Why Betty White Matters

More people watched Betty White host Saturday Night Live than have tuned in since election-era glory. And it's prompted the most-solid analysis of White's resurgence we've seen yet: the Grandmother Effect, but better.

More people watched Betty White host Saturday Night Live than have tuned in since election-era glory. And it's prompted the most-solid analysis of White's resurgence we've seen yet: the Grandmother Effect, but better.
Don't forget: the long-awaited Betty White-hosted episode of Saturday Night Live premieres tonight, and we'll be having an SNL live thread, as always, so stop back tonight and watch it with us, won't you?
Betty White continues to brilliantly hype her Saturday Night Live hosting this weekend, which will include skits with Jay-Z. Meanwhile, she's not just helping the show actually be funny; she's also helping beat its terrible record on women hosts.
Is there anything to be worried about in the wake of Betty White's wild resurgence? Will public opinion, fickle to say the least, turn on her? What if we're all laughing not with but at Betty?
In sixteen seconds flat, this promo for Betty White hosting Saturday Night Live covers all the bases of her recent resurgence.
It's official: Betty White will host Saturday Night Live, joined by female alums of the show like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in an episode now pegged to Mother's Day.
Contrary to rumor, the campaign to get Betty White to host Saturday Night Live has not yet triumphed, executive producer Lorne Michaels just told me. There will, however, be a separate Women in Comedy special in April with Tina Fey.
Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly claims that Betty White is "this close" to hosting an SNL "Women of Comedy" special alongside Tina Fey, Molly Shannon, and Amy Poehler. If this is true, it's pretty much the best news ever. [EW]