Ernestine's Top 10! | Lily Tomlin | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

[@kt9166]

And this is what brought Lily to Laugh-In. Her characters, already well-established through her stage work, just burst from the screen.

[@gailchypyha3587]

She was amazing!! My friend Nancy and I would always imitate her in class, in our grade 6 class. Mr. Robinson would always tell us to call her at recess, not in class.

[@teridelnero9606]

Funny

[@donnahoffman3639]

One ringy dingy

[@TheCynedd]

Ernestine was one of the greatest characters Lilly Tomlin ever created! The humour is simply brilliant. My mum was once a telephone operator and she loved Ernestine.

[@LaughIn]

We've heard from a few telephone operators! The all loved her!

[@stevenbaer5999]

Lily Tomlin as Ernestine is actually the best telephone operator ever made

[@sweetjane5033]

magnificent character!!! I love the wig & jewelry not withstanding the grimacing & gestures!!! beautiful ❤❤❤

[@mikeyc4525]

Ernestine, (Lily Tomlin) and Laugh In were one of my most favorite shows. She truly is one of our National Treasures.

[@kznte]

The one where Ernestine call General Motors is hysterical!!! :)

[@sandykelting9548]

Much needed SNORTIN' GOOD LAUGHTER😂😂🤣🤣🤣! THANK YOU😍!!!💝💯♾️

[@HisWordisLife4U]

"Is this the party to whom I am speaking?" so funny.😂

[@mariacosta4463]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@johnferguson4089]

I've tried that phrase on friends calling me and they don't know what to say lol

[@HisWordisLife4U]

@@johnferguson4089 That is funny. LOL

[@kathyp.9507]

Lily Tomlin is one of my favorite actresses...great great talent. My all-time favorite Ernestine's sketch was the call to the electric company, really cracks me up each time I see it. Lily Tomlin's act was the BEST one on the whole show of Laugh-In.. Peace and Love✌♥

[@NANASplash]

This was on TV during the time when I was working as a telephone operator in Kentucky. We all thought this character was hilarious!!

[@LaughIn]

Must have been hard not to imitate her on calls 🤣

[@NANASplash]

@@LaughIn Soooo hard!!!🤣 Especially the snort!!!

[@LaughIn]

😂

[@asherdash12]

Was the switchboard similar? When I was little I wanted to work a switchboard just like Ernestine. Beautiful doggy in your pic 🙂

[@coastalseasider4634]

I was a service rep with Ma Bell while my ex was in college. Someone brought in an album of Ernestine & it took everything to be sure we didn't actually speak to anyone like this, as much as we wished we could. Lily Tomlin's a treasure.

[@lorischneider7100]

Just as I remember! Too funny Lily Tomlin !🐦💠

[@adamantman3200]

GOTTA LOVE ERNESTINE! I love the editing.

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

Jedgar Hoover, Jedgar Hoover. Just dial any number and whisper. My favorite!

[@michaelfabian3036]

I can’t find that here ~ is it in this section?!

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

@@michaelfabian3036 I haven't seen it. Sorry.

[@patriciaaturner289]

My favorite was when she called Mister Veedle.

[@kerryknauf8196]

What a classic

[@josephadiaz8343]

😂 LoL Lily Tomlin was and is a great comedian, cracks me up all the time. ❤🙏✌️😎

[@JamesBrown-ij1px]

Comedic Genius.

[@susangreene6105]

She was my favorite character on there. To funny😂😂😂

[@dianadelahaye7660]

She is great😂

[@gailchypyha3587]

She was amazing. So funny!

[@scottpardee6303]

Wonderful. I am now watching “Laugh in!” and am citing the time in which she makes these calls in each one.

[@JohnJones-f6l]

Loved Lily from moment one and still do. Contributed so much in so many ways. Remember being at The Hollywood Bowl at a LGBTQ sold-out event in 80s in which she did a funny sketch and spoke elequently...Of course....❤🤗

[@LaughIn]

Lily is great ❤️ Thanks for watching!

[@leslieawest5062]

These are totally Priceless!

[@Dan5819]

She was still just as hilarious on "Web Therapy" as the mother of Lisa Kudrow's character!! She didn't lose it at all!

[@howtubeable]

All the A Tea and Tea in China! LOL

[@KJ-of6lf]

I still have the LP.

[@valerieharbourne2296]

Unforgettable Wonderful ❤

[@bryanwiley5511]

Actually, the one which has considered her best, is the one with "Cher" which to me is #1, don't know why that is not listed in the top 10, maybe they didn't consider it as top 10, but maybe in the Hall of Fame. People pull up the one with Cher, it is hilarious.

[@TheJohnnyCotts]

Was that Laugh-In, or something else?

[@AndyZach]

@@TheJohnnyCotts These are from Laugh-In. It came out when I was 13 and I thought it was the funniest show of all time.

[@williamdogan1149]

She is my iPhone wallpaper and ringtone.

[@snapmalloy5556]

If I heard your phone going off beside me I'd have to shake your hand....lol

[@junglechick13]

Can I get that in Android?

[@sylvisterling8782]

Ah, yes! Back when phones had dials and "Ma Bell" WAS the ONLY game in town! Or the whole country. Back when Jackie Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis. I remember the joke: "Q. What can Jackie's kids do that nobody else can? A. Jackie's kids can kiss their Onassis!"

[@mdsfo]

"Mr. F'Buckley...." When I was a kid, I thought this was hilarious. ✌

[@jasminnemcdonald94A]

It's Ms. Frizzle!!

[@Sandrab769]

Watching these as an adult puts a different spin on it. My cousin used to role play this. We had so much fun. We were about 12 years old, I’m guessing. I used to laugh just because of the way she talked, now I listen to what she says 😅

[@LaughIn]

So funny how humor changes as you get older and get all the other layers.

