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30 Rock: The Source Awards
(S01E16) You can't hit it out of the park every time. While "The Source Awards" delivered plenty of funny, the episode seemed a bit off-kilter. It had fewer laughs-per-minute than the past few episodes, and structurally, I think the writers couldn't decide which story to foreground. Maybe, they couldn't decide if LL Cool J or Wayne Brady should get more lines. My answer to that quandary - Ghostface Killah. Who, other than Dave Chappelle, gets the Wu on their sitcom? You don't see Raekwon and GZA turning up on Scrubs? (They haven't been on Scrubs, right?) Actually, this points to a sorta interesting and unexpected thing about 30 Rock. In addition to being your weekly one-stop shop for Alec Baldwin greatness, Tina Fey smartness and all-around goofiness, 30 Rock is one of the only comedy outlets sending up the excesses of hip-hop culture and white guilt on a regular basis.I think the writers spend the better part of their day coming up with absurd names for hip-hoppers and their entourages. Ri-DICK-ilous, Dotcom, Catch-22, Homunculus. Tracy's right. At this point in hip-hop history, Hot 97 and The Source Awards are not good places for anyone embroiled in a public feud to be hanging out. And, the Cristal controversy is all real except the Dane Cook part, or maybe that didn't make the original Economist interview in which Frederic Rouzaud lamented that he couldn't prevent rappers from buying the company's champagne. The world of hip-hop celebrity is ripe for satire, and 30 Rock has an interesting take on it since it's juxtaposed against Liz's own adventures in white guilt.
What did you guys think of Wayne Brady's appearance? An interesting contrast to his Chappelle Show outing. The black guy accused of being too white by his critics makes an appearance on 30 Rock and shows us just what being super, super white (or super, super boring regardless of race) might mean - loving Mark Russell, collecting tote bags and blogging about STAR WARS - the Reagan, not the Lucas, kind. The entire set-up was worth it just for the "why can't we all just not get along" exchange. If only we could just hate each other as people regardless of race, creed, gender or sexual orientation. That will be a beautiful day.
Among my other favorite moments in this week's episode:
- This mess is going to get raw like sushi so haters to the left.
- RIDICULOUS: What kind of plane you want to buy? JACK: Clear, like Wonder Woman's.
- Live every week like it's Shark Week.
- KENNETH: I've got your nose. RIDICULOUS: Jay, go get my nose back.
Did anyone else catch that Wayne Brady's character worked for Dewie, Cheatum and Livingston, a play on classic law firm pun "Dewie, Cheatum and Howe?" They do know how to layer the jokes at 30 Rock. Speaking of layering, check out Todd at Dead Frog's screen capture from last week's 30 Rock episode. One of The Girlie Show protesters standing outside NBC is holding a sign that read "Ecclesiastes 10:19," a bible verse which reads, "A meal is made for laughter, and wine makes life pleasant, but money is the answer for everything." They've got so much funny to spare, they're cramming every inch of the frame with yuks.
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