Photos
They’re back! All our old pals! Well, not all of our old pals. Parks and Recreation is on hiatus until January, because NBC had to make room for A RACIST PIECE OF SHIT NIGHTMARE GARBAGE SHOW THAT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO EVEN BELIEVE EXISTS IN THE YEAR 2010. But more on that later! For now, it’s a celebration of laffs. I’ve actually only watched 30 Rock so far (and also a racist piece of shit nightmare garbage show that it is almost impossible to believe exists in the year 2010, which we will discuss later), because I am an adult, and sometimes adults have things to do that do not include carving out six hours to watch sitcoms. So, I can’t join you in the discussion of Betty White’s timely and hilarious (I’m sure) cameo on the season premiere of Community, or the first hints of Michael Scott’s final exit in the credit-roll of the season premiere of The Office. (And of course, the return of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which actually premiered last week.) But I can join in any discussion of how the season premiere of 30 Rock was the best? That discussion goes something like this: “Hey, did you see 30 Rock this week? Wasn’t it the best?” Followed by: “I did, and it was.” So good. I could watch Jack Donaghy and Liz Lemon rapid-fire sass each other back and forth about the phone book and love it.
Discuss. Excuse me. Discuss, please.
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“It OK. Don’t be cry.”
Also: SPIDERMAN PAJAMAS
Love those pajamas
Hell YEah! Oh MY GOD, I was so onboard for a Donald-Glover-as-Spider-Man film it was ridiculous. I had no idea whether there would ever be an outlet for that “controversial” casting possibility, but LEAVE IT TO COMMUNITY to put a ring on it. THANK YOU, COMMUNITY.
Also: The prime movie poster position in Abed’s room (above the headboard of his bed, duh) is given to Batteries Not Included. I just love that movie, is all.
At the very beginning of that opening, I turned to my wife and said, “Cue Joel McHale shirtless exercising in 5, 4, 3…”
Joel McHale shirtless will get no complaints here.
can’t find bigger gif…. yet
TWSS
Also, Chang’s Gollum? I was losing it. I was like, “Chang has a Gollum!!!”
I also loved the line about “a little spare Chang.”
That was a favorite line for me too. “Is there any room in this pocket for a little spare Chang?”
I also loved when Troy said, “When there’s three sprinkle donuts, you don’t eat one and then lick another!”
Jeong fucking KILLED IT in this episode. Just when you think the guy might be getting stale…
did you guys know donald glover has a significant music thing going? childish gambino anyone? has this been discussed? can we discuss it?
i have a heavy crush, that’s all i’m sayin’
troy 4 ever <3+*~*+~+++*~~*=0^^
I’m crushing right along with you. He’s a for real deal, industrial strength charmer.
Plus he’s giving his entire album away for free. He wants everyone to download and give it to their friends. Troy rocks:
In case there are people out there who weren’t aware of Childish Gambino, check out the CG blog, which has links to download his music for FREEEEEEEE!
http://www.childishgambino.blogspot.com/
Childish Gambino is one of my tops on Last.fm
Has anyone seen him live?
#nerd
Would you rather watch Jack Donaghy and Liz Lemon rapid-fire sass each other back and forth or join you in the discussion of Betty White’s timely and hilarious cameo?
pube shirt
Donald Glover’s Spider-Man pajamas made me laugh, and then “Ohhh!”, and then shout “Internet!” with my fist raised triumphantly to the sky.
*Shirley voice* Very ME-TA!
Indeed, the Season 5 30 Rock premier was awesome, but I felt like it was lacking something. I just, I just can’t put my finger on it. Oh, yeah…
You got cheezy blasters!
thanks Meat Cat!
Guys, I’m no prude, but did anyone else find the Pete-raping-his-wife-while-she-sleeps joke a little off-putting?
Yes, very much so. I am going to try to pretend that joke was on “Outsourced” just so that all of my hate can be directed to the same place.
Very efficient.
I didn’t really get that one either, where did that one come from? It didn’t feel like a 30 Rock joke at all. I feel like it must be operating on a totally different level that I’m not getting, because its not a good sight gag or anything like that. It’s the same feeling I get when I read The Scarlet Letter, I mean I just KNOW something is going on with that “A”.
