"Comedy is a tool and Comedy is a Weapon" All-Female Team of 'Saved by the Bell' Weaponizes Humor to Comment on Elizabeth Berkley Lauren's Past in a Powerful Way
"Comedy is a tool and comedy is a weapon. It can be all those things, based on the hands of whoever's yielding it."
The director of Saved by the Bell's meta Showgirls' reference episode Katie Locke O'Brien said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, the Saved by the Bell star moved from the comedic series into the cast of Showgirls where she faced brutal and unrestrained criticism.
The episode in the new Peacock reboot of the show, gave the actress an avenue through which to take back the stories of her early career. While the actress faced seemingly ceaseless criticism back in 95 for her work, she mentioned that now, "It's all funny because there is a whole new wave of creatives who embrace this film in new ways...I hear from people, often writers or directors, that just honor its place in pop culture now." It is a testament to the subjective nature of criticism. The showrunner of Saved by the Bell, Tracey Wigfield, was excited to use the Showgirls episode to comment on the unfair treatment of Berkley Lauren, who was only twenty one when the film was released. Here is a picture of Berkley Lauren from back in her original Saved by the Bell days.
This exceptional episode was developed by an all-female team. They worked together to carefully curate a simeltaneously comedic and powerful episode that while entertaining was still within the realms of Berkley Lauren's comfort level. The actress spoke of Wigfield saying:
She's an incredible leader in a way that I've never experienced on a set. I've observed her take a temperature check with other people about other storylines and, while [Saved by the Bell] is a comedy, there's so much heart embedded in Tracey's work...she said, "We have this idea, we want to have some fun with it. Are you willing?" I think she knew I'm willing to be playful and goofy or self-deprecating. For me, comedy is the ultimate way to heal in certain areas. But in this specific case, I knew it all depended on the how, and I wasn't concerned with the how because I had had this great work relationship.
We can't wait to see what this hilariously heartfelt team continues to have in store!
