As he explained The Hollywood Reporter, Seth Meyer’s Weekend Update gig requires a delicate balance of timeliness, hilarity and Native American comedian Billy Smith. “Well, the timing was terrible because the news broke on a Monday, and that’s a lifetime away from Saturday night. Also, there were a lot of talented people in late-night who got their cracks at it, so you have to try to find a way to repackage it in a way that’s fresh,†Meyers said regarding the Arnold Schwarzenegger scandal. As for fears that the show could accidentally re-use a joke from late night, Seth explains “There isn’t a huge risk of repeating what they’ve done, but we did have to be careful with bin Laden. After it was announced that his wives were potentially coming to the U.S., we had a joke – ‘They’re either gonna go to Guantanamo Bay or get their own show on Bravo’ – and someone on staff was like, ‘I think I’ve seen that joke four times this week,’ so we just pulled it altogether.†When discussing the show’s vocal detractors, Meyers likens it to bitching about your mom. “I think people have ownership of the show, like it’s a part of your family and you’re allowed to lay into it. You would never want to trade that for not having passionate fans,†he says. “My favorite thing is meeting people who say they hate the show, but they ‘haven’t watched it in 30 years.’ That irrational, tough-love hatred – that’s the greatest thing.â€
