“30 Rock” aired its much-publicized live episode last night, and it was stuffed to the gills with cameos and funny gags. It featured appearances by Sir Paul McCartney (East Coast), Kim Kardashian (West Coast), Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon, and Fred Armisen, as well as Donald Glover as a young Tracy Jordan. (Full list of East Coast/West Coast differences here.) All in all, it was a really funny half hour of television on a night full of funny half hours of television (“Community and “Parks and Rec” also killed it).
All that said, even on a night that saw one of the Beatles show up, the most notable part of the episode was frequent “30 Rock” guest Jon Hamm appearing in blackface. Now, admittedly, this is a bit of a dicey situation. One on hand, I certainly do not condone people donning blackface under most circumstances. It’s disgusting and it’s racist as all holy high Hell. But, on the other hand, the way it was played here — as a reference to exactly how racist television used to be — combined with the sheer likability and charisma of Jon Hamm, put this in a different category. I suppose my point here is this: if you are thinking about donning blackface, look in the mirror first. If, and ONLY IF, you see Jon Hamm’s rugged, handsome face staring back at you, feel free to proceed. Otherwise, pump the brakes, kemosabe.
NOTE: The astute Warming Glow reader may realize that this is the second member of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce to appear on television in blackface. Roger Sterling approves.
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Banjo?
Dude! I blew a snot bubble outta my nose
Why can’t SNL ever be that funny?
Best GIF EVER (to not include boobs of course) ! I can’t believe the Uproxx mothership didn’t include it in their “10 Best GIFs from Thursday Night TV”, but I knew you wouldn’t let us down Danger!
I’m just going to sit here and watch that gif for the rest of the day. Jon Hamm is the best.
I also loved that they had Tracy playing the straight man. That’s a first.
And, of course, Nazi Dr. Spaceman killed it.
I’ll probably get lambasted for trying to put forth some sort of social commentary on the internet but here goes.
As much as I like 30 Rock, this is a shining example of the one thing about the show that really annoys me. The scene with Hamm and Jordan is funny because it is racist. But, because it is veiled behind some sort of thin statement of how racist things used to be, it gets a pass. And I think this happens a lot in 30 Rock. They get away with jokes that on other shows would be labeled as homophobic or racist, but they get a pass because they are making some half ass attempt at a social statement. When it feels like just a backdoor attempt at getting an otherwise “offensive” joke into the show.
All that being said, I think that political correctness and the arbitrary determination of who it is okay and not okay to make fun of is bullshit. For some reason, maybe because I’m a big fat pussy, shows that use thinly veiled social statements to backdoor in an “offensive” joke really get my goat. I prefer shows, like Archer, that are blatantly offensive, and are funny because they are blatantly offensive.
Lambastion incoming….
That was dumb. Saying Archer is better because they don’t “veil” their offensive material with “social commentary” is incorrect. Archer does “veil” the offensive material, usually with what is referred to as a “premise” or a “set up” Regardless, what you are basically saying is that you are upset that John Hamm didn’t just go on screen as a regular guy and start saying racist things for no reason. You seem to be upset that the joke was funny.
I’m not mad the joke was funny. I thought it was funny, I just don’t like the way they did it. Having a comedy bit where the comedy is derived from a racist joke, while at the same time making the point of how bad racism is seems kind of backwards to me. In an episode of Archer this season they had a scene where they called Launa Calpernia. Which is racist, without any veiled social commentary. And funny.
I realize I am reading way too far into this, and making a big deal out of nothing. But in a show that blatantly makes politically commentary almost every episode, I feel they are trying to make some sort of comment. And archer in know way makes any sort of social commentary. I just don’t see how you can make a statement about how bad and backwards something is, while at the same time deriving your comedy from that so called bad thing. I just think it is a fallacy of thinking and rhetoric that 30 Rock makes on a regular basis. Again, I like 30 Rock, I think it is different and at times is very smart, but sometimes I just have a problem with how they present things.
So you would rather they be overtly racist.
The minute I saw Kim Kardashian I knew the episode was going to be terrible. Ham-bone couldn’t even save it.
Unlucky West Coast; you got a fat-assed cunt in your episode. At least we East Coasters got a person of some merit (that is as complimentary as I’ll be to Sir Paul). Just knowing that Kardashian was on 30 Rock almost ruins the show for me. I genuinely thought Fey and the writers were better than that.
Hold on, is this what 90s rap was fighting over?
Community last night was so good. Maybe my favorite episode ever. I love how they’re phasing out Chevy Chase and giving his minutes to the Dean.
Uniform.
No “Your unborn baby’s lungs need nicotine for science reasons” GIF? There was something about tar holding its bones together too, but I was laughing too hard to remember the quote exactly.
As soon as they started the lead up, I wondered where they were going with it and how they’d handle the blackface. You’ll notice that he isn’t completely blackface- definitely a hedge there…
30 rock fucking killed it, holy mother of god. just so damn impressive from start to finish.
Seriously, NBC may want to kill themselves today cause it’s all downhill from here.
Jon Hamm was….well, Jon Hamm, but I think Kirk Lazurus is still the best portrayal of black-face in the modern era.
My biggest laugh was actually present-day Dr. Spaceman imitating what someone with a colon-mouth would sound like. But maybe I just really like poop jokes.
That skit, and the Casino Clams line, made me almost puke laughing.
I’m not mad the joke was funny. I thought it was funny, I just don’t like the way they did it. Having a comedy bit where the comedy is derived from a racist joke, while at the same time making the point of how bad racism is seems kind of backwards to me. In an episode of Archer this season they had a scene where they called Launa Calpernia. Which is racist, without any veiled social commentary. And funny.
I realize I am reading way too far into this, and making a big deal out of nothing. But in a show that blatantly makes politically commentary almost every episode, I feel they are trying to make some sort of comment. And archer in know way makes any sort of social commentary. I just don’t see how you can make a statement about how bad and backwards something is, while at the same time deriving your comedy from that so called bad thing. I just think it is a fallacy of thinking and rhetoric that 30 Rock makes on a regular basis. Again, I like 30 Rock, I think it is different and at times is very smart, but sometimes I just have a problem with how they present things.