tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post556674420156324410..comments2024-03-28T18:01:28.997-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: 30 Rock: Merry Sheinhardt to allAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-30476424573672185142007-12-21T11:53:00.000-05:002007-12-21T11:53:00.000-05:00I had kind of guessed that this episode was strike...I had kind of guessed that this episode was strike-forshortened somehow given that the TiVo identified it as "Episode 209" instead of "Ludachristmas." Interesting to learn how that issue might have affected rewrites and post-production as well.<BR/><BR/>And of course older gay men deserve to have fun -- but that doesn't mean it's something most people want to see unexpectedly on the Internet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-39474299357831100072007-12-17T20:33:00.000-05:002007-12-17T20:33:00.000-05:00I'm a little puzzled by all the horrified reaction...I'm a little puzzled by all the horrified reactions to lemon parties. It may not be your cup of tea, but older gay men are entitled to have fun, you know.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-37348080410485779782007-12-16T12:42:00.000-05:002007-12-16T12:42:00.000-05:00Hey, c’mon you guys! I think you need to take a ...Hey, c’mon you guys! I think you need to take a moment and count your Christmas blessings. Other viewers are getting crap presents like According to Jim and Two and a Half Men re-runs, and we’re getting <I>this</I>. This is like getting a tin of popcorn instead of fruitcake.<BR/><BR/>Yeah, it wasn’t the best ep ever, but what non-cable show is consistently good week after week and never occasionally misses a beat. It didn’t have the same LOL ratio as usual, but there were a lot of small, funny moments.<BR/><BR/>Liz’s mom grabbing the bow off the popcorn tin just as Jack is accepting it.<BR/><BR/>Liz’s parents fawning over her work – “somebody built all this because of words YOU wrote” – with a “Who Farted” backdrop for the sketch.<BR/><BR/>As someone else mentioned, the US map with all the Lohans, Rodriguez and C. Bacca<BR/><BR/>All the drinking holidays – Ludacrismas, Nude Year’s Eve, Martin Luther King’s birthday<BR/><BR/>Kenneth running after the Springfieldian mob saying “No no no no no no.”<BR/><BR/>Mitch mistaking Jenna for one of his mom’s friends.<BR/><BR/>Jack hissing to his mother: “Really? Life is too short? Because yours seems endless.”<BR/><BR/>All of Dick and Margaret’s fawning over Jack: Ooh! A congresswoman! Lifetime!<BR/><BR/>I thought it was a sweet episode even if it wasn’t the strongest.olucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12047701257768309071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-68869091986085636822007-12-16T12:09:00.000-05:002007-12-16T12:09:00.000-05:00They actually made a more subtle "lemon party" jok...They actually made a more subtle "lemon party" joke in the second episode of the series, the one with the party on the yacht. The day after, Liz runs into Jack in the elevator, and he says, "I hear your little Lemon party went well." I laughed then, and wished for some mental steel wool to get rid of the image.<BR/><BR/>This episode was all right, although I think, given the time to polish, they might have made the "Lemon party" joke fit into the scene a little better; it comes out of nowhere as an excuse to make the joke, and they're better than that. All things considered, it could have been a lot worse, and while I'm glad to have had a little more 30 Rock before the holidays, I wish they'd been able to work on the show properly. <BR/><BR/>On the spelling of <I>Ludachristmas</I>: whatever else any one of us might think, the fact that they showed it spelled out several times on banners, shirts, etc., must mean that that's probably how they want us to spell it. Since it's <I>luda-</I> and not <I>ludi-</I>, then it clearly refers to the rap star, although the pun covers all the bases. (It is large, it contains multitudes.)<BR/><BR/>As for the green screen, I didn't mind it so much in the tree scene--I'd bet the tree wasn't up and ready when they filmed--but the scenes of the little children in Guatemala were distractingly fake. Funny, but fake. Compared to the that, I thought the tree scenes looked fine.David J. Loehrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03730376433424754068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-80559497406362597212007-12-15T19:57:00.000-05:002007-12-15T19:57:00.000-05:00No, it wasn't as strong as the dog-fighting episod...No, it wasn't as strong as the dog-fighting episode, or last week's, but there was a lot I liked. I loved Jack passing his mother's doughnuts under the hackings of the consumptive stripper, and also loved all the interactions between Jack and the Lemon family, from his initial distrust to his preening appreciativeness. <BR/><BR/>I didn't know what a "lemon party" was, and Wikipedia let me down (fake Canadian politicians? I don't think so), but urbandictionary.com came through with flying colors. I love that this line got through. I have to believe that Standards and Practices were as clueless as I. But what I love even more is the notion of Buck Henry delivering this line.