With the Dec. 18 release of “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” rapidly approaching, a lot is being written and said about the great Ron Burgundy. Yet the career-defining effect that Burgundy has had on his creator, Will Ferrell, is still consistently ignored.

When “Anchorman” was released in July 2004, Ferrell replaced Adam Sandler as Hollywood’s funniest leading man.

Almost a decade later, Ferrell’s reign at the top is coming full circle. Once the “Anchorman” sequel runs its course, Ferrell may finally be replaced as Hollywood’s funniest star.

For the first time in history, the new star is likely to be a woman: Kristen Wiig or Melissa McCarthy.

There is a generations-old bias in America that says women are not as funny as men. Popular comedy movies have always been male-centric and Hollywood’s funniest star has always been a man.

In each of the last three decades, this man has also been Saturday Night Live’s funniest graduate.

First it was Eddie Murphy. He left SNL in 1984 and went on to dominate the next decade at the box office with classics like “Trading Places” and “Beverly Hills Cop.”

Then it was Sandler. He departed SNL in 1995 and replaced Murphy with memorable gut-busters like “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gilmore.”

Then it was Ferrell’s time. He graduated SNL in 2002 and usurped Sandler with absurd satires like “Old School” and “Anchorman.”

Murphy and Sandler were replaced after about a decade at the top because they grew stale on viewers, especially when compared to SNL’s latest rising star. The same thing may be happening to Ferrell. His starring roles have been unremarkable since “Step Brothers” in 2008 and he’s not starring in any 2014 releases.

Logically, Ferrell’s replacement in Hollywood would be the star that replaced him on SNL. In the post-Ferrell era, for the first time in SNL history, the star was a woman: Wiig.

There are two common themes among the rise of Ferrell that are also prevalent in Wiig’s career.

First, both significantly overshadowed their fellow cast members on SNL because they created and personified indelible characters in most of the skits. Ferrell had the Spartan cheerleader and a collection of hilarious celebrity impersonations including George W. Bush and Harry Caray. Wiig’s highlights included Gilly, the mischievous schoolgirl; Penelope, the attention-seeker who one-ups everyone and The Target Girl.

Second, both translated their ability to the silver screen in their earliest starring roles.

Ferrell did it with “Frank the Tank,” the streaking, adult frat star from “Old School,” and Burgundy, the well-coiffed news anchor from “Anchorman.”

Wiig followed suit with Annie Walker, the hard-luck maid of honor in “Bridesmaids,” showing that comedy movies could be female-centric in the process.

But in two plus years, Wiig has not yet followed “Bridesmaids” with another hit, leaving the door open for McCarthy to become Hollywood’s next biggest comedy star.

McCarthy parlayed her success as one of Wiig’s co-stars in “Bridesmaids” into two starring roles in female-centric comedies “Identity Thief” and “The Heat.” Both made nine figures at the box office in 2013.

As a female who didn’t get her start on SNL, McCarthy would be a pioneer on two levels if she replaces Ferrell.

Whether it’s Wiig or McCarthy, Hollywood’s next biggest comedy star will still have to wait until “Anchorman 2” brings Ferrell’s reign full circle.

But in a few months, Burgundy will be old news. He may just take Ferrell and the good ole’ boys club with him.

Jarrad Saffren is a senior political science and newspaper and online journalism major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at jdsaffre@gmail.com.

Published on December 4, 2013 at 1:24 am