Stefon

Stefon Meyers ('' né'' Zolesky), simply referred to as Stefon, is a character created by Bill Hader and former ''SNL'' writer John Mulaney, played by Hader on ''Saturday Night Live'', who appeared as the New York City correspondent for ''Weekend Update'' with Seth Meyers. Meyers introduced Stefon as a guide who knows all about New York and asks him for tips on essential destinations and events for visitors. Stefon recommends unusual clubs and parties with bizarre characters and very specific tastes, described as "visions a dying gay man would have if he was under too many blankets", "nightmares of a crystal-meth addict", or a "coked-up gay Candyland"; these outlandish descriptions often resulted in Hader breaking character.

Origin

Stefon's segments were inspired by real people Hader and Mulaney had encountered. One was a club promoter who sent Mulaney an e-mail about a club that "had everything," including "rooms full of broken glass" as one of the highlights. The character's mannerisms were based on a barista at a coffee shop in Chelsea, Manhattan, that Hader frequented, whose look and talking style inspired the creation of Stefon.Potts, Kim (September 24, 2010
"'SNL' Star Bill Hader Talks the New Season, Jon Hamm's Return and His 'Surreal Life' Experience with Corey Feldman"
''The Huffington Post''. Mulaney decided that Stefon should wear an Ed Hardy shirt, under the assumption that it was made of latex and looked like something out of the Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green film, '' Party Monster''. Stefon's hair was inspired by the characters in that film, "specifically based in popup club culture in New York City circa 2007".

Production

Initially, Stefon appeared in a 2008 sketch with Ben Affleck titled "Movie Pitch with Stefon," with Stefon portraying the outrageous brother of Affleck's more serious character, David Zolesky; however, the idea "barely worked as a sketch," said Bill Hader. "It was a long walk to get to what the sketch was about."

The character was instead introduced as a correspondent on ''Weekend Update'' the following season, after an invitation from the head of the segment. According to Seth Meyers, "It was a lot easier to just say, 'Hey, here's Stefon.'" During the production for his first appearance on ''Weekend Update'', on the April 24, 2010 episode, Mulaney assumed it would be cut after rehearsal. He stated, "It was so weird that I so assumed it would be cut, and I said, 'When you cut this, can we try it again?' We just thought it was not going to be liked by anyone." However, the character became immensely popular.

Often Hader can be seen suppressing fits of laughter (known as "breaking" or "corpsing"), as some of the more outlandish descriptions are new to him; he does this by covering his face with his hands. Hader, on late-night TV interviews, said that this happens with such frequency because changes are often made to the script up until the live show, and frequently Hader does not see the final cue cards until the live broadcast. Mulaney would deliberately change bits of lines just before Hader went on as Stefon and, as a result, some of the more outrageous things that Stefon says are relatively or completely new to Hader. "I have not gotten through a single Stefon update without breaking," Hader says. "Still working on it."

After being unable to perform the character without breaking for two and a half years, Hader successfully remained in character as Stefon during the season finale of the show's 36th season, with host Justin Timberlake. However, this appearance was much briefer than his others, with his appearance only lasting about 30 seconds. According to Hader, it is "completely ironic" that he played a character like Stefon, because he avoids loud places such as clubs.

Stefon's last regular appearance on ''SNL'' was on May 18, 2013, due to Bill Hader's leaving the show. When Meyers' '' Late Night'' premiered on February 24, 2014, a Stefon matryoshka doll with a veil embellishment, originally hand-crafted by matryoshka artist Irene Hwang and commissioned for a crew holiday gift, was unveiled as part of the decor of Meyers' desk. Mulaney began writing a Stefon feature film before he left ''SNL''. The film was intended to be a mockumentary, showing Stefon visiting different New York hotspots as a correspondent for ''Weekend Update''. Mulaney wanted to cast director Garry Marshall as Lorne Michaels. However, the film never moved beyond an initial writing stage.

Personality

Stefon is a flamboyantly gay "city correspondent" for ''Weekend Update''. He appears to be always nervous, as indicated by how he can never keep his hands still and constantly rubs them together. Stefon always touches his face and hair, and it seems like he has frequent anxiety attacks. A possible explanation for this is his excessive consumption of recreational drugs. Stefon is very knowledgeable about parties and nightclubs featuring very bizarre themes and characters, which he recommends when host Seth Meyers asks for suggestions for tourists, much to Meyers' frustration. Stefon is apparently infatuated with Meyers; he expresses disappointment when Meyers mentions his girlfriend, and has stated that he envies Meyers' mother for changing his diapers as a child.

According to the May 7, 2011, episode of ''Saturday Night Live'', his mother is named Ms. Stefon, and his father is David Bowie. In the October 20, 2012, episode, he mentions that he has a dog named Bark Ruffalo. He lives in a trashcan outside the RadioShack at 23rd and 7th. Stefon wears gaudy Ed Hardy shirts, multiple rings, and an asymmetrical, highlighted haircut.

Format

Stefon, the City Correspondent on ''Weekend Update'', is introduced by Seth Meyers and is asked for recommendations for tourists. Stefon's dialogue always begins with "New York’s hottest club is …" and then he starts listing the outlandish patrons that you can meet at this club. He is frequently interrupted by Seth Meyers, who asks for more family-friendly destinations, but Stefon only continues talking about increasingly ludicrous New York clubs with suggestive or nonsensical names (Crease, Gush, Push, Booooooooof with nine O's" Spicy, Kevin?, Whimsy, Your Mother and I Are Separating, PANTS!, etc.).

Security, entertainers, and clientele at the venue are surreal, implied to be from hyper-specific or obscure subcultures, which an impressed Stefon usually introduces by complimenting "this place has ''everything''". Bouncers include: jacked-up homeless guys in period swimming costumes, Hobocops (homeless RoboCops), a bulldog who looks like Wilford Brimley, and a rabbi who looks like Joaquin Phoenix. Passwords for some of the clubs include "My wallet? YEEEEAH, RIGHT!" ("the last words of murdered blues legend Sweet Willie Walker"), "Diabetes" (said in a Wilford Brimley voice) and onomatopeias. When mentioning the club's typical patrons, he lists outlandish characters such as screaming babies in Mozart wigs, puppets in disguise, an Albino who looks like Susan Powter, Puppets practicing Karate, sunburned drifters with soap bubble beards, and groups of guys with afros in graduation caps. Underground celebrities to be found at the venues include Blingo (Black Ringo), Jewish Dracula Sidney Applebaum, nine-year-old Tokyo pimp Ichi YakaguroSeason 35, Episode 20 (aired 4/24/2010). and 300-pound Chinese baby deejay, DJ Baby Bok Choy.

When describing the club's attractions, Stefon repeatedly uses vague faux pop culture portmanteau

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