNL has parodied and insulted/criticized/lampooned/skewered/laughed at him plenty, like any public figure. But wouldn’t at least a brief cameo by him be awesome? The two most famous/ubiquitous media sources in/about NYC- SNL and Allen- together at last. Can you imagine? At least he’d be in on the laugh this time, in a self-deprecating good-natured way. Previous thread that popped up as I typed: [What celebrity who has never hosted SNL would you like to see host?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrity-who-has-never-hosted-snl-would-you-like-to-see-host/529237) If anyone mentioned Allen in there, I apologize, but I can’t search the thread with Control-F because it’s a dynamically-loading page. By the way, can anyone offer a solution to that tech problem, not being able to Search On Page for a dynamically-loading page? I’ve researched it before, to no avail. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/2 "2024-06-03T15:07:16Z")
Yuk. Would not warch. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/3 "2024-06-03T15:09:46Z")
Not interested. More sarcasm and satire directed his way on the show would be welcome, but no need to have him there. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/4 "2024-06-03T15:16:57Z")
> [@TJEckleburg](#): > > By the way, can anyone offer a solution to that tech problem, not being able to Search On Page for a dynamically-loading page? Use the search function on the page. Top of your screen, left of your Profile. Click “in this topic” to search the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/5 "2024-06-03T15:20:33Z")
No point now. Bad optics. I realize the worst of the allegations against him is somewhat dubious (the thing about SA-ing his daughter) but even independently of that he’s got a track record with excessively young women that all adds up to “creep.” Beyond that, he belongs to a much earlier generation of entertainers than what is relevant today. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/6 "2024-06-03T15:30:37Z")
I would not watch. I want nothing to do with him, Bill Cosby, Jeffrey Epstein, etc. ---
**Author:** ![TJEckleburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@TJEckleburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJEckleburg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/7 "2024-06-03T15:34:54Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Use the search function on the page. Top of your screen, left of your Profile. Click “in this topic” to search the thread. Thanks! Turns out one poster, Little\_Nemo, _did_ say: “I believe Woody Allen has been invited but declined to host.” That thread is from 14 years ago, by the way. I googled it, and found a quora topic called “Has any celebrity ever turned down an offer to host Saturday Night Live?”, and it mentions Allen, Muhammed Ali, Diana Ross, and Jack Nicholson. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/8 "2024-06-03T15:35:54Z")
The answer is in the earlier posts. A very large segment of those paying attention think he’s a scummy creep and would turn off the show. Count me among them. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/9 "2024-06-03T15:36:09Z")
Allen has only appeared on American television in two or three things since 1969, and they weren’t sketch comedy shows or talk shows or ordinary television series. By the time SNL began in 1975, Allen had already made enough of a reputation as a filmmaker that he didn’t have to publicize his own movies. In his early career, he wrote for television shows and occasionally appeared on talk shows. He lost interest in that in about 1969. He just doesn’t want to do that kind of appearances. He does play the clarinet with a band. Otherwise, he doesn’t want to do public appearances. It has nothing to do with his current reputation for whatever he’s accused of. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/10 "2024-06-03T15:41:13Z")
There are a number of A-list stars whose lengthy careers have essentially overlapped with SNL who never hosted – Woody Allen, Jack Nicholson, Bette Midler, Harrison Ford, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep. I’m sure most if not all were approached at one time. ---
**Author:** ![TJEckleburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@TJEckleburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJEckleburg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/11 "2024-06-03T15:47:25Z")
P.S. Now that DCnDC answered my tech question, can anyone answer my other tech question that no one replied to in my thread [Every day I encounter something wrong with the web or my operating system, and I need a random place to talk about it](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-day-i-encounter-something-wrong-with-the-web-or-my-operating-system-and-i-need-a-random-place-to-talk-about-it/1001579) ? Not trying to derail my own topic, but I would love to get an answer to that problem, too. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/12 "2024-06-03T15:48:06Z")
Well stated. This is pretty much my position on him. A celebrity from a different time with baggage that would not be overly welcome today. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/13 "2024-06-03T15:49:29Z")
Some of those A-list stars were already well-known when SNL began in 1975. Why would they bother to appear on it? They don’t need to make themselves better known. If they don’t think it would be particularly fun to be on SNL, why should they bother? ---
**Author:** ![TJEckleburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@TJEckleburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJEckleburg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/14 "2024-06-03T15:51:03Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > If they don’t think it would be particularly fun to be on SNL, why should they bother? Money? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/15 "2024-06-03T15:55:00Z")
I . . . never said they should if they don’t want to. I was just pointing out that Woody Allen is not an anomaly in terms of hosting SNL. There’s probably any number of reasons big names decline to host – scheduling conflicts, discomfort with the live, sketch nature of the show, already rich and famous and couldn’t be bothered, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/16 "2024-06-03T15:55:40Z")
They don’t need the money. They would only get no more than $20,000, I think. It’s not worth it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/17 "2024-06-03T15:59:00Z")
They people who do it think that it would be fun. It’s not for exposure. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/18 "2024-06-03T16:00:29Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > I . . . never said they should if they don’t want to. I wasn’t saying that you said that they should. By saying why would they bother, I was addressing the overall point of the thread, not you in particular. I think the OP exaggerates the importance of SNL. Many stars have never cared about it. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/19 "2024-06-03T16:04:57Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > It’s not for exposure. To a small extent it’s for exposure. Sometimes I don’t even know who the host or the musical guest is when I watch a new episode of SNL. I suspect that often they appear because their agent or the company that released their movie or their album begged them to do it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/20 "2024-06-03T16:15:53Z")
That’s true. It could expose them to a different demographic. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439.md?page=2)