30 Rock Questions Its Sexuality
Added 2022-09-21 07:31:01 +0000 UTCEDIT: Sorry for technical problems! The file has been replaced with a new one. If you have one with audio problems, delete it and download the file again.
“Cougars” (November 29, 2007)
As comedically successful as it might be, 30 Rock is a very straight show. That’s why our best pick for a queer episode is one where the sexually interesting narrative is the C plot and it ends with Judah Friedlander’s Frank convincing himself he can’t like guys because he doesn’t fit prescribed definition of gay. This episode is ultimately harmless but indicative of some traps later Tina Fey efforts would fall into. But hey — it’s got “Muffin Top.”
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Comments
There is also the episode where Jack and Liz go down to Florida after Jack’s mother passes away, to settle her affairs. Jack meets his mother’s live in “housekeeper” and learns that she was actually her partner. (S7 EP10)
Jesse Keenan
2022-09-30 22:23:00 +0000 UTCIt's the other way around for the novelization of Dear Evan Hansen. The musical came first then the book.
Callum Roper
2022-09-30 12:47:17 +0000 UTCYes but he is a guest character and not part of the opening credits cast. Frank is, and therefore this seemed like a more significant story.
Drew Mackie
2022-09-25 15:06:03 +0000 UTCYou said the show is very straight, wich is true, but Isn't Jack's rival (played by Will Arnett) gay and later is married to a guy and has children with him, or do I remember that wrong?
Tobias
2022-09-25 14:27:40 +0000 UTCI mean, I do know that but it’s so late after that became a thing that it’s weird. It is as much a Portia joke, since she wasn’t widely know for being gay until she started publicly dating Ellen and there was perception that Ellen had “gayed” her.
Drew Mackie
2022-09-23 00:40:54 +0000 UTCI’m pretty sure that joke about being gay for Ellen was a dig at Anne Heche (RIP) who had a reputation as having a relationship with her just for the fame.
Zach Wilson
2022-09-23 00:37:34 +0000 UTCInterestingly the writer of this episode (John Riggi) is gay and it made me wonder how much of the episode came from him vs. the writing staff. The “no sex with Asians rule” sounds like a joke he would write. I’m with Glen in that I enjoyed the first few (three) seasons of this show and then it declined really quickly. I did not enjoy the cartoonishness of the later seasons. I don’t feel the need to rewatch it but I get the feeling it hasn’t aged well as a whole. But no matter how I feel about this show now, “Muffin Top” will always be great. 😀
Sandip Sarma
2022-09-22 18:28:50 +0000 UTCNo, completely forgot about that one.
Drew Mackie
2022-09-22 17:28:24 +0000 UTCOh I forgot about that. And she did co-write that episode too. It does seem like an example of her... not punching down. She might have felt like she was, but I think she maybe needs someone there to say "no, maybe not that."
Drew Mackie
2022-09-22 17:27:57 +0000 UTC🥰love that you took the time to make transcripts available. I wish more podcasts (and people in general) thought about accessibility. The new website looks great!
Lobo
2022-09-22 04:12:00 +0000 UTCcw: suicide I had to fan break up with Tina Fey after the whole Dr. Brandt thing. It was just so mean. I do not blame her or hold her responsible for his death, just to be clear. She didn't cause his suicide, but she/the show made a super mean joke about a real person for no reason, that just didn't sit well with me. My opinion of her/her work keeps dropping and that bums me out because I *really* admired her. I developed and taught a college course called "From Lucy to Liz Lemon." I was all in, and now I can't even rewatch 30 Rock anymore.
Lea Susan Engle
2022-09-22 02:05:16 +0000 UTCFantastic episode! Thanks!
David Taffner
2022-09-22 00:35:24 +0000 UTCForgive me if you eventually mention this, but another episode you could do is the third one, called Blind Date. Jack assumes Liz is gay and sets her up with a woman. Liz likes the woman so much that she considers “being” a lesbian.
Ryan Cores
2022-09-21 23:04:13 +0000 UTCIf you want to do more exploration of 30 Rock’s… interesting relationship to non-heteronormative sexuality, there’s the whole arc Jane Krakowski’s character has with Will Forte’s, which probably wasn’t aging well when the show first aired
Marcus
2022-09-21 23:03:42 +0000 UTC