<BR/><BR/>I worship Buck Henry.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01288100796201737845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-86373560208249216782007-12-14T23:28:00.000-05:002007-12-14T23:28:00.000-05:00Yeah, I guess it isn't all that gross. They could ...Yeah, I guess it isn't all that gross. They could have made a 2 girls 1 cup joke.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-30811967330834704622007-12-14T23:04:00.000-05:002007-12-14T23:04:00.000-05:00Wow, I was so expecting lemon party to be somethin...Wow, I was so expecting lemon party to be something WAY more gross, the way you people talk about it. I don't find that shocking at all, though I'm sure I would have gasped if I'd been in on it the first time I heard the joke.<BR/><BR/>I guess I've spent too much time on the internet. You wouldn't believe the things I was imagining with all that *believe me, you do NOT want to know* stuff. I support the existence of lemon parties.<BR/><BR/>Still, and all--don't Google it at work or anything. If you haven't figured that out yet. Only Google it from the privacy of wherever you usually look at porn. Because, basically, yeah, you'll get porn.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-60108347191998685022007-12-14T23:03:00.000-05:002007-12-14T23:03:00.000-05:00Thanks, anonymous poster, for complaining about th...<I>Thanks, anonymous poster, for complaining about the spelling of names in a comment in which you couldn't be bothered to spell my name right. <BR/><BR/>Unless you were going for some kind of ironic delivery, in which case, bravo, you anonymous bastard.</I><BR/><BR/>This was funnier than any joke in the episode. I agree with the theory that this episode was hurt by lack of polish due to the strike.joshjshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15687319490325018311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-69022223525058054992007-12-14T22:29:00.000-05:002007-12-14T22:29:00.000-05:00If the writer's strike was the reason we were forc...If the writer's strike was the reason we were forced to have to watch 24 minutes of Andy Richter, then I am more desperate than ever to see the strike end.<BR/><BR/>Richter should be banned from ALL Television.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-14299428202727391202007-12-14T21:53:00.000-05:002007-12-14T21:53:00.000-05:00I had a few laughs, but I thought the episode was ...I had a few laughs, but I thought the episode was rather weak too.Kenrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06346565881555687494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-77082113087567767322007-12-14T19:42:00.000-05:002007-12-14T19:42:00.000-05:00The Andy Richter stuff reminded me of the David Cr...The Andy Richter stuff reminded me of the David Cross/Just Shoot Me plot as well. (Chicken pot, chicken pot, chicken pot piiiiiie! Pretty much the funniest thing ever on that mostly mediocre show.) And the 30 Rock version suffered in comparission.<BR/><BR/>I think this is an interesting example of a show affected by the strike and why writers are important to the whole process. <BR/><BR/>I did wish they would have gone a less obvious path with the Lemons' cheery facade cracking apart. <BR/><BR/>That said, the episode was still funny and at moments brilliant - example: Jack to Liz - I've never seen such relentlessly blind encouragement. No wonder you're a sexually frightened know it all.<BR/><BR/>and Tracy's: And now, this time of the year -- Ludachristmas, New Year's Eve, Martin Luther King Day -- all you do is drink.<BR/><BR/>Amen to that!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-37114977196122078842007-12-14T19:23:00.000-05:002007-12-14T19:23:00.000-05:00I was also disappointed by this episode. I figure...I was also disappointed by this episode. I figured it was the last pre strike show because it felt like a scripts first draft. Normally the joke sthat were flat would have been cut and the rest would have been punched up. It way to easy for Jack's mother to be right and to see Liz's family fall appear was too expected to be funny. Hopefully they will recover after the strike. <BR/><BR/>I did like the joke with Tracy having to ask his sister in law to disregard his e-mails.