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Sometimes I wonder if the viewers out there who aren’t watching 30 Rock are dismissing it because they don’t get the little obscure references and nerd-bait easter eggs, because for me, aside from Liz and Jack’s complex and fascinating relationship, the little pop culture nods are the best part of the show. (Best one ever: “You can’t have a lemon party without old dick!”) Anyway, while the Jon Hamm storyline continued to be funny (“stew”, ha!) the other subplots of last night’s episode were chock-full of little inside jokes, including one specially-made to delight any fan of either Alec Baldwin’s career or mid-’90′s post-Basic Instinct sexual thrillers. So I’m gonna focus on those.
First, though it bothers some people, I’m going to have to come down on the side of being 100% in favor of product placement on this show. I would like this show to stay on the air, and I think they do it in a funny way. (Though McFlurries are McDisgusting.) Did anybody notice Jack’s lamp on last night’s McDonald’s-sponsored episode, for example?:
Also at one point last night, Tracy yells to Dot Com “Stop showing off, DOT COM!” Look where that URL goes. Of course.
And sometimes this show has inside jokes so small you could swear they’re just doing it to amuse themselves, like last night when Kenneth met his blind love interest, Jennifer, who is played by the same actress who played Jack MacBrayer’s wife in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the music briefly switched to a Hawaiian luau style. Because that movie took place in Hawaii! Insane.
And just three weeks after Liz Lemon made a Glengarry Glen Ross reference, the show honored another of Alec Baldwin’s iconic movie roles, with a reference to Malice in this confessional scene at Elisa’s church. (Note that the priest is Wet Hot American Summer‘s Zak Orth.):
“I am god!”:
From now on, we have to keep a look out for the line “What one man can do another can do!” Because that’s from the massively underrated Alec Baldwin/Anthony Hopkins 1997 thriller The Edge, and that would be awesome. (Any reference to bears in general will also work.)
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Tammy Littlenut and Dance Enus Dance and “Our Jonathan, who art in the office, how would thou be my reservation. If you are able, hold my table, at Plunder as we will not be there by seven. Have them delay our heavenly desert. And forgive us our lateness as we forgive those who cause lateness against us.” and Kenneth has a mouth on his back. B+utiful.
This recap was going great, until I reread it, and noticed that you said that “McFlurries” were “McDisgusting”. For shame Lindsey, for shame. There’s nothing better then soft serve mixed together with crushed Oreos. Nothing. Better
P.S. I wonder what would happen if you did replace broth with cheddar cheese…
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The Edge: One of the National Review’s “Best Conservative Movies of the Last 25 Years.” The rest of the list has to be seen to be believed:
(http://www.thesamedame.com/2009/02/national-review-movie-geniuses.html)
McKinley and Ben this is for you!
“Mandy? You look terrible.”
Alec was hilARious on Conan last night.
OOPS didn’t see the Conan post further down. I just got too excited about Alec.
“I dunno, have you ever microwaved a donut?”
Funny cuz it’s true, gang.
Relating to the donut theme, when Jack comments on Liz’s scarf, I swear she’s about to say “I found it at Dunkin’ Donuts,” but she gets cut off after Dunkin.’ AMAZING!
And another cameo from Tina’s husband during the Michael McDonald concert
I hope at some point jack gets a hat, and red silk scarf around his mouth.
I thank Tom Cruise for you, Lindsay and Videogum! Whilst I did NOT get that Stop showing off joke the ‘I Am God!’ referencing had me LaROLLING. And i had no one to call about it! Who’s going to give me their phone number for next week?!?
One week they had the actress who played Teen Wich at liz’s highschool reuinon, the next week Kenneth was ding a monalog from teen wich.
Teen Wi tch’s little sister is Serena on GG, starring Rufus who played a priest on an episode of Law and Order, as did Robert DeNiro in the movie Sleepers, starring Kevin Bacon.
I can’t compare HIMYM to 30 Rock, they appeal to different parts of me. HIMYM’s jokes and inside bits are much more nostalgic, whereas 30 Rock is all, “OMFG I can’t believe they just said/did that, ROFLcopter?”
? Because I don’t know what I am saying.