Anne Beatts
Anne Beatts (February 25, 1947 – April 7, 2021) was an American comedy writer.
Anne Beatts
Early life[edit]
Beatts was born in Buffalo, New York, to Sheila Elizabeth Jean (Sherriff-Scott) and Patrick Murray Threipland Beatts.[1][2][3] She has described her parents as "beatniks."[4] Beatts had what has been called an "aggressive, dark sensibility."[4] Growing up in Somers, New York, she later attended McGill University.[4]
It was at McGill University where Beatts discovered the dark humor of Jewish writers J. D. Salinger, Philip Roth, and Bruce Jay Friedman.[4] At this time, Beatts converted to Judaism.[4]
National Lampoon[edit]
After graduating from college, Beatts wrote for The Village Voice and National Lampoon magazine, a national offshoot of the Harvard Lampoon.[5] She co-wrote a parody advertisement for Volkswagen, conceived by Philip Socci, for which the magazine was later sued by the car company.[6] The advertisement stated, "If Ted Kennedy drove a Volkswagen, he'd be President today," accompanied by a photograph of a VW Beetle floating on a lake (an allusion to Kennedy's Chappaquiddick incident).
During Beatts' time at National Lampoon magazine, she worked with Michael O'Donoghue. The two became romantically involved, and both joined the creative team of Saturday Night Live in the early years of the program.[7]
Media portrayals[edit]
Beatts was portrayed by Natasha Lyonne in the 2018 Netflix film A Futile and Stupid Gesture. She was profiled in the January 6, 2020, issue of New York Magazine.[17]
Death[edit]
Beatts died at age 74 on April 7, 2021, at her home in West Hollywood.[18][19] She is survived by her daughter, Jaylene Beatts.