Tina Fey takes a swipe at The Daily Show

TV Squad - Santa Monica, CA, USA - OK, so it's a little swipe I think, but it stands out.

30 Rock star and producer Tina Fey gave an interview to Reader's Digest where she talks about everything from motherhood to her time on Saturday Night Live to who her favorite member of The Three Stooges is (Larry). She's also asked by the interviewer what pleases her more, applause or laughter, and she makes a point of saying that it's laughter because "you can prompt applause with a sign."

She goes on to say in the same answer that her SNL buddy Seth Meyers coined the term "clapter," which is a political joke that makes the audience go "woo-hoo." She says "you see a lot of that on The Daily Show." She even whispered it, which shows she knew she was saying something a little controversial and contrary to what a lot of fans of Jon Stewart's show think.

I don't really agree with her explanation, that applause means that the audience sort of approves of a joke but they didn't really like it that much. Whenever I hear applause on The Daily Show (and SNL, for that matter) it seems to me to be a genuine liking for the joke or bit they just heard.