In the fall of 2001, Entertainment Weekly’s annual “IT” issue praised SNL’s then crop of female cast members by writing, “Saturday Night Live’s mythic
boys club is officially over thanks to this clan of X chromosomes: Dratch, Gasteyer, Rudolph, and Fey deliver trenchant comedy and flawless impressions on camera.” The accolade was dead on, but failed to point out one thing - the girl power revolution really started in 1995 when Molly Shannon got nervous and smelled her armpits for the first time.

Thankfully, the “Saturday Night Live in the 90’s: Pop Culture Nation” special NBC aired this past Sunday gave her a bit more credit. Within two years of Shannon’s debut, she established two definitive ’90s era SNL sketches: Mary Katherine Gallagher and, along with Gastayer, “The Delicious Dish”. One also can’t forget Molly’s half of “Leg Up”, “Goth Talk”, “Dog Show” or her unapologetic takes on female singers of the time (she tackled everyone from Bjork and Courtney Love to Gwen Stefani and Tori Amos).

Sure she was a little burnt out and less effective by her final season (‘00-’01), and her post-SNL film career can’t exactly be compared to Adam Sandler’s, but Molly’s mark on the show is undeniable. It has been nearly six years since Shannon was last spotted in Studio 8H and I, for one, welcome her back.

With their third studio album “Minutes to Midnight” due for release later this month, Linkin Park rounds out the schedule on the music side. Unlike Shannon, I say, no buzz. Nu-metal. Who cares?