[@takata98]

It's 2024, so the "Who'd be making calls from the big house...to the White House" seems both ironic and obvious at the same time. Lilly was clearly a visionary lol.

[@DianneGiroir]

Absolutely love her 😂

[@mammajamma4959]

Grace and Frankie! she is still so funny

[@strattonskier7229]

We did not realize the brilliance, we were too busy with the go go 80’s

[@ceciliaboys612]

She sounds just like Earnestine from Laugh-In. LOL

[@ivansbacon]

One Ringgy Dinggy !

[@boathousejoed1126]

Still funny in 2023!

[@johnferguson4089]

Classic comedy!

[@eudaenomic]

I remember my older sister punching me when I spoke during one of theses scenes.

[@jerrycallender9927]

Flashing the occasional 'finger' after dialing...

[@MoonStar-fq6oy]

Thank ya for this 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@jadefamousartist5242]

Hi From The Sky 💫

[@LaughIn]

Hello!

[@nickmasuen1859]

If Saturday Night Live had Lily Tomlin come back and do Ernestine a couple of times, I wonder how Lily would go about having Ernestine getting use to the way things are now, I mean would she have the Ernestine set somewhat changed & have it where she has been gone for awhile and doesn't know a thing about it, would it be she has been there for the whole time and now teaches other operators on how to do things, or would she just keep it the same and go from there? Either way I am sure it would be as funny as hell. LOL

[@LaughIn]

We don’t see Ernestine changing for nobody! It would be hilarious 😂

[@emiliadavis8247]

I couldnt stop laughing!!! Shes a hilariois genuis gem!!

[@nicolaablett7790]

LOVE MOHAMED ALI

[@c.johnson1691]

Her best character.

[@michaelhoffmann2891]

It's kind of weird that arguably the most famous one of them all: "We're the phone company. We don't care!" - now the motto for ALL corporations in the 21st century - didn't happen on Laugh-In but SNL!

[@mikehersh6192]

Still iconic

[@kevinangus4848]

The only thing those under 30 understand here: yes, the headset's like Madonna's.

[@dorothyschoenfeldt8319]

Those were the days

[@mikmik9034]

Ernestine was my Sisters FAV. My Sister started with SNET when she was 18 at the New Haven "Snake Pit". She just loved this woman's portrayal. She often said she was the Youngest retiring employee, and could have retired years earlier but for her age. Must be good show, First Commercial Break at ONE Minute. Very Interesting, but too many commercial breaks bye.

[@pattibrooks1907]

One Two ringy dingy Pick up !

[@perrycomeau2627]

She's so heavy metal. ☺

[@shannonbowman5990]

😊❤

[@mikehersh6192]

Original jerky girls. 😊😊

[@davidhensley76]

If there were anything comparable on tv now Ernestine would be the voice of Siri.

[@jerrycallender-qm7zr]

If you look closely, after she dials, she 'flips a bird' before stuffing her hand into her bosom.

[@hirampriggott1689]

This should have been a Saturday Night Live character.

[@JohnJones-f6l]

Revised...Lily and others, Divine Miss M included, performed at sold out LGBTQ event at HOLLYWOOD BOWL in late 70s. Not 80s...😁 An incredible evening.

[@LaughIn]

Wow! That sounds like an amazing evening. What a time that must have been 🎉

[@evalina98000]

🤣🤣🤣

[@gailmpintos7232]

For me it is always a toss up between Ernestine and Edith Ann.

[@LaughIn]

Yes! Who could decide between those two?

[@jrbaskind]

What? No calls to Mister "Veedle"?

[@bethgott9768]

Laugh in had already told what happened in Dallas Texas that fatal day

[@mikehersh6192]

Frank Rizzo baby

[@jenniecosio3654]

Ha ha 😂😂😂😂😂

[@BarryDMoss]

Now I remember why it was cancelled.

[@sonofawwiivet8336]

She uses her middle finger alot watch how she flips everyone off in slow motion you can really see it right at 4:17-4:22 into the video

[@sherribauer884]

Ernestine is a stitch!

[@LaughIn]

Yes, she is! Thanks for watching!

[@WaterShowsProd]

It's not like Buckley wouldn't have deserved it.

[@goldenboy5500]

kind of disappointment some of her best one was not there.

[@noname-by3qz]

I wonder if she wrote these herself. I'm guessing so.

[@thedolphin5428]

Why does she always have her hand down her blouse?!?!

[@gregagogogo]

Ms Tomlin answers that. She said that Ernestine was a lonely character, and needed some touch, so she would touch herself.

[@KevanRice]

Prisihand down her blouse

[@victortillinghast3463]

r i p

[@KevanRice]

You want your keep up the bull womkel

[@BoulevardClues]

Beachy

[@ToyMarston]

Typical Maine mentality

[@gary-ig8vt]

I do not consider queer and nasty to be funny ,, but that's just my opinion

[@wickedcabinboy]

@gary-ig8vt - You're just jealous because no one will touch you.

[@anitanalley2417]

?

[@cjdavis2684]

What a freaking annoying Character!

[@joeburinskas8672]

Genius

[@Makeshift_Mulder]

Our parents' generation is so insufferably annoying like this...

[@christineperez7562]

She's hilarious

[@jae-sang6077]

@@christineperez7562ya

[@willyboy6126]

Just like your children's generation will find yours insufferably annoying....😉

[@jae-sang6077]

@@willyboy6126 my children?

[@Sunshine-zm1fx]

Perhaps you don't get the jokes because you don't understand the historical references she is making.