I usually don’t condone sleep-rape (NEVER rape-rape), but I thought the joke was hilarious. Especially that Liz was imagining it.
good thing we got to see it twice question mark?
Repeating it was a weird thing to do. It didn’t feel like a 30 Rock joke, it felt more like Family Guy.
I honestly thought they were just poking fun at the convention of using “flashes.” They did a similar thing last year whenever Tracy says, “I had a pretty amazing New Year’s, too. My wife and I are trying for a daughter and on New Year’s Eve I think I got Angie pregnant.” The flash noise comes up, but the camera just cuts to Jack and Liz shaking their head, pleading for Tracy not to go on. Tracy then says, “OK, but I was gonna describe it real good.”
I thought this joke sort of worked on the same lines, especially with Liz unfortunately imagining it twice.
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
How long together? Like date rape is bad, but “sixth date” rape is ok? (we’re assuming dinner and a movie date here, not just driving right out to the rape fields, or wherever that kind of stuff takes place.)
Oh man, I’m really glad that I’m not in a long-term relationship with you.
Um… so… how often do you rape your significant other?
I think Dan Savage would be horrified to know that you are crediting him with applying the term “implied consent” to sleep-raping your wife. You, sir/ma’am, are gross.
Implied consent is his phrase, not mine, in response to a call on this subject. Like I said, it depends on the couple. It’s not really a stretch to assume that Pete and his wife have an understanding.
I’m not saying if someone falls asleep next to you you can just do whatever you want, guys. I hate rape too. I just don’t think we should be assuming Pete raped his wife.
I am familiar with the term “implied consent.” I listen to Dan Savage’s podcast and heard the episode about it, and that’s not what it means. In any case, your original comment implied that you think it’s OK for a man to have sex with his wife while she’s sleeping because she’s his wife and therefore it’s just assumed that she would consent even though it’s impossible to consent if you are sleeping.
I probably could have been clearer in my original post. Sex is weird, and while something might seem weird or wrong to us, as outsiders, we don’t really know what’s going on. I’d rather not think Pete is a rapist.
no…pete definitely raped his wife.
I want to know which creeps are actually upvoting this. Can they be put on a Videogum Monster Sex Offender list?
Agreed. 150 blog posts away from me at all times.
I love seeing defenses of rape in the comments of one of my favorite internet places. LOVE IT.
Yeah but we as viewers know that they like it a bit dangerous/kinky, And I mean, did you see that floral print Home collection pajama top? Just askin for it.
(That joke made me feel bad)
Wait, remember when Joan was raped by her husband on Mad Men? Defend that, Raymond’s Mother.
What? Why would I do that?
I really don’t get the impression that Raymond’s Mother (or Pete Hornberger, or the writers of 30 Rock) are trying to make an across-the-board justification of rape. I get that it’s a slippery slope and all that. But I think it was meant to be more of a typical “wives won’t have sex with their husbands, amiright?” type of joke that missed the mark than a thesis statement on implied consent. Which is offensive in its own way, but I’m totally done talking about it.
Thanks, Baby! It’s really weird that I spent so much time today trying(and failing, somehow?) to explain that I don’t like rape. I’m so against rape, you guys!
The funny thing is, my inital reaction was the same as all of yours. I decided to believe my “They have an agreement” theory because I would have a real hard time watching any scenes with Pete in the future with that in the back of my mind. Which now really seems like it would have been a good thing to mention earlier.
I guess things would be easier if we all just prefaced our comments with: I DO NOT LIKE RAPE.
Fucking HORRIFYING. Consent is never implied.
That was SO off-putting! I kept waiting for Pete to say something like “We have an agreement,” but he never did. And then the line about not having to be gentle? UGH.
Yeah, that was pretty much EXACTLY how I felt. I was like, “where’s the consent? I need some acknowledgment of consent for this joke to work for me. Otherwise Pete’s just a rapist.” Him saying “We have an agreement” and running off would have been enough for me. But unfortunately that did not happen.
Now Pete’s a rapist. Deal with it, people. Pete- Show Producer and Rapist.
A thousand upvotes.
seriously, my friend and i were freaked out for the rest of the episode. we weren’t planning on watching the office but we wanted to “lighten the mood.” with the office?
