What is Hack Writing?

A Historic Example

In the documentary Nothing Compares, there’s a quick cutaway to a bit on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno doing a Sinead O’Connor bit.

It’s a perfect example of hack writing, and it’s worth going back in time to take a look at it.

For tearing up a picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live, O’Connor is hailed as a trailblazer and hero today. She was the fir…