Amy Poehler Honored as Woman of the Year

As a former long-time member and co-founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe, comedic actress Amy Poehler gave as good as she got at the annual Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year roast.

“You know—amazing,” Poehler said, after Hasty Pudding president Jason S. Hellerstein ’15 and vice president Sam B. Clark ’15 had done their best to rib her. “They’ve done 167 shows, and can’t you just tell? I don’t care what anyone says, 167 shows and 13 minutes of comedy is a good ratio.”

After a parade through the streets of Harvard Square—where students leaning out of windows tossed Poehler stuffed animals and fans chanted her name as they held up signs of the cover of her best-selling book, Yes, Please—the actress took the stage at Farkas Hall. Pointing to an all-male Pudding cast, she said that maybe it was time for Harvard to do a little rethinking for next year. “I know we’re going to see some performances from some beautiful men in drag, but I have to say that it’s unsettling that there will be no women on stage tonight,” she pointed out. “You know it’s time for a change when the Augusta National Golf Club has lapped you in terms of being progressive.” (The audience replied with loud cheers.)  

As a Burlington, Massachusetts, native and Boston College alumna, Poehler— wearing a BC hat—joked that Harvard was “a bunch of buildings” she and her friends threw rocks at on the way to their real jobs. But after singing an improvised rap song about pudding, the Parks and Rec actress thanked the club for honoring her. “[It’s great] to be around young people creating art, people whose faces are turned toward what’s next,” she said. “I’m one of many esteemed women who have won this award, and my hope is that my legacy is that I am the woman you remember as the one who stole all of your wallets at the after-party.”