My mom was sitting next to me during that part of the episode…and when they first showed the “flashback”, I looked over and my mom was folding laundry, not paying attention. ‘Glad she didn’t see that’, I thought….and then they showed it again. Awesome.
30 Rock was THE ONE I didn’t catch (SO GLAD to hear there’s GOING TO BE a separate OUTSOURCED IS the fucking WORST thread). How WAS IT? More like LAST SEASON (which was funny, BUT NOT AS good as previous seasons, I think) OR MORE like the FIRST THREE seasons?
Also, THE OFFICE WAS better than I was expecting. BUT EXPECTATIONS on that shit are kind OF LOW these days.
I thought 30 Rock really pulled it together at the end of season four and I think this was a continuation of that.
Pete Hornberger teaches us something new.
When did Jenna get so spraytanned? She looked like a barbie in this episode. Business Slut Barbie.
All the episodes were pretty great. but I didn’t watch Outsourced for obvious reasons. However, I saw it was 3 of the 4 most popular searches last night, so I fear it will be popular.
I know everyone gives the office some hard times, and despite the fact that some of the jokes are getting old (even Jim vs Dwight!), there was some LOL’s. Michael Scott talking about Hanson and fifty year old murderers haha.
For the record, an “Old White Man Says” show would instantly receive my DVR stamp of approval.
pssst: http://twitter.com/oldwhitemansays
Already following. Pretty much as soon as they mentioned it on the show.
I don’t know…I felt like that whole thing was a huge burn. Community is great at the subtle burns
http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2010/09/22/twitter-inspired-tv-show-my-dad-says-lacks-humor-ease-its-predecessor
Community amazes me with it’s ability to be topical.
The Twitter character list is all kinds of good.
http://twitter.com/#!/list/nbccommunity/characters
I’ve always been curious as to exactly what Martinizing is myself.
Also, “The Office” was okay, but any gifs of Jenna Fischer doing that Lip Dub thing would e greatly appreciated.
She was particularly great. Good facial expressions!
Also, Jim’s dancing was so awkward. Arms straight down the whole time. Felt totally real.
i believe he was doing the charlie brown dance, no?
Not enough shrugging. These guys no what I mean:
…I don’t think it had anything to do with facial expressions.
It was a good night of TV! I enjoyed 30 Rock and the Office. Plus Mondo won on Project Runway again! And a new episode of the League! Everything’s coming up Thursdays!
Damn you for ruining Project Runway! But yay for another Mondo win!
Oh no! I’m sorry… At least I didn’t spoil who goes home, right?
How does that old proverb go? “People who care so much about Thursday night’s shows being ‘ruined’ for them should not read blog posts entitled ‘Thursday Night TV Open Thread.’”
Man, It’s Always Sunny has been kind of weird so far, right? I think I felt this way about last season and then a couple of episodes really just EXPLODED with laughs, so I’m hoping that’s what happens this year, but … I feel kind of awkward saying that I haven’t really enjoyed the first 2 episodes that much. Am I the only one? I’d be happy to be convinced that I’m wrong.
Maybe I need to start drinking a lot more before watching them. Or there needs to be more McPoyles.
i’m with you…it’s become sort of predictable in how characters are going to react in a situation and so you just wait for it to play out hoping their will be some actual joke-jokes in there.
i hate to say it, but i’m tiring on it. it started last season and an occasional episode is still hilarious, but it’s just not the same.
It WAS weird, but also weirdly genius. The “Fear” thing, combined with the four benadryl I took was bizarre.
I did love the Fear gag. That was the best part of the episode for me.
I haven’t been too crazy about the first two episodes of Sunny this season. I died laughing at the finale of I think last season or the season before where Charlie writes a musical. The live version of that little number was also quite rad to tha hella.