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-60189297404694757552007-12-14T19:19:00.000-05:002007-12-14T19:19:00.000-05:00All these comments and no one has mentioned my abs...All these comments and no one has mentioned my absolute favorite line from Jack.... "I did do a fabulous job of finishing my muffin." I snorted all the way through the commercial break!<BR/><BR/>And I can't resist peer pressure, even anti-peer pressure, so I did look up "lemon party." And saw the pictures. Blech.Stefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10024186205791001584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-90436347456623000622007-12-14T18:13:00.000-05:002007-12-14T18:13:00.000-05:00Wow I couldn't believe they actually aired the lin...<I>Wow I couldn't believe they actually aired the line "It wouldn't be a lemon party without old dick!". To those who didn't get the reference, be glad you didn't.</I><BR/><BR/>sigh<BR/><BR/>Now I have to google something that, apparently, is going to disgust me. I can kinda deduce... but frankly it's going to have to be pretty bad to live up to the build-up.<BR/>Also, eggs, Danny Thomas style.<BR/><BR/>But what do I know? I thought last night's episode was funny.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-79483001047874885082007-12-14T16:56:00.000-05:002007-12-14T16:56:00.000-05:00Well, Alan, I know exactly what you are talking ab...Well, Alan, I know exactly what you are talking about. Because that episode was So. Very. Lame. For something like Two And A Half Men maybe that caliber would be great, but for the standards set by 30 Rock this season, this episode fell very flat. Definitely not worth keeping and rewatching. What a predictable, boring way to resolve the Lemon storylines.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-63901699380824283982007-12-14T16:54:00.000-05:002007-12-14T16:54:00.000-05:00I don't think the criticism has been too harsh; th...I don't think the criticism has been too harsh; this was a relatively weak episode and I agree with those who think it was due to the strike. The pacing and flow felt off and there were fewer hilarious one liners but more duds. Plus did anyone's guide list a title other than "Episode 209"? I guess the title is part of the script!<BR/><BR/>Also, between the way Liz's and Jack's families were handled it felt uncomfortably dark. Partly it was because last year, Elaine Stritch's ire was directed at evil Phoebe instead of Liz, but I thought they could have done better with Liz's parents and brother (other than Jack's approval that Mitch thought Reagan was still president).<BR/><BR/>Still, I loved Jack holding the cookies under the coughing stripper as well as everything related to Liz's football lawsuit (capped by "I wore the uniform!". And I've loved the couple of 70s SNL episodes repeats I've seen Buck Henry host, so it was great to see him as Liz's dad.<BR/><BR/>In conclusion, screw you NBC for forcing this one on the air. Going without The Office AND 30 Rock is going to be very rough, but I'd rather wait until the strike is over and see a 10th episode that's gone through the full process. I don't want to say this, but hopefully this was the last one to air.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-19061047451732187182007-12-14T16:17:00.000-05:002007-12-14T16:17:00.000-05:00I found out what a lemon party is and...UGH! Still...I found out what a lemon party is and...UGH! Still, it does make the joke funnier with context, and makes it clear that the writing staff for this show is both brilliant and deeply, deeply disturbed--not a bad combo!<BR/>The problem with the "LudaChristmas" joke was that it was the kind of Level 1 humor that this show usually elevates to Level, well, a much higher number. Two other glitches in this were A) they didn't actually get Ludachris to make a cameo (maybe he can't appear on other NBC shows now that he has a character on SVU?) and B) THE SIMPSONS' season finale had a better joke when he appeared in a dental hygiene video as LudaCrest.<BR/>I hope this wasn't the season finale, honestly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-60994869960580565002007-12-14T15:43:00.000-05:002007-12-14T15:43:00.000-05:00I don't know what you are all talking about. I th...I don't know what you are all talking about. I thought this ep was freaking HILARIOUS. I couldn't stop laughing throughout. It was especially great after the office repeat which definitely put me to sleep.