jesse
@ April 14, 2008


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5
These days on NBC, you can find 3 types of shows.  The first is Law and Order spinoffs (bing bing).  The second is single-camera, laugh track free comedies on Thursday night, like The Office and 30 Rock (which I love).  And the last is reality shows so low-concept that MTV rejected them as being tacky.  The Biggest Loser? American Gladiators? Its like they aren't even trying anymore.

30 Rock, which takes place behind-the-scenes at a sketch comedy show at (fictional) NBC, took dead-aim at the real mothership last Thursday in their first episode back from the writer's strike.  The episode took place in real time during the premiere of (fictional) NBCs newest reality show, MILF Island.  "20 MILFs, 50 eighth grade boys, no rules."  Hilarious.

Well, I thought so.  You know who didn't think so? The New York Times.  You see, the F in MILF? That stands for fuck.  And the episode aired at 8:30 in the evening, which NBC had previously said would be the "family hour." So, there were families, and, and, F stands for fuck, and fuck is a bad word (you shouldn't say fuck no you shouldn't say fuck fuck no!).

Somebody over at the old grey lady needs to take a deep breath.

The general content of the "30 Rock" episode, however, appears to work against NBC's positioning of the show in its family hour, the 8 to 9 p.m. block of programming that Mr. Silverman said would consist of shows a family could watch together.

The contestants on the island-based reality-show-within-a-show on "30 Rock" are described as 20 "holy hot mamas," who are accompanied by 50 eighth-grade boys as they compete at tasks like "eating bugs to earn tampons." They square off in "Erection Cove," with the loser having to remove her bikini top and burn it in the fire.

Erections? Hot mamas? Bikinis? What is the world coming to these days.   

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30 Rock, as great as it is, is hardly a "single-camera" type show. I'm not talking technically (or else I'd say that The Office isn't technically one either). It's just not the aesthetic 30 Rock is going for.

Learn you cinematography, dammit. ;]

Jim (if you read this): I'm ashamed you didn't call Jesse on this first.

Oh, and just for the record, an island (or peninsula) full of milfs sounds awesome. Like a skeezy playground.

I take it back. I misunderstood those terms. Stupid non-literal terms...

One term I DO NOT misunderstand, though, is MILF. My point regarding MILFs still stands.

Joe, there is a simple reason for my not calling Jesse on 30 Rock's single-camera status: the show sucks and I don't watch it. ;)

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