That’s my favorite episode too fella. The one with the night-man. Hey, Steve you should comment on Stereogum. They have more boobies than they do in Videogum. Hey look Jessica Alba nude! NSFW http://www.celebjihad.com/celeb-jihad/jessica-alba-naked-pictures http://stereogum.com/
how much is buzz media corp paying you to try and get more page views? I like stereogum okay and all but hipster music (which I happen to think is fine) just doesnt inspire the same vehemence as does Gabe’s constant hypocritical ramblings. Get some stereogum hypocrites on there to say something like MIA is racist but Ah Ha is a terrific band and then maybe I will get on there to bring justice where there isn’t any
My favorite season of IASIP was the 3rd season, which was very episodically contained. The characters didn’t end any worse than they started (roughly), so each new episode started fresh (and even then, there was some story crossover at times, like when The Gang Gets Invincible they shoot that McPoyle brother, which then drives the McPoyles to Take The Gang Hostage in a later episode, and the season culminates with everyone they’ve wronged showing up for the dance marathon, in The Gang Dances Their Ass Off).
Since Season 3, I have not been as impressed, although I have still enjoyed a lot of the laughs the show has thrown out. But the show has gotten more cartoonish, with the characters doing more cartoonish, seemingly-permanent things, that are wiped clean by the end of the episode, leaving them to start the next episode with no baggage. I haven’t enjoyed that as much, because it strips the characters of what little accountability they already had in seasons 2 and 3.
That being said, I have enjoyed the two episodes so far because they’re building towards something. Dennis wasn’t divorced in the same episode he was married in. Accountability is back, with the lawyer they annoy coming back to fuck with them. Charlie and Frank got married for two episodes. And ALL this is the writers adapting and building a storyline around the fact that Kailtin Olson is pregnant, and Sweet Dee will be pregnant on the show. And I’m happy to see it, because my interest was waning for the past two seasons of Looney Tunes level goofiness.
Now that they’re making the characters accountable again, I’m very interested in the stakes, and I’m crossing my fingers it will lead to big laughs I have not had since season 3.
Everything was fun, but Community was on fire. That said…
I hate to jump on the “this show sucks now” train, especially at the start of the season, but, you guys, these first two episodes have me worrying about It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
I’m hoping it will get better when they find out why Dee was gagging so much.
i think when they do “issues” shows like “gay marriage” it gets pretty boring, for reasons stated above. but episodes that kind of come out of nowhere are still great…think of last season’s road trip. next week’s “the gang buys a boat” will hopefully deliver.
Kitten Mittons was an amazing ep from last season, so they still have it in them.
Anybody know where one can view ratings info? I’m very curious to know how Community stacked up against The Big Stereotype Theory.
Not terribly. Community got pretty much the same ratings as 30 Rock, which is encouraging. BST got, I think, 13-ish million, and Community got about 5 million viewers. That’s probably good enough for NBC to give it a 3rd season.
The only response I can think of to BST having higher ratings is WTF?!!
It’s the prime spot following The Office so you can thank trickle down racism.
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/09/tv-ratings-big-bang-makes-a-big-dent-on-thursday.html
BBT: 4.8/15
Community: 2.2/7
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/09/24/tv-ratings-thursday-the-big-bang-theory-scores-at-8pm-greys-anatomy-tops-night-with-young-adults-my-generation-premiere-stalls/64978
Solid answers all around. We cannot let Chuck Lorre win this battle!
and Delocated continues to be good!
I only saw The Office and was not disappointed.
Michael: “I had an awesome summer; saw Inception. Or at least I dreamt I did.”
Kelly: “I went to training at Yale. So now I’m like really smart. You could ask me ‘Kelly, what’s the biggest company in the world?’ And I’d be like blah, blah, blah, and the exact right answer would come out.”
I really hope Kelly takes over for Michael next season.
NYMag: “Her Office contract is up this year, at the same time as Steve Carell’s. ‘This isn’t some big scoop or anything, but I can see this season being my last.’”
NOOOOOOOOO!!!
I remember hearing that she got her own sitcom development deal, so that could be good!
She’s writing her own rom-com!
“I’d just like to say that regarding the comment about the level playing field that is a zoning issue.”
Community was the best of the night, for sure, but I also enjoyed The Office (surprisingly!), mostly because of Pam’s elevator prank on Dwight.
“Dwight Schrute. Star salesman. Beet farmer. Bed and breakfast proprietor. Aspiring freelance bodyguard.”
