One of the most famous recurring bits on the early Saturday Night Live was a Point-Counterpoint confrontation between Jane Curtain and Dan Akroyd. It was based on the end-of-show feature on 60 Minutes with Shana Alexander and Jack Kilpatrick¹.
Curtain would make a point in their argument, only to have Akroyd respond, “Jane, you ignorant slut.”
I loved 60 Minutes back then. The show was different than today – less self conscious. The look was different too, as 60 Minutes was the last of the news shows to be shot on film. It even started with one of the correspondents reading the day’s news headlines live.
In the pre-Andy Rooney era, Point-Counterpoint was a pretty big deal.
I’m sure you know where this is going. It’s another death announcement.
By LAURA WIDES
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
LOS ANGELES — Trailblazing journalist Shana Alexander, whose verbal skirmishes with conservative James J. Kilpatrick on CBS’ “60 Minutes” were spoofed in a “Saturday Night Live” skit, has died of cancer. She was 79.
This will probably go unnoticed by most. That’s a shame. Shana Alexander was responsible for some very thought provoking TV.
¹ The feature actually began with Kilpatrick and Nicholas von Hoffman. Shana Alexander replaced von Hoffman in 1972, producing the iconic relationship best remembered.