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-9426704577942561862007-12-14T15:35:00.000-05:002007-12-14T15:35:00.000-05:00This was quite obviously one of the two eps that w...This was quite obviously one of the two eps that was put into production after the strike commenced, and therefore could get no rewrites.<BR/><BR/>Discerning fans noticed that there were some real first-attempt verbal clunkers throughout the show, while the best jokes were of the sight-gag, prop-gag, and physical comedy variety - which could legally have been created and developed by Tina and directing staff without - technically - any "writing" being 'committed'.<BR/><BR/>[That, plus having comic writer-actors such as Buck Henry and Andy Richter very conveniently allows for both of them to "improvise" and "come up with their own material on-camera", which also don't violate the WGA strike.<BR/><BR/>None of the above were a coincidence, as Tina was able to balance pulling off a still-funny episode while also abiding by the strike rules. I tip my hat to a very deft and successful balance of showrunning and Guild-backing by Ms. Fey.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-73597737989930953252007-12-14T15:34:00.000-05:002007-12-14T15:34:00.000-05:00This was quite obviously one of the two eps that w...This was quite obviously one of the two eps that was put into production after the strike commenced, and therefore could get no rewrites.<BR/><BR/>Discerning fans noticed that there were some real first-attempt verbal clunkers throughout the show, while the best jokes were of the sight-gag, prop-gag, and physical comedy variety - which could legally have been created and developed by Tina and directing staff without - technically - any "writing" being 'committed'.<BR/><BR/>[That, plus having comic writer-actors such as Buck Henry and Andy Richter very conveniently allows for both of them to "improvise" and "come up with their own material on-camera", which also don't violate the WGA strike.<BR/><BR/>None of the above were a coincidence, as Tina was able to balance pulling off a still-funny episode while also abiding by the strike rules. I tip my hat to a very deft and successful balance of showrunning and Guild-backing by Ms. Fey.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-88058611712069489692007-12-14T15:10:00.000-05:002007-12-14T15:10:00.000-05:00It was definitely one of the weaker episodes of 30...It was definitely one of the weaker episodes of 30 Rock, but I loved Jack, when he was skating with the Lemons, asking if Liz was in for the Disney cruise in March.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-75324951991646142152007-12-14T14:32:00.000-05:002007-12-14T14:32:00.000-05:00"This episode lost me at the beginning when they h..."This episode lost me at the beginning when they had Jack's mom flying JetBlue to New York from Atlanta. JetBlue does not fly to Atlanta and even when they did several years ago it was only to the West Coast. That bugged me the rest of the episode."<BR/><BR/>Also, they don't accept Amtrak tickets. Threw me RIGHT out of the episode.<BR/><BR/>(Not really.)Matter-Eater Ladhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07582100232490047227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-48501793333324436712007-12-14T14:23:00.000-05:002007-12-14T14:23:00.000-05:00Someone described the Lemon Party as geriatric gay...Someone described the Lemon Party as geriatric gay porn. I'm choosing to not find out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-34075048348416323092007-12-14T14:20:00.000-05:002007-12-14T14:20:00.000-05:00Relatively safe-for-work descriptions of a lemon p...Relatively safe-for-work descriptions of a lemon party are available at <A HREF="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=lemon+party" REL="nofollow">Urban dictionary.com</A>.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18351452512636422112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-72167921860146264612007-12-14T14:16:00.000-05:002007-12-14T14:16:00.000-05:00Agreed that this episode was weak in comparison to...Agreed that this episode was weak in comparison to the last six or so. Which doesn't mean there were about a dozen really funny jokes. But the strike makes for a good explanation for how the ep felt off.<BR/>*Kenneth's subplot was very lame<BR/>*The green screen may be because the scene was shot before the tree went up, and they had to use footage that wasn't intended for that scene. <BR/>*Finally, Anonimus, Ludicrousmas makes no aural sense. Given all the rap references on this show, (from Chamillionaire to Wise Greasy Bastard), there's no way Tina and the writers made an accidental reference to Ludacris.SMMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03228707282665237517noreply@blogger.com