--- title: "2 Lorne Michaels Quotes By Tina Fey" description: "2 Lorne Michaels quotes by Tina Fey. Plus more from Tina Fey and more Lorne Michaels sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/tina-fey-484_perfectionism_the-show-doesn-t-go-on-because-it-s-read_553963.jpg" --- > [ “The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30. This is something Lorne \[Michaels\] has said often about Saturday Night Live, but I think it’s a great lesson about not being too precious about your… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/the-show-doesn-t-go-on-because-it-s-ready-it-goes-on-because-it-s-11/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/tina-fey-484_perfectionism_the-show-doesn-t-go-on-because-it-s-read_553963.jpg) > [“(Things I learned from Lorne Michaels) Producing is about discouraging creativity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/things-i-learned-from-lorne-michaels-producing-is-about-discouraging/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/851/tina-fey-484_creativity_things-i-learned-from-lorne-michaels-pro_2780224.jpg) ## More by Tina Fey > [I really like John McCain. He's an awesome dude and was a lot of fun when he hosted "SNL." I'd love to see a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-really-like-john-mccain-he-s-an-awesome-dude-and-was-a-lot-of-fun/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [You mostly know that you want to be funny, know that you have the desire. It's not like people who grow up beautiful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/you-mostly-know-that-you-want-to-be-funny-know-that-you-have-the/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [I was a very confident little kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-was-a-very-confident-little-kid/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [You can tell how smart people are by what they laugh at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/you-can-tell-how-smart-people-are-by-what-they-laugh-at/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/whatever-the-problem-be-part-of-the-solution-don-t-just-sit-around/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Pentagon records show that at least 8,000 members of the all-volunteer U.S. Army have deserted since the Iraq war began. Hey, at least somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/pentagon-records-show-that-at-least-8-000-members-of-the-all/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [“That summer I got to know four families in which half the children were gay. In case you’re interested from a sociological point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/that-summer-i-got-to-know-four-families-in-which-half-the-children/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [The topic of working moms is a tap-dance recital in a minefield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/the-topic-of-working-moms-is-a-tap-dance-recital-in-a-minefield/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [You can be a little bit darker and rougher on the stage, partly because when you're in the theater, people have come to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/you-can-be-a-little-bit-darker-and-rougher-on-the-stage-partly/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [ \[...\] things most people do naturally are often inexplicably difficult for me. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/things-most-people-do-naturally-are-often-inexplicably-difficult-for/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [“To this day, all I know is there are between two and four openings down there and that the set up inside looks vaguely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/to-this-day-all-i-know-is-there-are-between-two-and-four-openings/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Wafah Dufour bin Laden, niece of Osama bin Laden has signed a contract to star in a reality show... called Skating with the Nieces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/wafah-dufour-bin-laden-niece-of-osama-bin-laden-has-signed-a-contract/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [It's not vanity, because if you look weird, it will distract from what your trying to do. If you look as good as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/it-s-not-vanity-because-if-you-look-weird-it-will-distract-from-what/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Sometimes, you can feel or see how a movie can... how you can do it. Sometimes it's just like seeing, "Can that work? Will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/sometimes-you-can-feel-or-see-how-a-movie-can-how-you-can-do-it/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [“forward, women embraced their diversity and realized that all shapes and sizes are beautiful. Ah ha ha. No. I’m totally messing with you. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/forward-women-embraced-their-diversity-and-realized-that-all-shapes/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lorne-michaels/tina-fey/#itemlist", "name": "2 Lorne Michaels Quotes By Tina Fey", "numberOfItems": 2, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30. This is something Lorne [Michaels] has said often about Saturday Night Live, but I think it’s a great lesson about not being too precious about your writing. You have to try your hardest to be at the top of your game and improve every joke you can until the last possible second, and then you have to let it go. You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute. (And I’m from a generation where a lot of people died on waterslides, so this was an important lesson for me to learn.) You have to let people see what you wrote. It will never be perfect, but perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring on live TV. What I learned about ‘bombing’ as an improviser at Second City was that bombing is painful, but it doesn’t kill you. No matter how badly an improv set goes, you will still be physically alive when it’s over. What I learned about bombing as a writer at Saturday Night is that you can’t be too worried about your ‘permanent record.’ Yes, you’re going to write some sketches that you love and are proud of forever—your golden nuggets. But you’re also going to write some real shit nuggets. And unfortunately, sometimes the shit nuggets will make it onto the air. You can’t worry about it. 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