Stuart Smalley

Stuart Smalley is a fictional character invented and performed by comedian and satirist (and later United States Senator from Minnesota) Al Franken. The character originated on the television show Saturday Night Live, in a mock self-help show called "Daily Affirmation With Stuart Smalley." It first aired on SNL's February 9, 1991 episode hosted by Kevin Bacon. Stuart is Franken's middle name. Franken has stated that him "going to Al-Anon meetings inspired [the character] Stuart [Smalley]".

Character

Stuart participates in many (sometimes fictional) programs, not limited to Overeaters Anonymous, Children of Alcoholic Parents Anonymous, and Children of Rageaholic Parents Anonymous. He is an effeminate man with a perfectly coiffed bleached-blond hairdo, who regularly wears a yellow button down shirt with a powder blue cardigan.

It is frequently hinted that Stuart may be gay, but his sexual orientation is never clearly stated. All his romantic partners have names which could be male or female, like Dale, Chris, or Merle. His father gripes, "You'd drink too if you had Liberace for a son."