Stuart Smalley

Stuart Smalley is a fictional character created and performed by comedian and satirist Al Franken.

Within the context of the show, Stuart is quick to point out that he is not a licensed therapist but relies instead upon the credibility of his own experiences as a non-professional.

A Canadian relative, Leon Smalley, played by Kiefer Sutherland has a show called "Today's Meditation", which is a big hit in Canada.

As such it is full of humorous errors, including one gag in which Stuart tells his listeners who are driving to work to "close their eyes and envision..." something.

[4] The character effectively disappeared after the box-office failure of the film and Franken's exit from Saturday Night Live, save one appearance where Smalley, bitter over the failure of the movie, refused to finish his affirmation, excoriated his viewers for not watching, and openly wept.

Later, after Franken made a bid for a United States Senate seat that ended in success but also in controversy – he would not be officially declared the winner, and therefore under Minnesota law could not be seated, until a full eight months after the election itself – he would be dubbed "Senator Stuart Smalley" by critics and fans alike.

[5][6] The character is known for a number of catchphrases, many of which are chosen not just for comic effect, but to play on a perceived tendency of the self-help movement to talk and think in psychobabble.