11 Times We Loved Tina Fey & Amy Poehler

There are so many things to love about Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. They’re strong, effortlessly funny women who have not only been able to break through the venerable Boys’ Club that is comedy, but have managed to land at the top of the game. Every time Tina and Amy get together, wonderful, comedic magic happens. Here are just a few of our favorites.

1.  When they played Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton on SNL.

Not surprisingly, Sarah Palin became the comedic relief during the 2008 presidential race, and also turned out to be the perfect foil for stodgy and serious Hillary Clinton. Fey and Poehler both unveiled spot-on impressions of the political hopefuls on Saturday Night Live, immediately landing their impressions in the SNL Hall of Fame while launching Fey (and Palin) into the pop culture zeitgeist.

2. When they told that Bill Cosby joke at the 2015 Golden Globes.

There are so many memorable jokes from their Golden Globes co-hosting reign from 2013-2015, but none quit as controversial (or needed…or brave) as their Bill Cosby joke. At a time when few public figures, even Cosby himself, were addressing the allegations of rape against the Jell-O juggernaut and beloved sitcom dad, Tina and Amy stepped in. As always, their banter-like deliver was both insightful, funny, and tinged with a feminist perspective as they leveraged comedy to bring attention to a pressing women’s issue.

3. When they played sexy tennis.

Professional women’s tennis is filled with fierce women who are at the peak of physical fitness, but all the grunting as the athletes serve and hit that felted rubber ball is a little ridiculous. Tina and Amy’s exaggerated take on this is just too much.

4. When they gave us the Weekend Update on SNL.

For years, Tina and Amy reigned over Saturday Night Live, but they were never stronger than when they co-anchored the Weekend Update segment. It was inspiring enough when Tina co-anchored with Jimmy Fallon, being one of only two women (at the time) to have anchored the much-loved segment. But when Fallon left and Amy stepped in, many asked that all too irritating question: Would it still be funny with two women? The answer was yes, clearly—not that they had anything to prove. Picking just one moment from their hundreds of jokes is impossible.

5. When they co-hosted the Golden Globes in general.

Following Ricky Gervais’ controversial stint as host, Tina and Amy were brought in and then again and then again. They were, of course, an inspired choice. Fey and Poehler had spent years as one of SNL’s comedy duos, so their rapport was flawless and their banter felt never stilted. While 70% of the material was cookie-cutter award show name-dropping that you expect, the other 30% really made their Golden Globes residency stand out. It had a bit of an edge, tackling race, gender inequality in Hollywood, and never backing down from what could be a good joke even if it might border on questionable.

6. When they made us Mean Girls.

Written by Fey and featuring Poehler in a small side role, Mean Girls defined many a 20-something girls’ high school years. Poehler played the “cool mom” of Rachel McAdams’ Regina George, clad in those dreadful velour track suits beloved by so many suburban soccer moms of the mid-aughts. Poehler killed it as the mother you always wanted—a fact you were, even then, too embarrassed to admit.

7. When they wrote us Bossypants and Yes, Please.

While published a couple of years apart, both ladies wrote compelling, well-received half-self-help/half-memoir books outlining their tips for being successful women with the confidence to follow their own gut in a dog-eat-dog world. They revealed their own struggles and managed to make success actually not seem that far out of reach. Their stories are not based on pure luck or by simply knowing the right person, but rather, rooted in that tried-and-true method of simply working hard at what you love. Also, I remember spitting out my drink at least three times with each of them—they were that funny.

8. When Leslie Knope rapped The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song.

Okay, so…this one is maybe a bit of a cheat since it doesn’t involve both of them, but come on. You know you’re hoping that Tina and Amy have danced around a kitchen late one evening after drinking a bottle of wine together and trying their best to remember the lyrics.

9. When they did “Jersey Floor” cameos.

Back when America couldn’t get enough of spray tans and fist-pumping, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon created a Jersey Shore spoof called “Jersey Floor.” It was amazing and hysterical as Tina and Amy made cameos as club-going pseudo-stalkers complete with skunky dye jobs, tube-tops, and Donald Trump-esque skin tones.

10. When they heckled NPH at the 2013 Emmys.

As veterans of the award show hosting game, the pair had some advice for Neil Patrick Harris as he tackled hosting the Emmys. Namely, that he should take his pants off and twerk.

11. When Amy played Young Liz Lemon on 30 Rock.

In 2012, Tina decided to do a 30 Rock live show packed with tons of surprise cameos from her SNL buddies, including her bestie, Amy, who played a young version of Liz Lemon.