I swore I was giving up on Office this year, since I never caught up with the episodes on my Tivo from last spring, but I like Pam and Dwight so much together (funny joke times, not pervert times!) that the promos for the elevator prank made me glad I didn’t actually delete my season pass yet. Maybe I will watch just that scene.
“30 Rock” was top-notch. So many jokes, so little time! I had to rewind like five times to catch them all. My faves, in order of appearance:
1. “No, it OK. Don’t be cry.” — Liz Lemon, to Carol (Matt Damon’s character)
2. “I’m a bear. And I’m a daddy. I’m a daddy bear.” — Jack Donaghy
3. “She’s your pube shirt.”
“You sound different. Do you have a beard?” – Liz
also, everything from community was perfect. “Just riffing here, but we could open a hair salon.” – Abed.
i would watch that show. Just sayin’.
Good nights from all 3 NBC comedies. I thought Community was the strongest, but 30 Rock and The Office look like they’re on the right track. Favorite lines from each, in order:
Troy: “There’s no way to prove that! Have you ever SEEN a cat penis?”
Jack: “Before I know it, she’ll have me wearing jeans and reading FICTION.”
Luke: “I’m a bit of a cinephile. My favorite films are Citizen Kane and The Boondock Saints.”
i’d like to ad: “we’re two things that just go together perfectly….like whiskey and hunting.”
and “i’ll shoot you with this super-weapon and you go ahead and use respect to defend yourself.”
Not that my opinion matters buit:
Community: B+
30 Rock: A-
The Office: B+
Outsourced:
Are you secretly the AV Club? Because those grades are identical (except the last one, which I wish had been the official grade. “D” doesn’t have the same panache).
No, I haven’t even read their reviews yet. But I tend to agree with them.
Anyone watch The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Tod Margaret yet? I thought it was a solid Pilot and definitely solidified my love of Thobias Funke: Analrapist
I couldn’t get used to that damn language they were speaking.
I enjoy the actor stylings of one David Cross. The pilot was funny, but I wish a certain British person would show up and snap Todd Maragaret into shape. A certain British person who unfortunately was born without an accent, if you catch my drift…
I’m just waiting on the open thread for Bieber’s CSI episode.
Does Bieber play a murderer? That’s what I’m getting out of this photo.
“It’s Vegas. Everyone just walks around with neon lights shining on their heads, right? I’m pretty sure that’s right.” – Your boyfriend, the Gaffer.
Last night’s Office reminded me of Seasons 2/3. that was a good feeling
I love that Liz Lemon (and Matt Damon too, I guess) and I like the same things – “Barefoot Contessa”, sweater weather, and when Muppets present at awards shows.
And I’m sure you guys have seen these already, but just in case – there are some great interviews with Dan Harmon floating around the Internet this week, like this one at the AV Club (http://www.avclub.com/articles/community-creator-dan-harmon,45508/) and this one from Vulture (http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/09/community_pop_culture_referenc.html). I just love reading interviews with this guy – he’s so smart about his show and about the sitcom medium. Dan Harmon, hire me/marry me!
Can I just say that in the “30 Rock” clearly won the old-lady-joke competition last night (the imaginary one in my head), because the ten seconds of Jenna firing “Grace” on 30 Rock was about one million times funnier than everything Betty White did on Community.
I hope people aren’t sleeping on The League.
It commands as many laughs as 30 Rock, and is currently out-funnying The Office and Sunny (and obviously Community and Outsourced).
I must say, The League is quite impressive, even to someone who isn’t a diehard football fan. However, to put them in the same category as NBC thursday is doing it an injustice. knowwhatimean? Specifically, the league, 30rock, and community are all amazing standouts in their own respect. I’m tempted to shiva-blast your name, mr.hee haw.
Oh, man, the League is fantastic. It’s like a funny, smart version of Entourage, except the characters aren’t pieces of shit and it’s not based in some L.A.-fantasy world to which I cannot relate at all! Some of the best insults ever uttered were on the League.
I don’t know if this has been mentioned already, but when Creed started complaining about Betty White, did anyone else have flashes of another 95-year-old man who likes to whine about her? Hmm…
Gabe?
She has a ring around her finger
And Abed hired an Irish singer
Britta’s marrying,
Britta’s marrying,
Britta’s marrying Jeffrey Winger